Applying for a WJTCA Incidental Take Permit
CDFW strongly advises potential applicants reach out to staff in the CDFW region where a project is occurring (table below) before applying. Regional staff will help facilitate and answer questions that arise during any step of the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act Incidental Take Permit (WJTCA ITP) application process.
- Step 1 - Conduct a western Joshua tree census. The Census instructions page contains detailed instructions, and example photographs on how to correctly perform the census.
- Step 2 - Fill out the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Act Incidental Take Permit application form WJTCA ITP Application Form (Word)
- Step 3 - Collect all other required attachments as detailed in the application form. Relocation may be determined for your project and regional staff will work with each applicant on a project-by-project basis to determine if relocation may be necessary. The Western Joshua Tree Relocation Guidelines and Protocols and associated calculation documents are found below.
- Step 4 - Assemble and submit documents to your regional office. The final steps of application review, fee payment, and submission are detailed below.
| Region |
Counties Served |
Office Address |
Email |
Phone Number |
| 4 |
Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Stanislaus, Tulare, and Tuolumne |
1234 E. Shaw Avenue Fresno, CA 93710 |
RRR.R4@wildlife.ca.gov |
(916) 358-2900 |
| 5 |
Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura |
3883 Ruffin Road, San Diego, CA 92123 |
r5cesa@wildlife.ca.gov |
(707) 428-2002 |
| 6 |
Imperial, Inyo, Mono, Riverside, and San Bernardino |
3602 Inland Empire Blvd, Suite C-220, Ontario, CA 91764 |
AskRegion6@wildlife.ca.gov |
(909) 484-0167 |
*Western Joshua trees are unlikely to occur outside of the above regions. If you need a permit for a tree located in Regions 1, 2 or 3, contact the regional office for more information.
Application Checklist
Providing a complete package, as outlined in Fish and Game Code 1927.3 (a), helps CDFW expedite the review process. Please review the bulleted items below to ensure your ITP packet is complete and contains all necessary documents for CDFW review.
- Completed and signed ITP application form (Word)
- Detailed project description
- Project diagrams, drawings, design plans, construction specifications, and maps
- CEQA documents, if available
- WJT Census (data, photographs, and map)
- WJT relocation maps and figures, if applicable
Submit Application Package
Once you have gathered all the materials applicable to your project, see Application Checklist section above to ensure you have all necessary documents, then submit all application materials to the CDFW Regional Office that serves the area where your project is located (table above). Do not submit a check for mitigation fees when submitting an application for a WJTCA ITP. Any checks received with the application package will be returned. You may submit your application and materials through email (preferred) or via postal service. If your application package is too large to email, please contact the regional office for assistance or transmit the files to CDFW by uploading it into the Environmental Permitting Information Management System (EPIMS).
Application Review and Follow-up
After your application is submitted, CDFW staff will review the application and contact you if any clarification or site visit is needed. WJTCA ITPs do not have statutory deadlines. CDFW will process the applications as expeditiously as possible.
Relocation Guidelines and Protocols
Relocation of western Joshua tree may be required for certain projects to minimize impacts on populations, prevent habitat fragmentation, and preserve connectivity corridors for gene flow and pollinator migration. Relocation will be discussed and determined by CDFW staff during the application review process.
The guidelines section of the document discusses the circumstances in which CDFW will consider including permit conditions requiring relocation of one or more western Joshua trees under the WJTCA. Relocation may be required if a project will impact more than 10 acres of western Joshua tree habitat or will lethally take more than 75 western Joshua trees. Following Fish and Game Code Section 86, lethally taken western Joshua trees include all living trees that will be removed, captured, or killed by project activities. The protocol section provides a summary of best practices for relocating western Joshua trees and increasing the survival rate of relocated (salvage) western Joshua trees. Information on post-relocation maintenance, monitoring, and reporting is also provided. This document will be updated as needed based on the best scientific information available additional resources:
Calculation of Mitigation Fees and Fee Payment
CDFW will calculate mitigation fees for a project based on the submitted application materials and will provide you with a mitigation fee invoice to be paid before issuance of a WJTCA ITP. Each tree, dead or living, that is authorized for take will require a mitigation fee. The mitigation fee for each tree size class is identified in Fish and Game Code section 1927.3 (d) and (e) and adjusted annually in compliance with Fish and Game Code section 1927.8(b). See the current Mitigation Fee Table below.
Once CDFW has calculated and notified you of your total fee, you will then mail your mitigation fee to the appropriate CDFW Regional office (address in table above) by check or money order with the invoice attached. Mitigation fee amounts are based on the current fee schedule when mitigation fees are PAID after receipt of a CDFW-generated invoice, not when the application was received.
Mitigation fees are paid to CDFW prior to permit issuance in lieu of traditional permittee mitigation. Under the act, all fees collected will be deposited into the Western Joshua Tree Conservation Fund for the purposes of acquiring, conserving, and managing western Joshua tree conservation lands and completing other activities to conserve the western Joshua tree. The fee is based on the number of individual western Joshua trees taken, dead or living, and their size class as defined in Fish and Game Code section 1927.3 (d) and (e). For purposes of fee calculation, a western Joshua tree individual is defined as a stem or trunk arising from the ground, regardless of proximity to any other western Joshua tree stem or trunk. The current fees are seen in the tables below.
| Tree Size Class |
Mitigation Fee |
| 5 m or greater |
$1,017.75 |
| Greater than 1 m but less than 5 m |
$203.50 |
| Under 1 m |
$152.75 |
For trees located in the standard fee area defined in subsection (e) the mitigation fees are as follows:
| Tree Size Class |
Mitigation Fee |
| 5 m or greater |
$2,544.75 |
| Greater than 1 m but less than 5 m |
$509.00 |
| Under 1 m |
$346.00 |
For example, a project will remove two western Joshua tree clusters which both occur in the standard fee area (map below). Cluster one is composed of one 5.5 meter tree and 3 stems under 1 meter in height. The second cluster is composed of two trees, 3.7 and 2.2 meters in height. The total fee for mitigating the impact of removing these trees would be: $2544.75 + ($346 x 3) + ($509 x 2) = $4600.75.
Reduced Fee Area and Standard Fee Area Interactive Map
Compliance With the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
Issuance of a WJTCA ITP is a discretionary permit, therefore CDFW must comply with CEQA. If a CEQA Environmental Document (e.g., mitigated negative declaration, environmental impact report, etc.) has been prepared by a CEQA lead agency, please include a link to or electronic copy of the document with your application. You must provide CDFW with a copy of the Notice of Determination and an Environmental Document Filing Fee receipt prior to issuance of the WJTCA ITP. If there is currently no CEQA lead agency, the applicant should contact the applicable CDFW Regional office to discuss the appropriate approach to CEQA.