Most Commonly Asked Questions

PG&E or another party cut down trees on my property and left them there. What can I do to get rid of the trees?

PG&E policy states if a tree that their contractor has cut is within 50 feet of a habitable structure or is capable of rolling onto a road they will remove the tree. Contact PG&E by calling 1-800-743-5000 to report the issue.

If the tree was cut by another party and left on the property your recourse is to contact a tree service company to remove the tree unless removal was included in the original agreement.

Any tree cut as part of the County’s Tree Mortality Program will be removed unless a property owner requests that it be left. Questions regarding the County’s Tree Mortality Program should be directed to Dr. Richard Harris – 707-693-3165 or rrharrisconsulting@gmail.com

My neighbor has a dead tree on their property that could hit my house if it falls over. What can I do about that?

If the tree would appear to qualify for removal by the County i.e., it is tall enough to hit a County road if it fell, or if it would hit a PG&E power line if it fell, check with the County’s Tree Mortality Program Manager - 707-693-3165 or rrharrisconsulting@gmail.com or PG&E (1-800-743-5000) to see if it has been identified for removal. If the neighboring property owner has not returned a right of entry form to the County to allow removal of the tree, contact the neighbor and encourage them to do so.

If the neighbor either refuses to submit a right of entry form to the County or if the tree does not qualify for removal by either the County or PG&E, consider the following sequence of actions. Contact the neighbor and inform them of the issue. If you cannot contact them personally it is advisable to inform them of the issue by certified letter. Start by letting them know that there is a grant program available from the Calaveras County Firesafe Council that provides financial assistance for removing dead trees. The application is available here.

If all else fails and the neighbor refuses to take action you should consider contacting your insurance company and/or legal counsel to address the issue.

Is there any financial assistance available for removing slash and debris left from cutting trees?

The Calaveras Firesafe Council has a chipper program that you could look into. Go to http://www.calaverasfiresafecouncil.org. It also has a program to provide financial assistance to senior citizens for lot clearing and defensible space.

I sent in my right of entry form to the County so I can participate in the Tree Mortality Program. What is the time frame for the actual removal of trees?

After sufficient right of entry forms have been received to justify a project, foresters will visit properties to mark trees (using white paint) for removal. The time lapse between sending out right of entry forms and marking trees can be anywhere from 30 to 60 days and is totally dependent on expedient return of right of entry forms.  After trees are marked, a request for bids to remove the trees is prepared and issued. That can take up to 30 days. Once a project is launched the actual removal takes place in 30-60 days. Property owners are informed in advance when tree removal will occur.

Will the County remove all trees and slash created by its operations?

Except for situations (rare) where trees must be left on properties because removing them is either infeasible or environmentally unacceptable, all trees and associated slash will be removed. Property owners can request that logs be left on site.

Can I contact the County to get them to remove trees from my property?

Tree Mortality Program foresters survey properties and determine which parcels appear to have trees that qualify for removal under the program. Right of entry forms are sent to the owners of those properties only.

If I have trees that I want removed at my expense who do I contact?

A list of local tree service companies can be provided through TSS Consultants, the County’s Tree Mortality Program Manager.  Interested individuals can contact Dr. Richard Harris to receive a list. His phone number is (707) 693-3165 and email at rrharrisconsulting@gmail.com.

There is a tree on my property that is dead and it appears to be leaning towards a County road. What can I do about it?

Contact Dr. Richard Harris and he will determine if action can be taken to abate the hazard. His phone number is (707) 693-3165 and email at rrharrisconsulting@gmail.com.

When will the County be marking trees in my neighborhood?

Priorities for surveys to determine presence of hazardous trees are based on the level of traffic on County roads and presence of residential neighborhoods. At the present time, surveys are being completed in the area between the County line and Angels Camp and in the West Point/Wilseyville/Glencoe/Railroad Flat/Mokelumne Hill areas. It is anticipated that tree removal projects in those areas will be launched before the end of 2018.

What will happen if contractors damage improvements on my property or cause physical harm to people or pets?

The County has put into place through contractual obligations with tree service contractors, provisions to ensure protection of private property from damage due to falling trees, and for disposal of trees and slash. Any improvements on property, including fences, gates, driveways, etc., which are damaged or temporarily removed as a part of the work by the contractor (under contract to the County) will be repaired and/or replaced by the contractor.

Contractors are fully insured to cover any damage or injury caused by project activities. Contractors are required to be insured as a condition of their license from the state and as stipulated in their contracts with the County.

Is there any financial assistance available for removing dead trees in the Butte Fire Footprint?

Trees killed by the Butte Fire do not qualify for free removal under the County’s Tree Mortality Program. If you have a relatively large parcel (10 acres or more) you might contact the Natural Resources Conservation Service to see if one of their programs might help. The office serving Calaveras County is located in Jackson and can be reached at (209) 223-6535.

Tree Mortality & Bark Beetle FAQ's


Why are Millions of Trees Dying?

High levels of tree mortality are occurring on forested lands in California due to drought and bark beetles.
Although the current drought is the primary catalyst, California’s forests are in sync with many other western forests with tree health in serious decline, often compromised by the existence of too many trees competing for limited resources, especially water.

Trees that appear healthy and green during periods of normal or above normal precipitation can become severely compromised and easy targets for bark beetles during periods of drought.

When, where, and the extent to which bark beetle related tree mortality occurs is influenced by forest stand conditions and weather patterns. A dramatic rise in the number of dead trees follows one to several years of inadequate moisture.

Stressed trees are suitable host material for bark beetles and their successful colonization results in more beetles and higher levels of tree mortality. The more severe and prolonged the drought, the greater the number of dead trees.

Tree losses are expected to continue to increase until precipitation levels return to normal or above normal for one to multiple years.


How do Beetle Outbreaks Contribute to Wildfire Concerns?

Many people get concerned that numerous standing dead trees contribute to the already ominous fire situation in many of our forests.

Typically, beetle-killed trees shed their needles within a few months of dying, so they don’t create as big a threat to fire spread as expected, however, high amounts dead trees do present a threat of spotting when a forest fire is burning around them.

Once trees fall, a fire could potentially burn longer and hotter, damaging soils and adversely affecting the site in the long-term.

What is a Bark Beetle? Where Does it Live? What Does it Do?

Native bark beetles act as “agents of change” and play an important role in healthy, functioning forest ecosystems.

Bark beetles are small insects, about the size of a grain of rice, and brown to black in color. Their entire life is spent inside the tree except for a portion of time when beetles emerge to attack trees.

After attack, they emit a chemical (called a pheromone) that attracts other beetles. The beetles then mate and lay eggs in galleries or chambers they construct between the bark and the wood.

Adult beetles carry staining fungi which is introduced into the tree during feeding and gallery construction.

Tree mortality occurs from a combination of the fungi invading the water conducting tissue, and feeding and gallery construction by the adult beetles and larvae.

The primary bark and engraver beetle species of concern in California are in the genera Dendroctonus, Ips and Scolytus. Most of the current tree mortality has been caused by western pine beetle (Dendroctonus brevicomis), mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) and Ips species.

Why do Drought Conditions Help Bark Beetles?

Trees possess defense mechanisms that help them fend off attacks by bark beetles. When beetle populations are low and adequate moisture is available, trees have the advantage.

Healthy trees can produce enough resin (pitch) to overcome attacks by “pitching out” beetles that are attempting to bore in through the bark.

During drought or when trees are severely stressed by other factors (competition, diseases), they are not able to produce enough resin to defend against numerous attacks.

Signs and Symptoms of Bark and Engraver Beetle Attacks:

Many signs and symptoms of attack are similar regardless of the tree or beetle species.

External signs of beetle infestation are pitch tubes (combination of pitch, boring dust, frass) small holes in the bark, the presence of boring dust (produced by the beetle chewing) and/or frass (produced by the beetle feeding) and bark flaking by woodpeckers.

Pitch tubes resulting from successful attacks are typically reddish in color and vary in size depending on the beetle species. White or cream colored pitch tubes may be indicative of unsuccessful attacks.

Removing some bark will reveal adult and larval galleries, as well as dead or degraded inner bark. Galleries may or may not be packed with frass.

Trees with large amounts of dry boring dust in bark crevices and/or scattered around the base of the tree are likely dead or dying.

If a tree is infested with beetles, woodpeckers may chip off bark to feed on beetle larvae and pupae.

The first symptom of beetle-caused tree mortality is typically fading needles. Needles on successfully attacked trees begin fading and changing color over a period of several months.

What can Homeowners Do?

There is nothing that can be done to save a tree once it is infested with bark beetles.

Improving tree growing conditions through selective tree removal (thinning) reduces inter-tree competition for limited water and nutrients. The best time to thin is during non-drought periods.

Know what tree species you have and identify individuals that are most susceptible to drought and bark beetles. Also identify trees for removal that may be hazardous to life or property.

Individual tree treatments such as preventive spraying with insecticides, the use of synthetic products that repel bark beetles, supplemental watering and prompt removal/disposal of infested trees may all be effective depending on the situation and the tree species at risk.

Avoid ineffective and unproven treatments. Treatments such as applying worm castings to the trunk, spraying insecticides into bark beetle entrance/exit holes or applying acephate via an encapsulated implant have no scientific support for being effective.

Do not leave cut green limbs, branches or wood in the vicinity of live trees. Some beetles are attracted to this material and doing so could result in more tree mortality.

Consult with a forest health specialist to determine the best treatments for your trees as there are several factors to consider and pros and cons to every treatment.

What is tree mortality?


How significant is California’s tree mortality from bark beetles and drought?




How do bark beetles multiply?


What is the role of bark beetles?




Whose responsibility is it to remove a dead tree?




What if I don’t take them down? How long before the trees become unstable and fall in the winter storms, (snow, rain, wind).

The dead trees should be removed as soon as it is practicable to take them down. The longer the dead tree stands the higher the likelihood it could fall and hit your home, vehicle, or a neighbor’s property when it. Contact your homeowner’s insurance carrier to determine if your property is covered for this type of event, or if your tree lands on someone else’s property.

Contracting for Tree Removal

Will Homeowner's Insurance Pay to Remove a Hazardous Tree?

Written James Hirby  ( Fact Checked by The Law Dictionary Staff ) 

Unless you live in an arid environment, your home region is likely to be home to a range of native tree species. If you own a single-family home that features a yard or fenced-in area, chances are good that you have at least one such tree on your property. Even if it's not a particularly tall or wide, you might be worried about its potential to cause significant damage to the structure of your home during a violent windstorm, snowstorm or other weather event. In fact, you might be thinking about forestalling this eventuality by trimming or removing it entirely.

Unfortunately, tree removal can quickly become ruinously expensive. Most homeowner's insurance companies advise their policyholders against attempting to cut down or trim large trees without the help of a professional tree removal service. If you need to take down an old tree that features a massive crown and twisted root structure, you might need to lay out as much as $5,000 to ensure that the job is done properly.

To make matters worse, your homeowner's insurance company won't pay to remove a hazardous tree from your property. Under the terms of most homeowner's insurance policies, homeowners are required to perform any maintenance work that's necessary to prevent significant damage to their homes. This provision is often sweeping. In fact, homeowner's insurance companies interpret it to cover routine maintenance tasks like storm-proofing windows as well as more complicated jobs like removing potentially dangerous trees.

It can also have serious real-world consequences. If your homeowner's insurance company can prove that you failed to perform certain types of maintenance work, it may try to associate this failure with certain subsequent damages to your home. If it can do so successfully, it may refuse to pay out on claims related to these damages. As such, it's important that you keep your home and property in excellent repair. Although this could be expensive in the short term, it's liable to pay off in the event that you file a claim. After all, repairing a potential problem is usually far cheaper than paying for the catastrophic damage that it's likely to cause.

If one of the trees on your property falls on your house, your homeowner's insurance company will try to prove that the tree was dead or dying. If it can do so, it will accuse you of failing to take the necessary steps to remove the tree and use this "fact" as justification for denying your claim. In order to prevent this outcome, you'll need to pay for the removal of the tree out of your own pocket.





Can dead trees be burned?


Are there restrictions on the usage of wood from diseased trees?










Can I use the timber I cut on my property?




What are the long-term consequences of shrinking forests?


How can I reduce the risk of wildfire on my property?

Remove dead trees, especially around your home.

  • Maintain trees by thinning overgrown trees and watering as necessary.

How dangerous are these trees if they’re left standing?

Standing dead trees will quickly begin to deteriorate, becoming unstable, and will eventually fall. Dead trees and branches can fall on people, homes, buildings and infrastructure, such as power lines. The sooner a tree is removed the better. The more it deteriorates, the more unstable it becomes.

Is it safe for me to take the dead trees down myself?

For larger trees located near houses and other infrastructure, foresters and arborists prefer to remove them in pieces. However, if the tree is too decayed, it becomes unsafe to climb and difficult to predict where it will fall.

Whose responsibility is it to remove a dead tree?
