Big Bar

Trinity County is a population ~16,000 county in the rugged Klamath / Coast Range mountains of far-northwestern California, with NO incorporated cities (one of only three California counties with no incorporated cities, alongside Mariposa and Alpine). The county is bordered by Siskiyou County (north), Shasta County (east, across the Trinity Alps crest), Tehama / Mendocino Counties (south), and Humboldt County (west, across the Six Rivers National Forest). The county is overwhelmingly federal land: approximately 75-78% of the county area is administered by the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, the Six Rivers National Forest, the Trinity Alps Wilderness, and the Bureau of Land Management. The unincorporated county seat is Weaverville (~3,600, historically a Gold Rush mining town with a preserved Joss House State Historic Park reflecting the substantial Chinese mining heritage). Other unincorporated communities include Hayfork (~2,300, in southwestern Trinity), Lewiston (~1,200, on the Trinity River below Trinity Dam / Trinity Lake), Junction City (~600, on the Trinity River downstream from Weaverville), Hyampom, Burnt Ranch (in the Trinity River canyon corridor along Hwy 299), Mad River and Ruth Lake (southwestern county, a recreation reservoir), Trinity Center (on Trinity Lake), Coffee Creek and Trinity Center area, and Salyer / Big Bar / Helena (Trinity River canyon villages along Hwy 299). The Trinity Alps Wilderness covers the northeastern county and is one of the largest wilderness areas in California (~525,000 acres). The Trinity River, a federally-designated Wild and Scenic River, bisects the county. The county is profoundly affected by recent megafires - the 2020 August Complex (the largest fire in California history at ~1,032,000 acres) burned substantial portions of southern Trinity, and subsequent 2018 Carr Fire (~230,000 acres in Shasta / Trinity), 2017 Helena Fire, and 2008 fire complex have left a heavily-burned landscape. The Board of Supervisors administers ADUs across the entire county under Cal. Gov. Code Sec. 65852.2 / 65852.22; with no incorporated cities, the county is the sole permit authority for the entire population.

• Trinity County Code Title 17 (Zoning), ADU/JADU provisions
• Cal. Gov't Code Sec. 65852.2 (Accessory Dwelling Units)
• Cal. Gov't Code Sec. 65852.22 (Junior Accessory Dwelling Units)
• Trinity County General Plan (with 2024 Housing Element 6th Cycle update)
• Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (Trinity River), 16 USC 1271 et seq.
• Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP) - Record of Decision (2000)

State-floor overlay: California state ADU preemption applies in full to Trinity County. AB 1033 condo-conversion election: not adopted. AB 976 prohibits owner-occupancy mandates on detached ADUs. AB 2533 unpermitted-ADU amnesty applies. SB 9 urban lot-split provisions do not apply in Trinity County (no incorporated cities). HCD oversight applies to ordinance amendments per Sec. 65852.2(h); given the very low ordinance-amendment cadence the county relies heavily on the state-statute floor. AB 38 home-hardening provisions apply broadly given the county's recent fire history (Carr Fire DR-4382, August Complex DR-4569, Helena Fire DR-4308). Note that the small staff and limited budget mean planning-counter capacity is constrained; applicants should expect appointment-based service.

Trinity County overlays of consequence: (1) Shasta-Trinity National Forest, Six Rivers National Forest, Trinity Alps Wilderness, and BLM federal land covering ~75-78% of the county; (2) the Trinity River federally-designated Wild and Scenic River corridor; (3) CAL FIRE SRA Very High FHSZ across essentially the entire county; (4) the post-2017 Helena / 2018 Carr / 2020 August Complex burn scar covering substantial portions of the county; (5) the Trinity River Restoration Program governance downstream of Lewiston Dam; (6) FEMA SFHA along the Trinity River and tributaries; (7) tribal-consultation overlays for Hoopa Valley Tribe, Yurok Tribe, Wintu, Tsnungwe, Nor Rel Muk Wintu, and other ancestral peoples; (8) high-elevation snow-load and freeze-depth structural overlays; and (9) the Trinity Lake / Lewiston Lake recreation-resource overlay administered by the USBR / USFS.

• Shasta-Trinity National Forest / Six Rivers National Forest / Trinity Alps Wilderness / BLM
• Trinity River federally-designated Wild and Scenic River corridor
• CAL FIRE State Responsibility Area / Trinity Very High FHSZ - Carr / August Complex / Helena burn scar
• Post-2017 Helena / 2018 Carr / 2020 August Complex / 2022 McKinney recovery zone
• FEMA SFHA - Trinity River, Hayfork Creek, Coffee Creek, Mad River, New River
• Trinity River Restoration Program (TRRP) governance
• Hoopa Valley Tribe / Yurok Tribe / Wintu / Tsnungwe / Nor Rel Muk Wintu ancestral-territory consultation
• High-elevation snow-load / freeze-depth structural overlay
• Trinity Lake / Lewiston Lake recreation-resource overlay (USBR / Central Valley Project)

Trinity County Department of Planning issues ADU permits for the entire county (since there are no incorporated cities) including Weaverville, Hayfork, Lewiston, Junction City, Hyampom, Burnt Ranch, Mad River / Ruth Lake, Trinity Center, Coffee Creek, Salyer, Big Bar, and Helena. Practical permitting frictions: extensive CAL FIRE State Responsibility Area covering essentially the entire county; significant Very High FHSZ across the bulk of the county; the county has been heavily affected by recent megafires (2017 Helena Fire, 2018 Carr Fire ~230,000 acres in Shasta / Trinity, 2020 August Complex ~1,032,000 acres including substantial southern Trinity); the Shasta-Trinity National Forest and Six Rivers National Forest covering ~75-78% of the county area; the Trinity Alps Wilderness Area in the northeastern county (~525,000 acres); the Trinity River Wild and Scenic River corridor; the Trinity River Restoration Program governance affecting parcels downstream of Lewiston Dam; FEMA SFHA along the Trinity River, Hayfork Creek, Coffee Creek, Mad River, and the New River; the Hoopa Valley Tribe (a federally-recognized tribe whose reservation sits on the Trinity / Humboldt County line and whose ancestral territory includes western Trinity); the Yurok Tribe ancestral territory in the western county; the Wintu / Wintun ancestral territory in the eastern county; high-elevation snow-load and freeze-depth structural design (Trinity Alps elevations exceed 9,000 ft; the Weaverville basin sits at ~2,000 ft but the surrounding ridgelines reach 5,000-7,000 ft); rural well-water / septic on essentially all parcels; severe single-egress evacuation constraints in the Trinity River canyon corridor (Hwy 299) and the Hayfork-Forest Glen corridor (Hwy 36); and post-fire insurance market dislocation that has materially affected lender willingness to finance new ADU construction.