ODOT’s Tree Destruction Along Powell Boulevard

Some East Portland residents are deeply unhappy that in an area of town prone to intense heat islands ODOT is removing more than 570 trees. This is happening along Powell Boulevard, where the Oregon Department of Transportation is adding a traffic lane, a bike lane, and other features to improve safety on that busy corridor.

Lilly Hankins pointing to what's left of the tree she sheltered under after her car accident.

Centennial resident Lilly Hankins appreciates the needed safety changes, but not the elimination of so much precious shade. On a hot summer day last year, according to Hankins, a truck rear-ended her car at the corner of 148th and Powell and then fled the scene. While waiting, shaken, several hours for a tow truck, she and her six-year-old daughter were grateful for the nearby tree shade they sheltered under. “I didn't realize I should have thanked the trees while I had the chance,” she said, “because less than a year later they'd be gone.” 

Responding to residents’ outcry over the large-scale tree removal, on September 23, two ODOT staff attended a Thrive East PDX tree walk conducted to illustrate the canopy devastation and to discuss desired mitigation for affected neighborhoods. Kelly S. Brooks, Governor Kotek’s transportation and infrastructure staff, also came, as did some local residents, including Lilly Hankins, who shared her tree story with the group. Present as well was Scott Altenhoff, manager of the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Urban and Community Forest program. He is in talks with ODOT to persuade the agency, going forward, to include an arborist early on when planning improvement projects affecting canopy.

Thrive East PDX led the walk with the assistance of Trees for Life Oregon’s Bruce Nelson.

Some Takeaways from the Walk:

—For removing more than 570 large street trees from Powell, ODOT gave Portland Parks & Recreation’s Urban Forestry division $180,000 in mitigation fees. These are going to its tree planting and preservation mitigation fund.  ODOT has no other mitigation plans. ODOT staff said the agency will plant some trees toward the end of the work if it can find places for them along Powell.

—ODOT staff said that when the project plans began years ago, climate wasn’t on their radar and didn’t come up in talks with community groups. And that the street trees have to come down to make room for the street’s power poles. The poles’ current space will be given over to the street for the new traffic lane and bike lane.

—Kelly Brooks told the group she would urge Urban Forestry to apply ODOT’s $180,000 mitigation payment to planting trees in close proximity to Powell, something the community is requesting. Though invited on the walk, Urban Forestry did not attend.

—ODOT plans to transfer jurisdiction over Powell to the City of Portland once the improvement project is completed in the next five years.