Portland City Council has adopted the updated Portland Urban Forest Plan, a long-term road map for growing, preserving, and equitably managing the city’s trees. Led by Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R), the plan sets a new vision and goals for the urban forest, including a higher citywide tree canopy target and a stronger focus on neighborhoods where tree cover is most lacking. The guiding document will guide city decisions around tree care, funding, policy, and climate resilience for years to come.
“We are ready to work with our partners and the community to make Portland a greener, healthier, and more resilient city—where every neighborhood benefits from the strength of its trees," says Deputy City Administrator for Public Works Priya Dhanapal. “We are ready to work with our partners and the community to make Portland a greener, healthier, and more resilient city.”
“Council really leaned into this conversation,” says PP&R Interim Director Sonia Schmanski. “We appreciate their engagement and guidance and look forward to the work ahead – launching new programs to plant more trees and ease the financial burden on homeowners, revisiting the code that guides the City’s work, and supporting innovative design solutions that help trees and development co-exist.”
The plan is more action-oriented than its 2004 predecessor, with clear timelines, strategies, and implementation partners. It calls for reducing the cost of tree care for Portlanders including city-provided maintenance of street trees, and support for maintaining trees on private property. The document also highlights the need to update the City’s Tree Code (Title 11).
"The revised Urban Forest Plan reflects our commitment to a healthier, more equitable Portland,” says Jenn Cairo, Portland’s City Forester. “It outlines strategies to preserve and care for our urban forest, reduce the cost of tree care, and prioritize planting in neighborhoods that need it most.”
Key features of the plan include:
- A higher citywide tree canopy goal and specific targets for areas like East Portland
- Strategies to make tree care more affordable for residents
- A focus on using data to support climate action and resilience
- Inclusive communication, training, and community education
- Stronger collaboration across city bureaus and with community partners
Funding & Community Involvement
Funding to begin implementing some of the plan’s actions comes from the General Fund, the Parks Levy, and Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF). The PCEF funding is authorized through the current five-year Climate Investment Plan to plant at least 15,000 new trees, reduce the cost of tree maintenance for Portlanders, and support workforce training and development..
The plan was shaped by extensive community engagement, including surveys, open houses, focus groups with historically underserved communities, and a 50-day public comment period. Outreach involved Portlanders living in different parts of the city, and people from different backgrounds and with varied experiences had multiple opportunities to share their feedback.
For more information and to read the full plan, visit portland.gov/trees/portland-urban-forest-plan
Source: Portland Parks and Rec