The Town of Paradise Category 4 Tree Removal Program
The Town of Paradise Category 4 Tree Removal Program was created to address the thousands of hazardous trees left standing after the 2018 Camp Fire.
The Town of Paradise Category 4 Tree Removal Program was created to address the thousands of hazardous trees left standing after the 2018 Camp Fire.
While earlier efforts focused on public rights of way, many dangerous trees remained on private property, posing risks to homes, driveways, and private roads used for evacuation routes. With funding provided through the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which covered 75 percent of the costs, and a matching grant from CAL FIRE's California Climate Investments program, the Town of Paradise launched this initiative to ensure community safety and recovery.
The Butte County Fire Safe Council was contracted to manage and implement the program, overseeing parcel assessments, environmental and cultural surveys, and contractor coordination and tree removal operations.
Project Results
During the first phase, nearly 12,000 hazard trees were identified across more than 500 parcels. In the second phase, which began in June 2025 and was completed in November 2025, work was carried out across 339 parcels, resulting in a total of 8,566 trees mitigated.
Project Funders
This project was made possible through the support of:
- Town of Paradise
- CAL FIRE
- California Climate Investments
- FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program