Ezones update project

Environmental planners head to the hills ... Northwest Hills, that is.

The Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability is in the process of correcting ezone maps around the city. Ezones are a tool to help protect natural resources, such as trees, streams, steep slopes and wildlife habitat in Portland.

So far, staff have produced draft maps and conducted site visits in Johnson Creek Watershed as well as the Eastern Buttes and Terraces in N/NE Portland to update the ezones there. 

Now, we’re headed to the Northwest Hills for site visits and conversations with property owners.

Postcards in the mail

If you own property in Northwest Portland and you have 1) existing ezones on your property; 2) the ezones are proposed to change on your property; or 3) new ezones are proposed for your property, you will receive a postcard in the mail.

How will this affect you?

We expect the environmental overlay zones will only change slightly on most properties. But some properties may have expanded ezones; others may have smaller ones.

Find your property on a map

You can use the Ezone Review Map to look up your property. This map will tell you what kinds of environmental protections apply now and what are proposed to change. You can also request a site visit through the Ezone Review Map, and staff will come to your property to review the data.

Learn more at meetings near you

Project staff will be attending neighborhood meetings in February, March and April to talk with residents and answer questions. Look for a meeting near you on the project calendar.

• February 4^th: Northwest Heights Neighborhood Association
• March 6^th: Linnton Neighborhood Association
• March 19^th: Forest Park Neighborhood Association
• April 9^th: Hillside Neighborhood Association

What are environmental overlay zones

What’s an ezone? It’s a tool that the City of Portland uses to help protect important natural resources, such as streams, wetlands, forests, steep slopes, wildlife habitat and floodplains for more than 30 years. Since the ezones were applied in the NW Hills between 1992 and 1999, new development has occurred, trees have grown or died, and creeks and streams have shifted their course.

Also, technology has improved so much that we can more accurately map the important resources that should be protected. This project is using this new technology and on-the-ground site visits to realign the ezone boundaries to match the actual location of natural resource features on the ground. 

For more information

Visit the website: www.portland.gov/ezones

Email: ezone@portlandoregon.gov

Call: 503-823-4225