You Have to Follow the Oak Tree Trimming Laws in California

Oak trees are accorded heritage value and the governments enact laws to protect them. The state of California is no exception. Most city-building and developmental activities happen through the destruction of vegetation and clearing the way for buildings. Trees are essential to retain the green cover and maintain the ecological balance. So, California oak tree trimming laws have been brought into force to prevent the public from mindlessly cutting down and removing trees or even trimming them. If you have oak trees in your property, you should know what the law says about trimming in California.

Cities Have Passed Their Own laws

Within the California state, each city has framed legislation or rules to govern the way oak trees are handled in their territory. The city of Los Angeles has its ‘The Los Angeles County Oak Tree Ordinance’. Berkeley has a similar ordinance. These have to be followed by the residents of the respective counties. A better way is to retain the services of a company like Bloom Tree Trimming Services in Stockton, CA.

We have a thorough knowledge of the legal requirements while being an experienced tree services agency. Our team is familiar with the California oak tree laws and will guide you through the different steps when the need arises.

The Essence of the Different Laws

Though there may be different statutes, the overall objective is to give oak trees the protection they deserve. The oak tree law California allows individual property owners to cut down and remove oak trees within their properties but they will have to seek and obtain the permission of the local county. The underlying principle here is that if an oak tree has gone dead, it has to be removed. However, the authorities do not want this provision to be misused by residents and cut down a healthy tree.

On trimming and cutting trees, there are provisions too. If you trespass into your neighbor’s property to cut branches of a tree on the premise that it is extending into your property, it is illegal. You will have to seek permission for this. However, you should note that under California oak tree laws, if it is an oak tree, you cannot cut or trim the tree even if it is within your property.

The California tree cutting laws look at this issue from the perspective that where it is inevitable, trees have to be cut. The cases are

Trees that are hazardous or got a disease
If the tree is sitting in a fire zone
Height limits for trees being exceeded
If you have planted a tree that the law has prohibited

Besides these, there can be complaints that your neighbor’s views are obstructed by the branches of your tree or if trees are used as fence lines. In all these cases, it is legal to cut trees. As mentioned, oak trees are treated as a separate chapter due to their heritage value.