Delay in Tree Code Rehaul Process or, Change is Slow!

Portland Parks & Recreation’s Urban Forestry division has changed the timing and content of the project scope it originally planned to present to City Council on March 31 for a comprehensive review of Title 11, the tree code. 

According to Urban Forestry, the division has decided to delay presenting until sometime between April and June.  The items in the project scope have expanded while at the same time the tree code review has been put off.

The new project scope will prioritize updating the Urban Forest Management Plan, last revised in 2004. That plan is supposed to be revised every ten years but budget restraints precluded that. The recently passed Parks levy enable this update. The goals and policies in the updated plan will address current City priorities “such as climate change, environmental justice, and equity,” and these will, in turn, guide Title 11 improvements, according to Urban Forestry’s Brian Landoe. 

Although substantive amendments to Title 11 are now delayed until 2024, what Urban Forestry calls “technical and minor policy improvements to Title 11 to improve clarity, address inefficiencies, and overall improve code implementation” are scheduled to start this summer. 

Between April and June 2021, Urban Forestry will propose the work plan to City Council. If approved, the work will be carried out in three phases:

● July-December 2021. Phase 1: Technical and minor policy amendments to Title 11

● 2022-2024. Phase 2: Urban Forest Management Plan update

● 2024 on. Phase 3: Substantive Title 11 amendments

It is possible that phase 2 will also produce a list of recommended changes to Title 11. Urban Forestry sees “a lot of value in leveraging the outreach and analysis work from the UFMP toward amendments as well.”

We’ll keep you informed of when and how to weigh in on these processes.