City of Oakland California

Oakland's namesake is the coast live oak tree (Quercus agrifolia). The Jack London Oak pictured above was planted in 1917 in front of Oakland's City Hall in Frank H. Ogawa Plaza.

For a quick overview of Tree Services, please see our Tree Services Fact Sheet & Frequently Asked Questions.
Use the links below to go directly to the information you need:

• Oakland's Trees & their Benefits
• Tree Services
• Permits
• Trees in the Community
• City Tree Maintenance & Planting
• Trees & Views
• Tree Ordinances
• Forms & Brochures

Oakland's urban forest consists of hundreds of thousands of trees. The City maintains over 200,000 of these trees that grow in parks and along streets. A 2007 sidewalk survey identified 46,624 street trees (trees between the sidewalk and street), with many more trees in City parks and open space, on medians and streetscapes, and within the City's rights of way. The recent Oakland Urban Tree Canopy Assessment conducted by American Forests (July 2015) estimates that approximately 24.8% of Oakland is covered in trees. This puts Oakland in about the mid-range of cities in the Bay Area for the size of its urban forest.

Trees growing in the urban landscape provide a variety of benefits in addition to adding beauty to our streets, parks, and open spaces. Trees capture greenhouse gases and reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Trees enhance the environment by absorbing other pollutants, improving air quality, reducing stormwater runoff, preventing erosion, and providing habitat for wildlife. Studies show that trees provide health benefits for people, such as reducing stress and shortening recovery periods after surgery. Street trees also provide social benefits by slowing traffic, improving walkability, and reducing crime.

Trees are one of the few elements of city infrastructure that increase in value over time. Large and healthy trees provide greater benefits, but tree maintenance is necessary to ensure proper growth and structure. Growing a healthy urban forest is in line with the City's priority actions in Oakland's Energy and Climate Action Plan.

Oakland has held the honored status of a Tree City USA for 28 years. This designation is made by the National Arbor Day Foundation to communities who meet their core standards for urban forestry management. Oakland is proud of this designation and its urban forest.

Tree Services is dedicated to keeping the neighborhoods of Oakland safe from hazardous trees, while working with Oaklanders to preserve them and the benefits they provide.

The Landscape & Lighting Assessment District (LLAD) provides $2.5 million annually for tree maintenance. The budget funds 15 full-time employees who are responsible for over 200,000 trees. Their work includes: tree inspections for hazardous conditions, hazardous tree trimming and removal, emergency tree response, tree removal permits on public and private property, and self-pruning permits.

Prior to 2008, when severe budget reductions were implemented, Tree Services was able to attend to high-maintenance trees every three to five years. For example, the pollarded sycamore trees (Platanus x hispanica) around Lake Merritt were on a six-year trimming schedule. Tree Services planted an average of 1,000 street trees each year. In 2008, nearly half of the Tree Services unit was eliminated due to lack of funding. The tree planting program, tree watering, aesthetic pruning, and pollarding services were all eliminated. The Sierra Club Tree Team and Urban Releaf continue to plant trees in Oakland. More information about these nonprofits can be found in the Trees in the Community section.

Tree Services is currently seeking grant funding to complete a full tree inventory and create an urban forest master plan. This assessment and plan will help the City better understand and quantify the many benefits of Oakland's urban forest, and identify the current and future needs to maintain it.

High Priorities
Winter storms keep Tree Services busy responding to various types of tree-related emergencies. Public Works Call Center receives an increased volume of tree-related requests during rain storms, high winds, and extreme heat. Tree Services will remove fallen and high-risk trees and prune to abate hazards that threaten public safety.

Read our Tree Services Fact Sheet & Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

The City of Oakland has been protecting its trees since 1932 when the first tree protection ordinance was passed. The Protected Tree Ordinance requires that a permit be applied for and approved before removing a protected tree. A permit is also required if work might damage or destroy a protected tree. A protected tree is defined as:

• Any coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia) four inches (4") or larger in diameter, measured four and a half feet (4.5') above the ground, on public or private land.
• Any other species of tree excluding Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.) and Monterey pines (Pinus radiata) nine inches (9") in diameter or larger, measured four-and-a-half feet (4.5') above the ground, on public or private land.
• Eucalyptus trees (Eucalyptus spp.) are not protected and no permit is required. Monterey Pines (Pinus radiata) are also not protected but the species must be verified by Tree Services prior to removal. There is no charge for Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) verification.

Non-Development Related Tree Removals
A non-development related tree removal permit is required to remove a tree growing on public or private property, including front and back yards. City-owned trees on City lots or in public rights of way are also subject to the permit process unless they are an immediate hazard. The minimum fee for a non-development related tree removal application is currently $434.20, per the Master Fee Schedule.

View and print the Non-Development Related Tree Removal Permit Application.

Submit this form to Tree Services along with the fees in person or by mail. Currently, only checks are accepted at the Tree Services office at 7101 Edgewater Drive, Building 4, Oakland, CA 94621.

To submit this form in-person to Tree Services, please call 510-615-5934 or email cgarcia@oaklandca.gov for an appointment.

Development Related Tree Removal Permits
Development related tree removals are part of permitted construction projects. Please contact the Planning & Building Services Permit Counter on the 2nd floor of 250 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza.

Processing Information for Both Non-Development and Development Related Tree Removal Permits
It takes a minimum of five weeks to process a permit application. The request may be approved or denied based on the criteria listed in the Protected Trees Ordinance. The tree(s) on the application are posted for 20 working days. Once a permit is approved or denied, the permit is held for a five-working-day appeal period. If there are no appeals, the decision is issued. If a permit is appealed, the procedures and timeframes vary depending on the type of permit application.

Removal of Hazardous Trees
Hazardous City Trees: If an Official City tree is hazardous and presents an immediate threat to safety or property, please contact the Public Works Call Center by any of the four ways listed below.

Hazardous Private Property Trees: The permit process and associated fees may be waived by Tree Services prior to the removal of a hazardous tree on private property. An inspector from Tree Services will respond within 48 hours. You must be the tree owner to request a permit waiver. You cannot ask for a permit waiver to remove your neighbor's tree. The Hazardous Tree Ordinance (OMC 12.40) provides more information on this process. Please contact the Public Works Call Center to report a hazardous private property tree by any of these four ways:

• Call the Public Works Call Center (510) 615-5566 (8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)
• Email: opwcallcenter@oaklandnet.com
• Mobile app: SeeClickFix
• Online: www.oaklandpw.com - click on "Report a Problem"

Arbor Day
Arbor Day is observed in Oakland annually in early spring or late fall. Tree Services engages with Oakland's youth and plants trees a selected school each year. Read our press release for more information about our most recent Arbor Day event. For additional City of Oakland news, please visit the Oakland Public Works homepage or the City of Oakland Events Calendar.

Tree Planting Nonprofits in Oakland
The Sierra Club Tree Team and Urban Releaf regularly plant street trees in Oakland with volunteers. Contact either organization to find more information about their planting and tree care programs.

Creeks & Watershed
Oakland's Watershed & Stormwater Management Division works to restore, maintain and protect Oakland's watershed. Trees within the watershed are an important component of healthy habitats by improving water quality and mitigating stormwater from overwhelming creeks and other waterways. Creek restoration projects assess the health of preexisting trees within project areas and approved measures are taken to protect healthy trees during construction

Big Tree Registry
We encourage the public to nominate trees that may be the largest specimens of their kind in the City of Oakland for inclusion in the Big Tree Registry. Tree Services began the Big Tree Registry following the demise of what was believed to be Oakland's oldest and largest oak tree, the Champagne Oak in Dimond Park, in November 2005. That tree, which was located on the original Peralta land grant, had to be removed due to extensive disease.

How to Measure a Tree - Learn how to measure a tree.
Big Tree Nomination Form (PDF) - Nominate a tree for potential inclusion in the Oakland Big Tree Registry.
Online Big Tree Nomination Form (Clicking this link will open a Google Form. Do not use Internet Explorer.)
Big Tree Registry - See the current list of Oakland's big trees.
California Register of Big Trees - See the current list of California's big trees.
National Register of Big Trees - See the list of big trees throughout the United States.

Pruning
Due to a reduction in funding in 2008, Tree Services can only prune trees to abate hazardous or emergency situations. Report hazardous or emergency tree issues to the Public Works Call Center by any of these four ways:

• Call the Public Works Call Center (510) 615-5566 (8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)
• Email: opwcallcenter@oaklandnet.com
• Mobile app: SeeClickFix
• Online: www.oaklandpw.com click on "Report a Problem"

City trees can be pruned by licensed tree contractors (C-61/D-49 or C-27) who have $500,000 of liability insurance. Please fill out the Prune Your Own City Tree Form & Guidelines and submit to Tree Services along with proof of licensing and insurance before work begins in one of the following ways:

• Mail/Hand Deliver: 7101 Edgewater Drive, Building 4, Oakland, CA 94621
• Fax: (510) 615-5845

Proper Pruning is important for maintaining trees in good health. The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) provides helpful fact sheets that describe proper pruning techniques and explain what practices to avoid when pruning. A tree contractor who is an ISA-certified arborist will be familiar with these pruning practices:

• Pruning Mature Trees - Many mature trees benefit from pruning if done properly.
• Pruning Young Trees - Structural pruning in young trees can prevent some long-term problems and potential health issues in trees as they mature.
• Why Topping Hurts Trees - "Topping" is a term used to define extensive pruning that damages trees. This is different from pollarding, a common way to prune sycamore (Platanus x hispanica) and mulberry (Morus alba) trees. Topping is ugly, can cause significant health problems for trees, and reduces the many environmental benefits they provide.

Bird Nesting Season Considerations for Tree Pruning and Removals
Nesting birds are protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Golden Gate Audubon Society partnered with local arborists to create the "Healthy Birds, Healthy Trees" brochure (English) (Spanish/Español) and a training program on "bird-safe" tree pruning. The best measure to protect nesting birds is to avoid pruning during bird nesting season. The majority of bird nesting season runs from March to August, though raptors and hummingbirds begin nesting in December. September to November is the best time to prune to avoid affecting nesting birds. In season work should be cleared by bird surveys to ensure no birds will be impacted.

Street Tree Planting & Maintenance
As noted previously, Tree Services eliminated its tree planting program in 2008 but the Sierra Club Tree Team and Urban Releaf continue to plant street trees in Oakland. If you want to plant your own street tree, choose a species from the Official City Tree Species List and plant according to the instructions in the Tree Planting Guidelines & Tree Planting Permit (No Cost). This form needs to be submitted to Tree Services to make your tree an Official City of Oakland Street Tree. The City is not responsible for trees not on record. Submit the Tree Planting Form & Guidelines to Tree Services in one of the following ways:

• Online (Clicking this link will open a Google Form. Do not use Internet Explorer.)
• Mail/Hand Delivery: 7101 Edgewater Drive, Building 4, Oakland, CA 94621
• Fax: (510) 615-5845

Please review our Taking Care of Your Young Tree guide for information on proper planting, care and maintenance that will help your new tree become established and grow in good health.

The Obstruction of View Corridors Ordinance (OMC 15.52) allows for pruning certain trees to eliminate or minimize view obstructions. Specified tree species (such as the coast live oak and California bay), all street trees, and all park trees are exempt from the provisions of this ordinance. Certain indigenous tree species may be exempt where present due to natural regeneration. Trees that do not qualify under this ordinance must be pruned in accordance to the Prune Your Own City Tree Guidelines.

Street Trees and Shrubs Ordinance (OMC 12.32)
Protected Trees Ordinance (OMC 12.36)
Hazardous Tree Ordinance (OMC 12.40)
Obstruction of View Corridors Ordinance (OMC 15.52)