Riverside Municipal Code §13.25.020 requires that any tree lawfully removed from the public right-of-way be replaced. Replacement species are selected by the Public Works Department based on the Master Street Tree Planting List, and no more than 5% of the City's total inventory may be any one species.
Section 13.25.020 (Removal, Trimming, Tree Replacement) directs that when a parkway or street tree is removed, replacement is required. The replacement species is not chosen by the property owner — Public Works selects the species from the Master Street Tree Planting List based on site conditions (parkway width of 2 ft, 3 ft, 5 ft, or 8 ft+; presence of overhead utilities; soil; sun exposure). The Urban Forestry Policy Manual caps any single species at 5% of the citywide inventory to maintain biodiversity and prevent pest epidemics like the polyphagous shot hole borer that has affected Inland Empire urban forests. For private tree removals on parcels subject to Riverside County Ordinance No. 559, each illegally removed native tree must be replaced with a minimum 5-gallon nursery tree of the same species, planted within six months at the location of removal.
Failure to install required replacement tree is enforceable under Municipal Code Title 1 general penalty provisions and can result in the City billing the property owner for City installation. Under County Ord. 559, failure to replace within six months may result in civil penalties and recovery of the assessed value of the lost tree.
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