Upcoming Community Meetings for Proposed Tree Protection Ordinance

Ventura residents have two more chances this month to weigh in on a proposed permanent Tree Protection Ordinance before it goes back to the City Council for consideration on October 27, 2026.

The City will host community meetings at Ventura City Hall, 501 Poli Street, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Monday, October 5 in the Atrium and Tuesday, October 20 in the Community Meeting Room. According to the Ventura Breeze, City staff will explain which trees would be protected under the ordinance, when a permit would be required, and what residents can expect from the permit process. Attendees will also have an opportunity to ask questions and share input.

For residents who can't attend in person, the City is accepting virtual comments through its website until October 18.

Why a Tree Ordinance, and Why Now

The push for a permanent ordinance follows a turbulent stretch for Ventura's urban forest. According to the Ventura Breeze, the City Council adopted an Emergency Tree Ordinance in February 2026 to provide interim protections after unauthorized tree removal and trimming occurred within a known monarch butterfly overwintering habitat area. Monarch groves are a sensitive ecological feature along the Central Coast, and the loss of trees in an overwintering site drew public attention to gaps in the City's existing tree regulations.

Work on a permanent replacement began after the City Council directed staff to develop one in December 2025, said Assistant Parks and Recreation Director Emily Fox. The proposal has been shaped by recommendations from the Tree Advisory Ad Hoc Committee, the Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Planning Commission, along with input from City departments, local arborists, community organizations, and stakeholders, Fox said.

Staff first presented the proposed permanent ordinance to the City Council on July 7, and have since incorporated feedback from the Council and the community.

What the Ordinance Would Do

The proposed ordinance is intended to protect and enhance Ventura's urban forest while establishing clear standards for tree preservation, removal, and replacement, according to the City.

For homeowners, the practical impacts center on the permit process. The community meetings are designed to walk residents through exactly which trees would fall under the ordinance's protections, when they would need a permit before removing or significantly trimming a protected tree, and how the City's review process would work. Replacement requirements — meaning whether and how many new trees must be planted when a protected tree is removed — are among the standards the ordinance would set.

The full text of the proposed ordinance, along with meeting details, is posted on the City's website at cityofventura.ca.gov/TPO.

Why It Matters for Ventura

Ventura's tree canopy is more than scenery. The city's eucalyptus groves and mixed urban forest provide monarch butterfly overwintering habitat, coastal shade, and wildlife corridors — benefits that residents and local organizations have long worked to preserve, as seen in community efforts like the recent rehabilitation and release of a great horned owl from Cemetery Park in partnership with the Ventura Land Trust and Ojai Raptor Center.

But tree protections also touch everyday decisions: a homeowner removing a dying tree in the backyard, a developer clearing a lot, or a landlord trimming branches near power lines. Where the ordinance draws its lines — which species and sizes of trees are covered, and how burdensome the permit process is — will determine how it's received. That tension is why City staff have devoted two evening meetings to explaining the details before the Council vote.

The stakes were underscored by the events that triggered the emergency ordinance. Unauthorized cutting within a monarch habitat area demonstrated, in the City's view, that clearer standards and an enforceable permit process were needed.

What Comes Next

The timeline is tight. The first community meeting is set for October 5, virtual input closes October 18, the second meeting follows October 20, and the City Council is scheduled to take up the proposed ordinance on October 27.

Residents who want their comments reflected in the final version should weigh in before those deadlines. Input can be given in person at either City Hall meeting or online through the City's website through October 18.

If the Council adopts the ordinance later this month, the permanent rules would replace the interim protections put in place in February, giving Ventura a lasting regulatory framework for its urban forest — one that City officials say balances preservation with clear, predictable standards for property owners.

For details and to review the draft ordinance, visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/TPO.