Which state has more cities with heritage tree programs, California or Oregon?

California has heritage tree programs in 45 of 50 verified cities, compared with 12 of 17 in Oregon. Heritage designation typically overrides standard DBH thresholds, so even smaller heritage trees require a removal permit.

Are tree removal permit fees higher in California or Oregon?

Across published permit fees, California has a median of $310 (across 5 of 50 verified cities) and Oregon has a median of $158 (across 2 of 17). On the published median, Oregon is the cheaper jurisdiction — but city-by-city variance is wide, so always check the specific city before filing.

How do tree replacement obligations compare between California and Oregon?

California documents a replacement obligation in 45 of 50 verified cities; Oregon in 15 of 17. Among cities with a numeric ratio, the median is 1:1 in California and 1:1 in Oregon. Many cities accept an in-lieu fee per tree when on-site replanting isn't feasible.

Tree removal permit rules: California vs Oregon

A cross-state summary drawn from 50 verifieds California cities and 17 verifieds Oregon cities. For city-level detail, see the California ordinance hub or the Oregon ordinance hub.

Side-by-side summary

Field	California	Oregon
Cities with a heritage tree program	45 of 50	12 of 17
Cities with a replacement ratio	45 of 50 (median 1:1)	15 of 17 (median 1:1)
Cities documenting who can apply	45 of 50	17 of 17
Cities publishing processing time	35 of 50	13 of 17
Permit fee (median, where published)	$310 (5 of 50 publish)	$158 (2 of 17 publish)
Cities requiring arborist certification	45 of 50	17 of 17
Cities specifying report sections	45 of 50	17 of 17

Counts are over verified cities only — cities awaiting verification or with sparse ordinance text don't contribute to these summaries.

How the two states compare

Which state has more cities with heritage tree programs, California or Oregon?: California has heritage tree programs in 45 of 50 verified cities, compared with 12 of 17 in Oregon. Heritage designation typically overrides standard DBH thresholds, so even smaller heritage trees require a removal permit.
Are tree removal permit fees higher in California or Oregon?: Across published permit fees, California has a median of $310 (across 5 of 50 verified cities) and Oregon has a median of $158 (across 2 of 17). On the published median, Oregon is the cheaper jurisdiction — but city-by-city variance is wide, so always check the specific city before filing.
How do tree replacement obligations compare between California and Oregon?: California documents a replacement obligation in 45 of 50 verified cities; Oregon in 15 of 17. Among cities with a numeric ratio, the median is 1:1 in California and 1:1 in Oregon. Many cities accept an in-lieu fee per tree when on-site replanting isn't feasible.

California verified cities

+ 42 more California verified cities.

Oregon verified cities

+ 9 more Oregon verified cities.

Filing in California or Oregon?

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