Ordinance #2895

Ordinance #2895  was adopted by the Lake County Board of Supervisors in August 2009. It “mandates that sources of pests be controlled when they pose a threat to nearby commercial orchards.” The Unmanaged Apple and Pear Tree Outreach Program (UAPTOP) is an outgrowth of this ordinance and was conceived to inform and educate residents living near commercial orchards.

Goals are to: 

1)  ideally, encourage removal of unmanaged apple and pear trees which can serve 
     as hosts for pests and disease, and

2)  educate residents who wish to keep their trees, how to properly manage them to
     reduce movement of pests into neighboring commercial  orchards.


UAPTOP is a joint endeavor of Lake County UCCE, Oregon State University’s Southern Oregon Experiment Station in Jackson County, the UC Kearney Agricultural Center’s GIS team, and local commercial pear growers. It received a “start-up” grant from the Western IPM Center, which saw value as a way to foster co-existence between farmers and their non-farming neighbors.

To avoid incurring increased spraying in commercial orchards, landowners must become aware of the need to control pests in their own backyard trees. To determine the proximity and possible threat that an unmanaged backyard tree can pose to a commercial orchard nearby, the UAPTOP website has a Risk Assessment Tool which allows landowners to find out how close their property is to an orchard and whether or not they fall within the requirements of  Ordinance #2895 .

If you, as a landowner, are within a 1/2 mile radius of a commercial pear orchard, as specified by the ordinance, we recommend that you remove your unmanaged apple or pear tree(s), as the level of commitment required to bring a previously unmanaged tree into compliance can be intimidating even for seasoned hobby gardeners. If you need help with the removal of your tree(s), please call our office at (707) 263-6838. We offer a box of pears for every tree removal and the first 25 callers who remove their unmanaged apple or pear trees will get a free 2011 Master Gardener Calendar. If the trees are mainly kept for shade, our list of Recommended Shade Trees for Lake County will help you choose low or no maintenance replacement trees. If you decide to keep your apple or pear tree(s), please click on the many apple and pear tree management resources listed below.

For any questions that are not covered by the literature available through these links, your local UC Master Gardeners are available to answer your questions. They can be reached by calling (707) 263-6838, or by sending an email to celake@ucdavis.edu