Tehama County, CA Tree Protection: Tree Removal Permits (2026)

There is no general tree-removal permit ordinance in unincorporated Tehama County, and no mandatory oak or heritage-tree protection law for private landowners. The County's approach is set out in the 2009–2029 General Plan, which treats oak woodlands through voluntary, encouragement-based policies. Policy OS-5.2 commits the County to 'encourage the voluntary protection of woodlands through appropriate conservation measures,' and Implementation Measure OS-5.2c states only that the County 'shall explore the feasibility of an Oak Woodlands Ordinance' — meaning no binding oak-removal permit was adopted with the plan. The County prepared a separate Voluntary Oak Woodland Management Plan in 2005, and General Plan measures encourage retaining mature oaks where possible (LU-1.4f), maintaining roughly 30 percent average leaf canopy when harvesting oaks for fuel or range improvement (OS-4.3a), and reviewing development within oak-woodland areas to avoid or minimize impacts (LU-1.5b). Where tree removal is tied to a discretionary development application, it may be evaluated through the County's zoning process and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review, and removal involving earthwork can require a grading permit. State law adds requirements in the other direction: PRC 4291 can compel removal of hazardous trees and fuel within defensible space. For an ordinary homeowner removing trees on their own land, no county tree-removal permit is required.