Troutdale's parks advisory committee on Oct. 15 heard a progress briefing from Dudek Consulting on the city's Urban Forestry Master Plan and a parallel audit of the street-tree chapter of the municipal code.

The consultant team said its inventory and community engagement work is largely complete and will inform a draft tree-management code. "We're doing the conditions and the tree inventory: understanding tree health, tree age, what the canopy looks like," said Rose Newberry, project manager for the Urban Forestry Master Plan. Newberry said the inventory shows maples (Acer) and prunus species (cherries and related trees) are overrepresented in Troutdale's street-tree population.

Why it matters: the inventory and code audit will shape where the city plants trees, how it enforces removal and replacement rules tied to development, and—because of the emerald ash borer detection in the region—how the city monitors and protects high‑value trees.

Key findings and next steps
Dudek reported that roughly half of the inventoried street trees are young, which the team described as a sign of recent planting activity but also as a potential future maturity gap. The consultants said about 81 percent of inventoried street trees are in good condition. They also recommended updating tree species guidance and removal/replacement standards so that large, high‑value trees are protected while allowing reasonable replacements where removal is warranted.

"We're evaluating the removal and replacement standards for trees, making sure that we're balancing real need to remove trees while protecting large important trees that are adding the most value," Newberry said.

The team said its process will produce a species list and a draft revised code. An administrative draft is scheduled for Dec. 15, with a public draft planned in January or February to allow broader review before final adoption later in the year.

Community input and code scope
Jennifer, the engagement lead for the Dudek team, summarized outreach to date: the team has conducted two public events and an online survey. "So far, our responses have been surprisingly, predominantly long‑term homeowners," she said, noting about 120 survey responses so far and a target of 200. She said survey respondents value shade, neighborhood character and wildlife habitat, and also raised concerns about fallen branches and sidewalk damage.

Jonah Jacobson, city parks staff, reminded the committee that the emerald ash borer (EAB) was confirmed in East Multnomah County this summer and that the city will need to incorporate monitoring and targeted treatment plans: "We're going to be doing some more monitoring, and identifying some of the older ash trees in Troutdale that we would like to try to save by doing preemptive insecticide injection treatments." Jacobson said the city is coordinating with state and federal partners on EAB response.

Questions from committee members centered on outreach representation (the consultants said renters were underrepresented), whether the inventory covered private trees (the audit focuses on street trees but will reference private tree rules where they affect development), and practical mitigation such as root barriers and replacement requirements tied to sidewalk repairs.

"That is a really important part of having successful street trees is making sure they're not immediately uplifting your sidewalk," said a committee member during the code discussion.

What was not decided
The presentation was informational; the committee did not vote on code text or set final canopy targets. The consultants will return with draft documents for public review in the winter.

Ending
Dudek's consulting team, city staff and the committee agreed to continue community outreach and incorporate the inventory and survey results into the draft ordinance and a street-tree manual meant to guide planting, maintenance and replacements.