Portland presents draft Urban Forest Plan with 45% canopy goal, 660,000-tree target

Portland Parks & Recreation and the Public Works service area presented a public draft of the Portland Urban Forest Plan to the Climate Resilience and Land Use Committee on July 24, laying out a community-led vision and more than 60 recommended actions to preserve, grow and care for the city’s trees.

The draft plan proposes a citywide tree canopy goal of 45 percent (current canopy roughly 30 percent) and estimates the equivalent of about 660,000 new trees would be needed to reach that goal. The plan establishes subarea goals to prioritize low-canopy, low-income neighborhoods and outlines actions for multiple bureaus, including Portland Parks & Recreation, Portland Bureau of Transportation, Bureau of Environmental Services, Portland Permitting and Development, and Portland Fire & Rescue.

Jen Cairo, the city forester and manager of the Urban Forestry Division, said the plan was developed after two years of community engagement, technical analysis and coordination with regional partners. "The Portland Urban Forest Plan is our road map to address these challenges and grow and care for trees equitably," Cairo said.

Key plan…