SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A 45-day moratorium on removing protected trees in Sonoma County was extended Tuesday to May 31 by the Board of Supervisors as county staff with Permit Sonoma work on an updated Tree Protection Ordinance.
The board on Dec. 12 directed staff to make changes to the county’s Tree Protection Ordinance adopted nearly 40 years ago. The 45-day moratorium was a placeholder to ensure no protected trees were removed in the meantime.
“Trees and woodlands are essential elements of Sonoma County’s rural and urban lands,” said Supervisor Rabbitt, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “We need more time to get the Tree Protection Ordinance right. This moratorium will ensure that no protected trees are removed in the meantime.”
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The moratorium applies to all properties in unincorporated Sonoma County, except for the Coastal Zone. The urgency ordinance prohibits:
The urgency ordinance allows for Protected Tree removal and Oak Woodland conversion under the following limited circumstances:
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Permit Sonoma staff also recommended exemption in the moratorium of tree removal associated with applications for development permits and entitlements that were completed before Dec. 12 when the urgency ordinance was adopted.
Supervisors expect to consider the updated Tree Protection Ordinance before the moratorium expires May 31.
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The county’s original Tree Protection Ordinance dates back to 1989 and is being updated to increase climate resiliency by preserving the county’s tree and forest resources. The policies will help the county achieve the objective of carbon neutrality by 2030 by maximizing carbon sequestration. Proposed updates to the Tree Protection Ordinance include greater mitigation measures and costs for removing protected species based on the appraised value of the tree, county officials said.
County staff with Permit Sonoma have conducted an extensive three-year outreach campaign to develop a new tree policy. Eight public meetings have been held with representatives of more than 30 stakeholder groups. A community survey was also conducted and the county received over 500 responses.
Updating the Tree Protection Ordinance directly supports Sonoma County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the pillar, goal and objective of the plan listed below, according to a report prepared for the board.
Pillar: Climate Action and Resiliency
Goal 2: Maximize opportunities for mitigation of climate change and adaptation through land conservation work and land use policies
Objective 5: Develop policies to maximize carbon sequestration and minimize loss of natural carbon sinks including old-growth forests, the Laguna de Santa Rosa, and rangelands. Encourage agricultural and open space land management to maximize sequestration.
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