Logging in Humboldt County: Court Cases and Law Changes (2024–2026)

Updated October 13, 2026

Why this matters

More trees are coming down on public and private land in Humboldt County. Several court rulings and law changes since 2024 help explain why.

On public land, federal rules have loosened, and courts have mostly let projects go forward. On private land, state law still requires review, but faster “exemptions” are common. County rules can add extra protection, as the Lower Redway case showed.

This summary covers local cases, bigger cases that reach our area, and law changes at the state and federal level. It is research, not legal advice.

Local Humboldt cases

Lower Redway old-growth redwoods (2026)

The Planning Commission saved the last old-growth redwood on a Lower Redway property in June 2026, after four others were cut.

• What happened: Last winter, a new homeowner began cutting old-growth redwoods on his lot at Oakridge Drive and Briceland Road. He used a CAL FIRE hazard-tree exemption covering about five trees, so no timber harvest plan was needed. (Prism News)
• The county’s role: The county first told the owner its permit rule did not apply. After public outcry, it reversed course and required a special permit for the last tree. (EPIC)
• The rule: The lower Redway “Q Zone” rules, created in 1996, bar removing trees over 12 inches across unless there is a clear threat to people or property. Even then, a special permit is required. (Prism News)
• Outcome: On June 18, 2026, the Planning Commission denied the permit for the remaining 252-foot tree. The decision can be appealed to the Board of Supervisors. (Humboldt County)
• Policy change: In February 2026, EPIC reported the county changed its policy to better protect large, old trees, after over 620 people asked it to enforce its 1987 ordinance. (EPIC)
• Still open: A county report explaining why the first four trees were removed was postponed until the permit case ended.

Richardson Grove, Highway 101 (2024–2026)

The 15-year legal fight over widening Highway 101 through Richardson Grove State Park is over, and Caltrans has started work.

• November 2024: Humboldt County Superior Court ruled for Caltrans. (EPIC)
• March 26, 2026: The First District Court of Appeal ruled that earlier cases had already settled the issues, so the newest challenge was barred. (JD Supra)
• February 2026: EPIC reported Caltrans had begun work and was cutting trees in the park. (EPIC)

Bigger court cases that reach our area

Roadside “hazard tree” logging, including Six Rivers National Forest

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a large roadside tree-removal project across nine California national forests, including Six Rivers. (Western Livestock Journal)

• The project: Known as the Region 5 Post-Disturbance Hazardous Tree Management Project, it allows cutting fire-damaged “hazard trees,” including through commercial timber sales. It covers more than 400,000 acres. (Climate Case Chart)
• The case: Klamath Forest Alliance v. U.S. Forest Service. Seven environmental groups sued in July 2023, saying the review was inadequate.
• Outcome: The district court sided with the Forest Service. The Ninth Circuit agreed in 2026, so the cutting can continue. This may explain some of the cutting seen along forest roads.

Northern spotted owl habitat

In May 2026, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to re-evaluate the spotted owl’s protected habitat, as part of a settlement with logging groups. (Bloomberg)

• The case: The American Forest Resource Council and the Association of O&C Counties sued to open about 3.5 million acres of federal forest in California, Oregon and Washington to cutting.
• Local link: Humboldt-based EPIC joined the case to defend the protections. (KMUD News)
• What’s next: A revised habitat rule is expected. It could open more mature forest to logging.

California law changes for private property owners

AB 2276 and the new “Forest Resilience Exemption”

AB 2276, signed in November 2024, changed when private landowners can cut trees without a full timber harvest plan. (Board of Forestry)

• It repealed the Small Landowner Exemption.
• It renamed the Forest Fire Prevention Exemption the “Forest Resilience Exemption” and revised its rules.
• It revised the Oak Woodland Exemption.
• Emergency rules took effect January 15, 2025. The Board of Forestry adopted permanent rules in 2025. They apply to all non-federal state and private timberland in California. (Notice of Decision)

What an “exemption” means: A timber harvest plan is a long, costly environmental review. An exemption lets a landowner file a short notice with CAL FIRE instead. It is faster and gets much less review. The Lower Redway trees were cut under a hazard-tree exemption.

Your rights if someone cuts your trees

This law is not new, but it matters to property owners. Under California Civil Code 3346:

• Wrongfully cutting trees on another person’s land costs three times the actual damage.
• If the cutting was accidental, or the person believed it was their own land, it costs twice the damage.
• A lawsuit must be filed within five years.

Federal changes on public land

Three federal actions since 2025 push toward more logging on national forests. Only the first is in force.

If you see trees being cut near you

A few plain steps can tell you whether cutting was approved.

1. Note the location, date and what you see. Photos help.
2. Ask CAL FIRE whether a timber harvest plan or exemption was filed for that parcel.
3. Ask Humboldt County Planning & Building whether a county permit was needed. Some areas, like the Redway “Q Zone,” have extra rules.
4. On national forest land, check the Forest Service project page for that forest (for example, Six Rivers).
5. If trees on your own land were cut without permission, talk with a lawyer about Civil Code 3346.

Sources

• Prism News – Redway Planning Commission
• EPIC – Redway Planning Commission alert
• Humboldt County – Redway report rescheduled
• KMUD News – Planning Commission denies Redway permit
• EPIC – February 2026 posts
• EPIC – Judge sides with Caltrans
• JD Supra – Richardson Grove appeal ruling
• Western Livestock Journal – 9th Circuit hazard tree ruling
• Climate Case Chart – Klamath Forest Alliance v. USFS
• Bloomberg – Spotted owl settlement
• KMUD News – EPIC joins spotted owl lawsuit
• Board of Forestry – AB 2276 overview
• Board of Forestry – Notice of Decision
• California Civil Code 3346
• Columbia Law – Executive Order 14225
• Water Education Foundation – California national forests
• The Nature Conservancy – Roadless Rule
• White House – Fix Our Forests Act statement
• KOBI – House passes Fix Our Forests Act

This is research, not legal advice.