City Proposes Urban Forestry Plan to Enhance Tree Preservation and Community Engagement

Lake Oswego's City Council is taking significant steps to enhance its urban forestry management, focusing on tree preservation and community engagement. During a recent Planning Commission meeting, officials discussed the importance of addressing tree removal, particularly concerning dead and hazardous trees, while emphasizing a non-regulatory approach to encourage community participation.

The council highlighted the need for clear and objective standards for housing development that comply with state law, which is crucial for balancing growth with environmental stewardship. A key concern raised by residents is the perceived inconsistency in tree removal regulations between development projects and individual landscaping efforts. The council acknowledged this issue and is exploring ways to ensure fair treatment across different scenarios.

To promote tree preservation, the council is considering creating incentives for developers who choose to save trees during construction. Suggestions include potential reductions in setback requirements for those who preserve existing trees, fostering a more collaborative approach to urban development.

Additionally, the council is addressing the need for adequate soil volume for street trees in parking lots to combat urban heat islands, as well as establishing canopy standards for commercial and industrial areas, which currently lack sufficient tree cover. The discussion also included the necessity of requiring mitigation trees for various types of tree removals and evaluating tree codes in light of increasing wildfire risks.

The council's commitment to planting larger mitigation trees where feasible aims to counteract the trend of replacing large trees with smaller species, which could negatively impact the city's overall tree canopy in the long run. As these initiatives move forward, public outreach will play a vital role in shaping the final recommendations and ensuring community involvement in the stewardship of Lake Oswego's urban forest.