Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Urban Forestry topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City urban-forestry staff warn move from Parks has reduced capacity to inspect trees
Summary
A Forestry Permitting specialist told the council that moving urban-forestry permitting from Parks & Recreation to Portland Permitting and Development (PPD) after staff cuts has reduced inspection capacity, increased permitting turnaround times and left the city with fewer experienced tree inspectors.
PORTLAND — At the Oct. 1 Portland City Council meeting, an urban-forestry code specialist said the city’s recent administrative move of forestry permitting out of Parks & Recreation and into Portland Permitting and Development has damaged the program’s ability to manage permits and respond to dangerous-tree complaints.
Autumn Blankenship, a city code specialist who said she reviews expiration of tree removal permits and investigates reports of missing trees, testified that the transfer followed staffing reductions and the loss of 10 positions in the division. Blankenship said the move to the Bureau of Permitting and Development (PPD) in 2024 was announced after those cuts had already been made. She told the council that turn-around times for tree permits have increased, the city has less capacity to investigate dangerous trees than earlier in the year, and the work is at risk of further cuts in the next budget cycle.
“The decision to move forestry permitting out of parks has been incredibly damaging,” Blankenship said. She described the urban-forestry compliance team’s role in helping residents navigate Title 11 of the city code and implementing rules intended to “promote a safe and healthy tree canopy in perpetuity.”
Blankenship asked councilors to consider the consequences of the centralization and staffing cuts; she said remaining staff are trying “to make the best of the situation” but are concerned about capacity during the busy season.
Councilors thanked Blankenship for her testimony and asked staff to follow up. Council members noted that the majority of Portland’s trees are on private property and that a collaborative relationship between private owners and the city will be necessary to sustain the canopy.
Why it matters: Urban-forestry permitting and inspections are the primary municipal mechanisms that protect street trees and implement Title 11 requirements. Reduced staff or longer permit wait times can affect public safety (dead or unstable trees), urban tree canopy health and the city’s ability to enforce tree-protection rules.
Next steps: Blankenship said the move will be reconsidered in the coming months; councilors asked bureau staff for follow-up on staffing, permit turnaround times and the expected impacts of the reorganization ahead of the next budget cycle.
