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

Shasta County does not issue or require a standalone tree-removal permit for property owners removing trees on private land in the unincorporated area, because there is no county heritage-tree or oak-protection ordinance. A permit becomes relevant only when removal is bundled with another regulated activity. The County grading ordinance in Title 12 (Chapter 12.12) requires a grading permit when clearing and grading exceed the County's thresholds, with erosion-control conditions; however, brush clearing under Public Resources Code 4291 or County Code Chapter 8.10, and ordinary cultivation and forestry under an approved Timber Harvest Plan, are exempt from the grading-permit requirement (County Code 12.12.050). Discretionary projects reviewed under Title 17 zoning and CEQA, such as subdivisions or use permits, can impose tree-retention or replacement conditions as part of approval. Commercial logging is regulated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection under the Forest Practice Rules, generally requiring a Timber Harvest Plan rather than a county permit. When trees are removed as fire fuel under Chapter 8.10, stumps must be cut no higher than eight inches above the ground. The incorporated cities of Shasta Lake and Redding maintain their own tree-permit ordinances that do not apply to unincorporated county land.