Urban Forestry Tree Regulation

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Breadcrumb: Service Area Summaries > Community & Economic Development > Portland Permitting & Development > Urban Forestry Tree Regulation

City of Portland Fiscal Year 2026-27 Proposed Budget Community & Economic Development > Portland Permitting & Development > Urban Forestry Tree Regulation Urban Forestry Tree Regulation Budget Revenues by Fund 2023-24 Actuals 2024-25 Actuals 2025-26 Revised Budget 2026-27 Proposed External Revenues $0 $0 $3,636,194 $3,877,179 PDX Clean Energy Community Benefits $0 $0 $3,636,194 $3,877,179 Fund Internal Revenues $0 $0 $0 $0 PDX Clean Energy Community Benefits $0 $0 $0 $0 Fund Grand Total $0 $0 $3,636,194 $3,877,179 Program Expenses by Major Object Program expenses only include personnel, internal materials and services, external materials and services, and capital. 2023-24 Actuals 2024-25 Actuals 2025-26 Revised Budget 2026-27 Proposed External Materials and $0 $0 $0 $133,473 Services Internal Materials and $0 $0 $0 $1,367,803 Services Personnel $0 $0 $3,636,194 $2,375,903 Grand Total $0 $0 $3,636,194 $3,877,179 Program Description and Goals Portland's urban forest includes all trees across the city, along streets, in parks, and on private property. City Council recently adopted the 2025 Urban Forest Plan, which includes two primary goals: to equitably preserve, restore, and expand the urban forest to support biodiversity and community health; and to prioritize trees and landscaping in City policies, plans, and projects to enhance livability, habitat connectivity, and Portland's unique sense of place. The Plan calls for strengthening preservation and care of the urban forest by improving compliance with the City's Tree Code (Title 11) on both public and private property, in development and non development situations. 383

City of Portland Fiscal Year 2026-27 Proposed Budget The Tree Regulation Program administers Title 11 to protect the urban forest citywide. The Program issues permits for trees on private property and in the public right of way, reviews development and non development proposals, investigates complaints, and enforces code requirements. It is organized into four sections: Non Development, Development & CIP, and Compliance, and works closely with its parent bureau, the Urban Forestry division of Portland Parks & Recreation. Services Tree Removal and Required Replanting permits; Tree Pruning permits; Root Pruning permits; Tree Attachment including ornamental lighting permits; Chemical Application permits; Application and Site Plan review; Tree Plan Accuracy inspections; Inspect barricades for tree preservation; Verifies appropriate tree planting for City capital improvement projects; Replanting for Removal & Replant Permit verification; Tree related complaint, and work-without-permit investigations; Improper Tree Work investigations; Violation Notice issuance; Enforcement of non-compliant cases; 15-minute appointments; Inquiry & complaint routing Equity Impacts Portland's urban forest is unevenly distributed, and the Parks Bureau's recent Tree Canopy Monitoring Report highlights a troubling decline in overall canopy coverage. Advancing tree equity means ensuring that all neighborhoods and communities have access to healthy, well-maintained trees. By examining the impacts of past and current policies, we better understand how different communities have been affected. This awareness helps identify who currently benefits from the urban forest and where gaps and disproportionate burdens persist, particularly in underserved neighborhoods. The Tree Regulation Program is responsible for administering City regulations that protect the urban forest. These services are provided citywide, both as required by code and in response to customer requests. Through ongoing equity training, PP&D Tree Regulation staff have strengthened their understanding of the barriers and challenges faced by underserved communities, improving their ability to support residents more effectively. Changes to Program All PP&D programs have been impacted by the effects of high interest rates, falling market values for buildings in the downtown core, and perception of Portland as a place to invest and build. Bureau revenues and demand for services have declined considerably from their peak levels and the bureau is expecting low project activity to continue in FY 2026-27. PP&D continues utilizing reserves to fund ongoing operations during this downturn. In the FY 2025-26 Adopted Budget, City Council approved moving the Tree Permitting Program from the Parks and Recreation Urban Forestry Division to PP&D. As a part of this decision, the program size was initially decreased from 37.0 FTE to 27.0 FTE within Parks. On October 1, 2025, 26.0 FTE of those remaining positions were transferred to PP&D, 20.0 of which were filled and 6.0 vacant. These positions joined the existing PP&D urban forestry review group at PP&D to form the new Tree Permitting Division. 384

Parent: Portland Permitting & Development · PDF: pp. 383-384 ↗