Street roots., August 14, 2015, Page 7, Image 7

Street Roots • Aug. 14-20, 2015
News
Page 7
Tree loss spurs
residents to action
As development increases in Portland,
neighborhood associations are organizing to
save prominent trees and asking the city to
change how it regulates the city's canopy
BY A M A N D A WALDROUPE
trees were issued by the city between Jan. 1
and June 3O.There has been a loss of
25,000 square feet of canopy since the
hree towering sequoias in
Eastmoreland. A Paradox walnut near interim rule was enacted. Approximately
16,000 square feet of canopy has been
Mount Tabor, one of the densest and
largest deciduous trees in all of Portland. All replanted since the rule was enacted, but
that leaves a net loss of 9,000 square feet
are 150-year-old trees that have become
Before the interim rule took effect 2.4
flashpoints for how Portlanders are
trees were replanted for every tree
responding to the city’s white-hot real
removed. Since the rule has been in effect,
estate market and development
the rate has dropped to 0.8 tree for each
Longtime Portlanders are watching sleek
tree removed, according to a report by
condo buildings go up along a formerly
Portland
Parks and Recreation.
gritty Division Street. In many
“There is not a whole lot of data out
neighborhoods, developers are purchasing
there y et It’s a small window of time. To
older craftsman-style homes that are
call it a trend is a little generous,”
demolished to build a new,
Jenn Cairo, the city’s forester,
larger single-unit house on a
said at a Tree Code Oversight
single lot or split lots,
Advisory Committee meeting on
"There Is not a
making hundreds of
thousands of dollars in profit whole lo t
data Aug. 10. “There is a suggestion
Along with the demolition out there yet« It's that there could be greater
cumulative canopy impacts than
comes cutting down trees —
a sm all window
has been seen.”
“tree removal,” as it is
Jim Labbe, an urban
of tim e. To ca ll It
known. Depending on the
a trend is a little conservationist for the Audubon
circumstances, a single tree
is removed or the entire lot
générons. There Society of Portland, said the
amount of tree removal due to
is clear-cut to make way for
is a suggestion
development and construction is
new construction.
tha t there could
unprecedented.
It’s a trend that has
be greater cu­
“It’s very concerning,” he said.
rankled residents who live
Those who seek stronger
m
ulative
canopy
near such developments,
im pacts tha n has protections for Portland’s oldest
neighborhood associations,
trees say doing so is more than
environmentalists and
been seen."
saving a tree here or there.
conservationists.
JENN CAIRO, Portland is inevitably changing
“The developers often
Ï P O R T L A N D 'S U R B A N
FORESTER and growing and developing. But
prefer to build the entire lo t
how Portland develops is what is
It leaves very little green
on residents’ minds — and
space and certainly very few
whether elected officials and
trees,” «said Robert
policymakers will guide development with
McCullough, chair of Southeast Uplift, the
the thought and intention necessary to
neighborhood coalition of inner Southeast
protect something that defines Portland.
Portland, and the Eastmoreland
Neighborhood Association. “There is a wide
level of outrage around this.”
People are increasingly looking to the
hen it comes to urban canopy, the
city’s tree code as both the culprit for tree
amount of tree cover in a city when
loss and the potential white knight for
viewed from above, Portland’s is one of the
Portland’s oldest, largest and most
densest in the country. According to
ecologically important trees.
Portland Parks and Recreation,
The city’s tree code, which underwent a
approximately 29.9 percent of Portland was
massive rewrite in 2011 and became
covered by tree canopy in 2010, a steady
effective at the beginning of this year,
increase over decades. The canopy is higher
regulates tree removal and planting and
in residential areas and open spaces.
aims to protect the city’s urban forest In
Portland earned the nickname
April, an interim rule was established to
“Stumptown” in the late 1800s when the
provide standards for tree replacement
city grew so quickly that the stumps of cut
However, contrary to the code’s intent of
trees weren’t removed, given the haste to
canopy preservation, the new regulations
build and develop.
appear to be leading to canopy loss.
Now, Portland’s trees and close
For the first time, Hie city is able to track
relationship to the environment symbolize
The three Eastmoreland neighborhood sequoias on Southeast Martins Street that have so fa r
the number of trees being cut down. A total
been spared removal to make way for development. The largest one is 2 0 feet in diameter.
of 1,346 perm its to remove and/or replant
See TREES, page 10
C O N T R IB U T IN G W R IT E R
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