24″ Tree Size Limit Set For ‘Fire Risk’ Tree Removal

By Bill Johnson Published Mar 4, 2005 10:05 am Updated Jan 31, 2009 02:24 pm

The California Forestry Board went against the wishes of the Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors Wednesday and made it official that property owners can only cut trees up to 24 inches in diameter around their homes.

The County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday had voted unanimously to urge the Forest Board to vote down the new rule.

Until Wednesday property owners were allowed to cut trees up to 30 inches in diameter to help reduce a fire hazard on their immediate property.

Included in the new 24″ rule, a property owner will be required to have a professional forester on the piece of property to supervise the removal of the trees. Only if the forester decides that the 24″ diameter trees are not enough to reduce the risk of fire, can he or she approve that trees up to 30″ in diameter be cut.

Many environmental organizations maintain that removing trees up to 30″ in diameter at any time is simply too generous when it comes to clearing a large defensible space.