Tree Cutting in Los Angeles County, CA

Tree problems in Los Angeles County, CA that call for tree cutting

1. 1

   Unincorporated LA County vs. its 88 cities

   Los Angeles County is a patchwork. Unincorporated communities, such as Altadena, East Los Angeles, Topanga, Hacienda Heights and much of the Santa Clarita Valley outside the city, follow county rules, including the county's oak tree ordinance. Incorporated cities, like Los Angeles, Pasadena, Glendale and Santa Clarita, set their own tree rules, and many protect oaks, sycamores, walnuts and other natives.

2. 2

   The LA County oak tree ordinance

   In unincorporated areas, no one may cut, destroy, remove, relocate, damage or encroach into the protected zone of any oak that is 25 inches or more in circumference (8 inches in diameter) at 4.5 feet above natural grade without first getting an oak tree permit. The protected zone extends 5 feet beyond the drip line or 15 feet from the trunk, whichever is greater, so grading, trenching, paving or even heavy equipment parked under an oak can require a permit.

3. 3

   Dead, dying and hazardous oaks

   A dead oak or one posing an imminent hazard still involves the county; ask Planning how to document it before removal. In a genuine emergency, like an oak split and resting on a house, safety comes first, but photograph everything and have an arborist document the condition so you can show the removal was necessary.

4. 4

   Wildfire clearance in the foothills and canyons

   Much of the county's foothill and canyon land, from Malibu and the Santa Monica Mountains to the San Gabriel foothills, is in designated fire hazard areas, where state law requires 100 feet of defensible space around homes. The county fire department inspects for brush clearance. Tree work for clearance usually means removing dead trees and limbs, keeping branches 10 feet from chimneys and off roofs, and limbing up trees so fire can't climb into them.

5. 5

   Santa Ana winds and emergencies

   Santa Ana wind events, most common from fall into winter, bring dry gusts that topple shallow-rooted trees and break eucalyptus and pine limbs. Lines down go to Southern California Edison or LADWP depending on your area. A tree on a house is an emergency regardless of species; deal with permits afterward with documentation.