Tree-removal permits in Redding are issued by Development Services - Planning under RMC Chapter 18.45 (Tree Management). Any tree exceeding 6 inches DBH on developed or undeveloped property within the City requires a permit before being destroyed, killed, or removed (RMC §18.45.030), with limited exemptions under §18.45.040 (dead, dying, hazardous, and certain fruit/orchard species) and a discretionary path for development-related removals under §18.45.070. The ordinance was updated in 2006 and reviewed by a Council-appointed committee in 2023.
Tree-removal permitting in Redding centers on RMC Chapter 18.45 (Tree Management), originally adopted by City Council in 1990 and updated to its current substantive form in 2006. The threshold provision establishes that no tree, regardless of species, that exceeds 6 inches diameter at breast height (DBH) on any developed or undeveloped/vacant property in the city may be destroyed, killed, or removed without first obtaining a tree-removal permit, except as exempt under §18.45.040 or processed under §18.45.070 (Discretionary Permits, typically for development-driven removals). The application is filed with Development Services - Planning, which evaluates retention alternatives, the tree's health and risk, and required mitigation (preserved trees or new plantings). The September 2022 Tree Management Ordinance Update Committee, which met six times through May 2023, recommended further refinements to permit thresholds and mitigation; check the current adopted version of the chapter for any post-2023 updates. The City's 2024 Comprehensive Tree Plan complements the ordinance with technical guidance on canopy goals and species selection. Street trees in the public right-of-way are separately permitted under RMC Title 13, Chapter 13.40 (Trees and Shrubs) through Public Works. Removal associated with earth disturbance of 1 acre or more requires SWRCB Construction General Permit coverage (Order 2022-0057-DWQ) and may also trigger CEQA review under the Public Resources Code §21000+.
Removal of a tree over 6 inches DBH without a Chapter 18.45 permit is enforceable through City Code Enforcement as a misdemeanor or administrative citation, with required mitigation planting at an enhanced ratio and possible recordation against title. Repeat or large-scale unpermitted removal can be referred to the City Attorney for injunctive relief and civil penalties under California Government Code §38773.5. Removal of a street tree without RMC Chapter 13.40 approval triggers separate Public Works enforcement and ISA-appraised restitution.
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