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Woodburn staff outline Emerald Ash Borer response plan, inventory and short‑term removals
Summary
City staff briefed the commission on recent Emerald Ash Borer detections, an imminent inventory contract, and a draft response plan that includes fee waivers for ash removals, tracking removals via permits, and partnering with local watershed and conservation groups for inventory and grant funding.
Special Projects Director Renata Weekley told the Planning Commission that the city has recorded confirmed and probable emerald ash borer (EAB) sightings since summer 2024 and that the state has placed several counties under quarantine. Weekley said the Department of Forestry first confirmed EAB in Waifels Park and the city has removed about 20 trees there after training crews with forestry and agriculture staff.
Weekley said the city is about to sign a contract with the Pudding River Watershed Council to complete a city tree inventory and upload the data to the state’s mapping tool; staff expect inventory results to be shared with the commission early in 2026. She described a draft Emerald Ash Borer response plan that will (in checklist form) help the city track completed tasks, prioritize treatment for significant heritage trees and identify trees appropriate for removal. Weekley said the city is pursuing grants and intergovernmental agreements to lower per‑tree costs and to help fund replanting.
On operational policy, Weekley said the city will waive tree‑removal permit fees for ash removals but still require permits so staff can document where trees are being removed. Public Works will continue to require street‑tree replacement where the code requires it. She emphasized the inventory will cover city‑managed properties and right‑of‑way only; staff will not conduct private‑property inventories but will push outreach so owners can self‑identify ash trees and access replacement programs.
Commissioners asked about incentives and homeowner impacts; one commissioner noted the city’s small free‑tree program and urged including that information in public materials. Weekley said staff will continue outreach, conduct trainings and include resources on how residents can request assistance or replacement trees when funds are available.
Next steps: finalize and sign the inventory contract, complete the inventory beginning this fall, continue drafting the response plan, and return to the Parks and Planning commissions with treatment and replanting methodology once inventory results are available.
