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Board plans tree-inventory pilot; Goal 5 applies only to code changes, staff says
Summary
West Linn's Sustainability Advisory Board agreed to pilot a tree-inventory behind the high school and to review residential tree-removal guidelines in the fall after staff clarified that Oregon's "Goal 5" is triggered by code changes, not by an inventory alone.
The West Linn Sustainability Advisory Board agreed to begin a proof-of-concept tree inventory behind the high school and to ask teachers to involve students in the project during the coming school year. Roberto, the board's chair, said the Nature Conservancy has offered an intern or volunteer to help start the field work and the board will use an existing tree-plotter tool to capture canopy data.
Staff told the board that "Goal 5" considerations apply when the city seeks to amend tree-related code, not merely for conducting an inventory. A presenter who followed up on prior contacts with city staff and county officials said, "Goal 5 is triggered only if we're asking for an amendment of the tree code, particularly relative to trees in developments," and recommended the board review residential tree-removal guidelines before pursuing code changes. The board agreed to schedule a fuller review in the fall and to report interim progress at the August meeting.
Board members noted a number of operational steps: recruit volunteer crews for the pilot plot behind the high school, coordinate with teachers to integrate the activity into curricula, and request a staff summary of recent tree-code amendments (community tree code amendments, tree technical manual, and the ordinance) for member review. Dylan (staff) said he had circulated the most recent code changes and offered to share the stormwater and tree-code documents the group should review. The board added a tree-inventory action item to its August agenda and committed to using Lake Oswego's prior experience to inform methodology.
What happens next: the board will run the proof-of-concept with volunteer/intern support over the summer, then engage school staff and return findings and a possible plan for a broader student-driven inventory in its August meeting.
