How you can help protect Menlo Park’s heritage trees
Did you know that Menlo Park has thousands of trees — and that many are protected? You can help preserve Menlo Park’s urban canopy by learning about the City’s Heritage Tree Ordinance and ensuring any major tree work on your property is reviewed and permitted by the City.
Mature trees do far more than beautify our community. They cool our neighborhoods, filter air pollutants, reduce energy costs, prevent soil erosion during heavy rains, and provide essential habitat for native wildlife.
In Menlo Park, heritage trees are protected based on their species and trunk diameter (measured 4.5 feet above the ground). For native California oaks, like Coast Live Oaks and Valley Oaks, the trunk needs to be at least 10 inches in diameter. For all other species, the trunk diameter must be 15 inches or greater.
If a tree has multiple trunks, the measurement is taken just below where the main stems branch off. Because of their benefits, heritage trees cannot be removed, heavily pruned, or disturbed without approval and an issued permit.
Before removing any heritage tree or undertaking major pruning (removing more than 25% of the tree’s foliage or root system in a 12-month period), you must apply for a heritage tree permit. This process allows the City to evaluate tree condition, explore options to retain the tree, and address concerns with tree health and safety as well as confirm there is good cause for removal. The City also requires replacement trees when a heritage tree is removed.
Routine maintenance that involves pruning less than 25% of the canopy does not require a permit, provided your contractor adheres to municipal standards and proper arboricultural techniques that maintain the tree’s health and structure.
If you are planning construction near a heritage tree, you will need an arborist report with a tree protection plan from a City-approved consulting arborist to maintain the tree’s long-term viability and safety.
For more information on heritage trees and the heritage tree ordinance visit menlopark.gov/trees.
Heritage tree photo by Frances Freyberg (c) 2011
Dorothy Fadiman August 17, 2026 at 7:20 am
Thank you for this excellent informative article. Credit goes to those who researched, wrote and published it. In Menlo Oaks, a community where we live with many heritage trees, this is a very important relevant conversation.
Rob Jordan August 17, 2026 at 1:08 pm
Unfortunately, the ordinance carries little weight. According to publically available data, the city allows development-related removal of heritage trees to proceed more than 90% of the time. Perhaps worth a follow-up investigative story?
Jen Mazzon August 19, 2026 at 12:32 am
@Rob your comment is spot on. The pattern that I have observed is that the city condones heritage tree removal when the perpetrators say they will donate new trees to be planted, with no discernible accountability for follow-through. So we consistently lose more heritage trees without effective urban canopy replenishment. It’s a shame indeed.