Description of County Oak Conservation Policies
Oak Woodland Policies of 41 California Counties
In 1993, the California Board of Forestry and Fish and the Game Commission released the Joint Policy on Hardwoods, which determined there was no need for statewide regulation of hardwood resources. Instead, they strongly encouraged local governments to utilize the resources developed by the IHRMP to help create policies that address ecological, economic, and political issues affecting hardwood rangelands in their particular county. Below is a table of counties with significant hardwood rangeland acreage and the current policy approaches being used. These data were updated in 2025.
Hardwood Rangeland (acres) | Voluntary Guidelines | General Plan Language | Implementing ordinance | |
|
Alameda
Archived
| 131,000 |
| scenic areas only |
|
|
Amador
Archived
| 178,000 |
| scenic areas only |
|
|
Butte
Archived
| 230,000 |
|
| subdivisions only |
|
Calaveras
Archived
| 316,000 | X |
|
|
|
Colusa
Archived
| 149,000 | X |
|
|
|
Contra Costa
Archived
| 81,000 |
| discretionary projects with heritage trees | tree protection ordinance for all areas with 4 or more oaks >6.5” dbh |
|
El Dorado
Archived
| 178,000 | X | X | zoning and subdivision ordinance |
|
Fresno
Archived
| 493,000 | X | scenic areas and landmark trees |
|
|
Glenn
Archived
| 133,000 | X |
|
|
|
Kern
Archived
| 721,000 |
|
|
|
|
Lake
Archived
| 119,000 | X |
| waterway zoning only |
|
Los Angeles
Archived
| 70,000 |
|
| oak tree ordinance |
Madera
Madera County Voluntary Guidelines
Archived
| 283,000 | X | landmark trees only |
|
Marin | 62,000 | X | X | tree protection ordinance (zoning) |
|
Mariposa
Archived
| 299,000 | X |
|
|
|
Mendocino
Archived
| 374,000 |
| landmark trees only |
|
|
Merced
Archived
| 96,000 |
|
|
|
|
Monterey
Archived
| 921,000 |
| including agriculture | zoning ordinance |
|
Napa
Archived
| 159,000 |
| X | erosion hazard and municipal watershed zoning only |
|
Nevada
Archived
| 139,000 |
| X | within land use code and site standards |
|
Orange
Archived
| 40,000 |
|
|
|
|
Placer
Archived
| 105,000 |
| X | tree ordinance |
|
Riverside
Archived
| 72,000 |
| on ½ parcels above 5,000’ only | tree removal ordinance |
|
Sacramento
Archived
| 23,000 |
| X | tree preservation ordinance |
|
San Benito
Archived
| 437,000 |
| when removal approaches a canopy retention standard or on slopes >/ 30% | woodland management ordinance |
|
San Bernardino
Archived
| 18,000 |
| X | plant protection ordinance |
|
San Diego
Archived
| 320,000 |
| on 5 acre lots only | grading ordinance |
|
San Joaquin
Archived
| 39,000 |
| X | tree ordinance |
|
San Luis Obispo
Archived
| 724,000 | X | in some zones | zoning ordinance |
|
Santa Barbara
Archived
| 345,000 | X for agriculture | including agriculture | deciduous oak ordinance |
|
Santa Clara
Archived
| 321,000 | X for golf courses | Heritage trees and 12” trees in hillside zones | tree protection ordinance |
|
Shasta
Archived
| 287,000 | X |
|
|
|
Solano
Archived
| 45,000 |
|
|
|
|
Sonoma
Archived
| 211,000 |
| valley oak district only | zoning ordinance |
|
Stanislaus
Archived
| 145,000 |
| all discretionary projects |
|
|
Tehama
Archived
| 633,000 | X |
|
|
|
Tulare
Archived
| 536,000 |
| along scenic highway only |
|
|
Tuolumne
Archived
| 234,000 | X | valley oak woodland only | mitigations designated in wildlife handbook |
|
Ventura
Archived
| 113,000 |
| X | both ministerial and discretionary |
|
Yolo
Archived
| 99,000 |
| should adopt tree ordinance |
|
|
Yuba
Archived
| 95,000 |
| valley oak only |
|