Tree Ordinance Information

The full text of the Tree Protection Ordinance (PAMC Title 8 - Trees and Vegetation) can be viewed and downloaded at the link below.

PAMC 8.10.020 describes the specific categories of Protected Trees. These categories are:

Locally Native Protected Species Trees

• Big Leaf Maple (Acer macrophyllum) 11.5" or more DBH
• California Incense Cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) 11.5" or more DBH
• Coast Live Oak (Quercus agrifolia) 11.5" or more DBH
• Blue Oak (Quercus douglasii) 11.5" or more DBH
• California Black Oak (Quercus kelloggii) 11.5" or more DBH
• Valley Oak (Quercus lobata) 11.5" or more DBH
• Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) 18" or more DBH

Protected Mature Trees

• Any mature tree measuring 15" or more DBH
• Invasive species trees and high water use trees are excluded. See our list of excluded trees included on this page.

Designated Trees

• Any tree designated for protection during review and approval of a development project.

Public Trees / Street Trees

• "Public trees" include any tree, in any street, park, or public place in the city of Palo Alto. "Street Tree" refers to the Public Trees located in the city road right of way.

Carbon Sequestration or Environmental Mitigation Trees

• Any tree designated for carbon sequestration and storage and/or environmental mitigation purposes.

Heritage Trees

• Any heritage tree designated by the City Council. See the Heritage Tree List.

Replacement Mitigation Trees

• Any replacement mitigation tree or other tree designated to be planted due to the conditions listed in the ordinance.

PAMC 8.10.020 includes the following exemptions from the Protected Mature Trees category:

"...except those invasive species described as weeds in Section 8.08.010 (Invasive plants, shrubs, hedges, and trees having high potential to invade adjacent properties and high ecological impacts in the region as defined by the California Invasive Plant Council.) and those species classified as high water users by the water use classification of the landscape species list approved by the California Department of Water Resources (with the exception of Coast Redwood)."

The following table lists tree species currently exempt from protection as a member of the Protected Mature Trees Category. For a full list of species considered invasive, please see the California Invasive Plant Council website. For a full list of landscape species and their associated water requirements, please see the Water Use Classification of Landscape Species (WUCOLS) List.

Owners of protected trees are now required to notify the public and the Urban Forestry Section a minimum of 7 days in advance of protected tree maintenance.  Minor maintenance such as what would be required to remove a dead, diseased, or broken branch or branches as well as work on protected trees less than five years old is exempt from notification. Simply use the form below to complete the notification process.

Click here to view form.

Protected Tree Maintenance Notification Form Direct link

PAMC 8.10.050 covers the removal of protected status trees. Allowable reasons for removal and the process required will be determined by the specific situation. Details on the most common situations are itemized below.

Protected Tree Removal in the Absence of Development (residential)

If a protected status tree must be removed from a residential property in the absence of development a Tree Permit is required. Tree Permits are issued by the Urban Forestry Section. The following are the allowable reasons for removal in this situation:

• The tree is dead, is hazardous, or constitutes a nuisance under PAMC 8.04.050
• The tree is a detriment to or is crowding an adjacent protected tree
• The tree is impacting the foundation or eaves of a residence or any covered parking required under PAMC Title 18

To apply for a Tree Permit, simply fill out and email the Tree Permit application along with an arborist report (see Report Requirements tab on this page) confirming one or more of the above allowable reasons for removal.

Protected Tree Removal in the Absence of Development (non single family residential)

If a protected status tree must be removed from a commercial, industrial, or multi unit residential property in the absence of development, a Staff Level Architectural Review for Tree Removal is required. Architectural Reviews for Tree Removal are issued by the Planning & Development Department. The following are the allowable reasons for removal in this situation:

• The tree is dead, is hazardous, or constitutes a nuisance under PAMC 8.04.050
• The tree is a detriment to or is crowding an adjacent protected tree
• The tree is impacting the foundation or eaves of a residence (structure) or any covered parking required under PAMC Title 18

To apply for an Architectural Review for Tree Removal, contact the Planning & Development Department.

Protected Tree Removal as Part of Development (residential)

If a protected status tree must be removed from a residential property as part of a development project, in most cases no separate Tree Permit is required. Approval of the development project serves as approval for the proposed tree removal. Urban Forestry Section staff will review the development application for compliance with the Tree Protection Ordinance and all applicable tree related policies. Notification requirements may still apply. The following are the allowable reasons for removal in this situation:

• The tree is dead, is hazardous, or constitutes a nuisance under PAMC 8.04.050
• The tree is a detriment to or is crowding an adjacent protected tree
• The tree is impacting the foundation or eaves of a residence or any covered parking required under PAMC Title 18
• The tree is so close to the proposed development that construction would result in the death of the tree, and there is no financially feasible design alternative that would permit preservation of the tree, where financially feasible means an alternative that preserves the tree unless retaining the tree would increase project cost by more than twice the reproduction cost of the tree or ten percent of the given project valuation, whichever is greater.

Protected Tree Removal as Part of Development Involving a Subdivision of Land

If a protected status tree must be removed from a property as part of a development project that includes a subdivision of land, in most cases no separate Tree Permit is required. Approval of the development project serves as approval for the proposed tree removal. Urban Forestry Section staff will review the development application for compliance with the Tree Protection Ordinance and all applicable tree related policies. Notification requirements may still apply. The following are the allowable reasons for removal in this situation:

• The tree is dead, is hazardous, or constitutes a nuisance under PAMC 8.04.050
• Removal is unavoidable due to restricted access to the property or deemed necessary to repair a geologic hazard (landslide, repairs, etc.), in which case only the protected tree or trees necessary to allow access to the property or repair the geologic hazard may be removed. 

Protected Tree Removal as Part of Development Requiring Planning Approval 

If a protected status tree must be removed from a property as part of a development project that requires planning approval (excluding residential projects or projects including a subdivision), in most cases no separate Tree Permit is required. Urban Forestry Section staff will review the development application for compliance with the Tree Protection Ordinance and all applicable tree related policies. Approval of the development project serves as approval for the proposed tree removal. If the applicant wishes to remove a protected tree between the planning approval phase and issuance of a building permit, a Tree Permit may be required. Notification requirements may still apply. The following are the allowable reasons for removal in this situation:

• The tree should be removed because it is dead, hazardous, or constitutes a nuisance under Section 8.04.050. In such cases, the dripline area of the removed tree, or an equivalent area on the site, shall be preserved for mitigation purposes from development of any structure.
• Retention of the tree would result in reduction of the otherwise-permissible buildable area of the lot by more than twenty-five percent, and there is no financially feasible design alternative that would permit preservation of the tree, where financially feasible means an alternative that preserves the tree unless retaining the tree would increase project cost by more than twice the reproduction cost of the tree or ten percent of the given project valuation, whichever is greater. 

Letter Report. – A brief format is acceptable for an application to remove three or fewer protected trees, or for development on a single-family residential lot (not a subdivision).

Standard information: All letter reports shall contain the following information: Arborist name and certification number; purpose of the report and for whom it was written; site address; date of the inspection(s); a to-scale diagram of the tree(s) location or photos that show the tree in relation to its surroundings; accurate size of the trunk diameter (measurement taken at 54-inches above natural grade); perimeter of leaf canopy; proximity to structures; condition of the tree/ tree health (and/or damage or decay presence); condition of the tree structure; imminent danger of failing (ISA TRAQ Hazard Rating or similar required); interface with utility services; conclusion and recommendation(s); photographs; and Tree Protection Instructions (if needed).

Specific situations: Other conditions may require the following additional information on an as needed basis if requested by the reviewing City staff arborist: tree protection plans; appraised value; and any other supporting information, photographs, diagrams, etc. that may be necessary.

If for a Protected Tree Removal Permit (i.e., an application for a Tree Permit requesting removal of 3 or fewer protected trees, not in connection with a development project): the report shall provide the standard information about the tree(s) in question detailed above, firsthand observations of the arborist, reasons used to determine that treatments or corrective practices are not feasible, and information that demonstrates the tree(s) meet one of the following conditions under Tile 8 of PAMC:

• The tree is dead
• The tree is hazardous (Level two TRAQ assessment or similar required)
• The tree constitutes a nuisance under PAMC Section 8.04.050.
• The tree is a detriment to or is crowding an adjacent protected tree
• The tree is impacting the foundation or eaves of a residence or any covered parking required under Title 18.

PAMC 8.10.030 outlines the City's Tree and Landscape Technical Manual (TLTM)

Updates to the new TLTM are still in process. Until the new document is approved and released to the public the existing Tree Technical Manual (TTM) may be used. Where the updated ordinance and the existing Tree Technical Manual conflict, the ordinance takes precedence.

PAMC 8.10.020 defines a Designated Arborist.

The City will be implementing a Designated Arborists list for all arborist work required as part of development applications. This list will go into effect during the first year of the updated ordinance. Urban Forestry is still exploring best practices for creating and maintaining such a list. It is important that our requirements for inclusion to the list are fair and equitable. Urban Forestry staff will be reaching out to inform local arborists and tree care companies as the process is finalized.

Until the official list is established, anyone that is an ISA certified arborist or registered ASCA consulting arborist may submit any required reports, plans, or documents associated with development applications.

PAMC 8.10.040 covers the disclosure of tree information during development. All development applications are subject to tree disclosure requirements except for those that do not involve any change in an existing building footprint, nor any grading, trenching, paving, or any change in landscaping which could alter water availability to established plants, hedges, shrubs, or trees.

Tree disclosure information is submitted by completion of the Tree Disclosure Statement by a certified arborist. This form can be found at the link below as well as included as part of the T-1 Tree Protection sheets that are required on all non-exempt plans.

Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP)(PDF, 17MB)

Tree Technical Manual (TTM)(PDF, 10MB)

Tree Permit Application(PDF, 2MB)

Tree Disclosure Statement(PDF, 526KB)

Urban Forestry Review Determination Checklist(PDF, 680KB)

For additional questions please email the Urban Forestry Section at pwps@cityofpaloalto.org

To assist in our Tree Protection Ordinance outreach efforts, city staff has been highlighting new components of the updated ordinance in periodic emails sent out to local Arborists, Tree Care Companies and Urban Forestry Advocates. If you would like to be added to our email distribution list, please let us know at trees@cityofpaloalto.org 

Tree Ordinance Information Updates - #1 Protected Tree Definition(PDF, 833KB)

Tree Ordinance Information Updates - #2 Excessive Pruning(PDF, 3MB)