Oak Woodland Policies of 41 California Counties

For 25 years the California State Board of Forestry oak conservation policy supported a statewide program of research and education known as the Integrated Hardwood Range Management Program (IHRMP). This included providing strong encouragement to local governments to develop their own policies responsive to ecological, economic, and political issues impacting hardwood rangelands in their particular county. Shown below is a table of counties with significant hardwood rangeland acreage, and the current policy approaches being used. These data were updated Fall 2022.

 Hardwood Rangeland (acres)Voluntary GuidelinesGeneral Plan LanguageImplementing ordinance
Alameda131,000 scenic areas only 
Amador178,000 scenic areas only 
Butte230,000  subdivisions only
Calaveras316,000X  
Colusa149,000X  
Contra Costa81,000 discretionary projects with heritage treestree protection ordinance for all areas with 4 or more oaks >6.5” dbh
El Dorado178,000XXzoning and subdivision ordinance
Fresno493,000Xscenic areas and landmark trees 

Glenn

133,000X  
Kern721,000   

Lake

119,000X waterway zoning only

Los Angeles

70,000  oak tree ordinance

Madera

283,000Xlandmark trees only 

Marin

62,000XXtree protection ordinance (zoning)
Mariposa299,000X  
Mendocino374,000 landmark trees only 
Merced96,000   
Monterey921,000 including agriculturezoning ordinance
Napa159,000 Xerosion hazard and municipal watershed zoning only
Nevada139,000 Xwithin land use code and site standards
Orange40,000   
Placer105,000 Xtree ordinance
Riverside72,000 on ½ parcels above 5,000’ onlytree removal ordinance
Sacramento23,000 Xtree preservation ordinance
San Benito437,000 when removal approaches a canopy retention standard or on slopes >/ 30%woodland management ordinance
San Bernardino18,000 Xplant protection ordinance
San Diego320,000 on 5 acre lots onlygrading ordinance
San Joaquin39,000 Xtree ordinance

San Luis Obispo

724,000Xin some zoneszoning ordinance

Santa Barbara

345,000X for agricultureincluding agriculturedeciduous oak ordinance
Santa Clara321,000X for golf coursesHeritage trees and 12” trees in hillside zonestree protection ordinance

Shasta

287,000X  
Solano45,000   
Sonoma211,000 valley oak district onlyzoning ordinance
Stanislaus145,000 all discretionary projects 
Tehama633,000X  
Tulare536,000 along scenic highway only 
Tuolumne234,000Xvalley oak woodland onlymitigations designated in wildlife handbook
Ventura113,000 Xboth ministerial and discretionary

Yolo

99,000 should adopt tree ordinance 
Yuba95,000 valley oak only