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. This information was assembled about six years ago so may be out-of-date for some counties. UC is working on updating this information.
Hardwood Rangeland (acres) Voluntary Guidelines General Plan Language Implementing ordinance
Alameda 131,000 scenic areas only
Amador 178,000 scenic areas only
Butte 230,000 subdivisions only
Calaveras 316,000 X
Colusa 149,000 X
Contra Costa 81,000 discretionary projects with heritage trees tree protection ordinance for all areas with 4 or more oaks >6.5” dbh
El Dorado 178,000 X X zoning and subdivision ordinance
Fresno 493,000 X scenic areas and landmark trees
Glenn 133,000 X
Kern 721,000
Lake 119,000 X waterway zoning only
Los Angeles 70,000 oak tree ordinance
Madera 283,000 X landmark trees only
Marin Madera Co. Plan 62,000 X X tree protection ordinance (zoning)
Mariposa 299,000 X
Mendocino 374,000 landmark trees only
Merced 96,000
Monterey 921,000 including agriculture zoning ordinance
Napa 159,000 X erosion hazard and municipal watershed zoning only
Nevada 139,000 X within land use code and site standards
Orange 40,000
Placer 105,000 X tree ordinance
Riverside 72,000 on ½ parcels above 5,000’ only tree removal ordinance
Sacramento 23,000 X tree preservation ordinance
San Benito 437,000 when removal approaches a canopy retention standard or on slopes >/ 30% woodland management ordinance
San Bernardino 18,000 X plant protection ordinance
San Diego 320,000 on 5 acre lots only grading ordinance
San Joaquin 39,000 X tree ordinance
San Luis Obispo 724,000 X in some zones zoning ordinance
Santa Barbara 345,000 X for agriculture including agriculture deciduous oak ordinance
Santa Clara 321,000 X for golf courses Heritage trees and 12” trees in hillside zones tree protection ordinance
Shasta 287,000 X
Solano 45,000
Sonoma 211,000 valley oak district only zoning ordinance
Stanislaus 145,000 all discretionary projects
Tehama 633,000 X
Tulare 536,000 along scenic highway only
Tuolumne 234,000 X valley oak woodland only mitigations designated in wildlife handbook
Ventura 113,000 X both ministerial and discretionary
Yolo 99,000 should adopt tree ordinance
Yuba 95,000 valley oak only