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Troutdale committee reviews urban forestry plan as $100,000 planning grant advances
Summary
City staff presented a draft urban forestry management plan funded by a $100,000 Metro grant and asked the Parks Advisory Committee for feedback on a street‑tree list, a street‑tree manual and proposed code updates ahead of a summer timeline for adoption.
Erica Palmer, Troutdale’s community development director, told the Parks Advisory Committee on March 18 that the city’s pre‑application for a Metro Nature and Neighborhoods Capital grant has advanced and the city received $100,000 to develop an urban forestry planning project.
Palmer said the work includes a draft street‑tree list, a street‑tree manual for residents and proposed code changes. "In the parks master plan, one of the recommendations was to develop an urban forestry management plan for the city," she said, adding that the staff aims to finalize documents for public comment in April and hopes to take the plan and related resolutions to city council by July, with code amendments following later in the summer.
Committee members pressed staff on technical details. Jonah Jacobson, parks staff, flagged emerging pests and said the county asked the city to monitor an "oak borer" concern and to restrict planting heights near overhead utility lines. "We have the ash borer, and now we're seeing the oak borer," Palmer said, noting the tree list will be revised if new threats change planting recommendations.
Members also asked about requirements for new development. Palmer said current practice charges developers $200 per required street tree and the city plants the trees; she and staff recommended reviewing the fee and the potential long‑term costs of root barriers and ongoing maintenance. Frank Stevens noted that some older shopping‑center trees already use root barriers and suggested requiring them where appropriate.
A resident, Kevin Krisky, asked about long‑standing trees along Troutdale Road; staff said some planting strips are private or HOA responsibility and that ownership affects maintenance and pruning duty.
Palmer said the draft documents will be posted online for public comment and returned to the committee in April. She described an adoption timeline that would seek resolution adoption of the management plan and street‑tree manual in July and ordinance readings on code amendments in August and September.
