Native oak trees (valley oak, live oak, blue oak), non-oak native trees (California sycamore and California black walnut), and "landmark trees" (large, healthy non-native trees) are afforded various levels of protection through the environmental review policy. The Planning and Environmental Review staff person assigned to the project will determine the potential for tree impacts during the submittal and completion of the application (884 process). Environmental analysis of heavily treed sites, or development projects that will substantially impact or remove on-site or off-site trees, will generally require an arborist’s report.
Native Oak Tree Mitigation Requirements, Forms and Planting Detail
Native oak trees within the unincorporated area of Sacramento County are protected by the County Tree Preservation Ordinance - Chapter 19.12 and the County General Plan Conservation Element. The following links are for commonly requested forms and drawings related to tree mitigation for development projects:
If you are inquiring about a native oak tree on private property not associated with recent land development, please contact the County Tree Coordinator.
Non-Native Tree Canopy Policy
The Urban Forest Management section of the Conservation Element of the General Plan has the objective of doubling the county’s tree canopy by 2050. Supporting policies call for education and regional cooperation toward that objective. Further, Policy CO-145 specifies mitigation for non-native tree canopy impacts by creating equivalent canopy on-site. Equivalent canopy coverage is calculated using the 15-year shade cover values for tree species. If onsite mitigation isn’t possible, then applicants may contribute to Greenprint funding. Mitigation for tree canopy impacts will be fully assessed through the environmental process and implemented through the conditions of approval for the project.
