Sonoma County’s tree protection ordinance has expanded. This week, supervisors approved an expanded version of the ordinance which will preserve more of the county’s trees and help to combat climate change given that woodlands pull carbon from the atmosphere. It protects more native species, lowers the size threshold of protected trees to support forest health, and exempts removals for public safety, defensible space and basic property maintenance. A second ordinance specifically enhances protections for oak woodlands, a sensitive and valued natural resource. The updated ordinance includes 31 tree species with trunks six inches in diameter or greater.