Amend fee schedule for tree permits (amend PRK 2.03)
The City of Portland ordains.
Section 1. The Council finds:
- Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) promotes safety, livability, economic vitality, and environmental quality through management of the city’s urban forest including efficient and collaborative application of tree regulations.
- In January 2015, the city’s tree code, Title 11 Trees, was implemented. Title 11 is intended to streamline and consolidate tree regulations, improve tree retention and protection especially during site development, and provide for better enforcement of the city’s tree regulations.
- PP&R is largely a general fund bureau, however it practices cost recovery for some services, and collects certain fees under a fee schedule for certain tree permits. These fees are used by PP&R to fund tree inspections, plan review, permit issuance, land use review, code enforcement, customer assistance and other tree-regulation-related functions.
- PP&R charges fees to partially compensate for the costs of the services provided. PP&R does not charge fees for some services, for example tree planting permits, in order to encourage these activities and reduce potential barriers to compliance with regulatory requirements.
- Other infrastructure and regulatory bureaus, such as Bureau of Environmental Services, Portland Water Bureau, Portland Bureau of Transportation, and Portland Permitting & Development charge fees for their services in comparable processes.
- PP&R is increasing the Planting & Establishment Fee in Lieu to account for inflationary increases. The current fee level was set in 2019.
- PP&R is reducing or eliminating fees in non-development situations in order to reduce barriers and incentivize proper tree care and management of the urban forest.
- PP&R is eliminating fees for Ornamental Lighting Applications which were previously established by Ordinance 181144 by City Council on July 18, 2007.
- PP&R has been proactive in informing and seeking input from customers regarding the need and rationale for the proposed fee changes. The bureau has published information about the proposed changes on its website and has met with relevant stakeholder groups including the Urban Forestry Commission.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs:
- The Fee Schedule listed as Exhibit A to this ordinance shall be effective July 1, 2025.
- This ordinance is binding City policy.
Official Record (Efiles)
An ordinance when passed by the Council shall be signed by the Auditor. It shall be carefully filed and preserved
in the custody of the Auditor (City Charter Chapter 2 Article 1 Section 2-122)
Passed as amended by Council
Auditor of the City of Portland
Simone Rede
Impact Statement
Purpose of Proposed Legislation and Background Information
This ordinance allows Portland Parks & Recreation (PPR) Urban Forestry (UF) to update the tree permit fee schedule for FY 25-26.
With the consolidation of private property development permitting into PP&D, fees related to those permit review and issuance responsibilities have been removed from this fee schedule. Some fees for development on city-owned or managed property are retained since those reviews remain with PP&R. The amounts for those fees are set to the same amount as PP&D’s fee schedule in order charge both private and city applicants the same amount for similar reviews.
Fees in non-development situations such Tree Removal and Replanting permits and street tree pruning permits are eliminated or significantly reduced.
Financial and Budgetary Impacts
Through Strategic Program 34 in the Council-adopted Climate Investment Plan, PCEF is providing funding to Urban Forestry to reduce financial barriers to complying with Title 11, the city’s tree code. PP&R anticipates reducing and eliminating non-development fees in the FY26 Title 11 Fee Schedule will reduce program revenue by approximately $400,000 annually. PCEF funding will replace the program revenue to sustain current service levels.
Two fees are being increased: the Fee in Lieu of Planting and Establishment and the application fee for Programmatic Permits.
The Fee in Lieu of Planting and Establishment is increasing by 5% from $450 to $472. This is the first increase of this fee since 2019. Other fees in the Fee in Lieu section are linked to this fee and increase by 5% as well. These fees are assessed in development situations in lieu of planting or preserving required trees.
The Programmatic Permit Application fee is increasing by 10% from $6,500 to $7,150. This fee applies to utilities such as PGE and Verizon Wireless, as well as some city bureaus, who perform routine maintenance of city or street trees. Programmatic Permits are typically issued for multiple years which disperses the cost of the application fee. The current fee level was last set in 2019.
Economic and Real Estate Development Impacts
- The proposed fee schedule was presented to the Development Review Advisory Committee at their April 2025 meeting.
- Urban Forestry presented the fee schedule to the Urban Forestry Commission at their March 2025 meeting for feedback.
- As of July 1, 2024, permitting for private development and associated public works has been consolidated into Portland Permitting & Development. Consequently, most fees related to Title 11 requirements in private development have been removed from the Title 11 fee schedule to PP&D’s fee schedule. The lone exception is the Fee-in-Lieu of Preservation and Planting which is assessed in private development situations. That fee is increasing by 5% consistent with other development related fees. This modest increase is not anticipated to have economic impacts.
- In the non-development section of the fee schedule, fees are either being eliminated or significantly reduced. This includes fees for tree removal permits, pruning permits, and administrative review and appeal fees among others. The impact of this change will reduce the cost of acquiring required permits for tree work.
Community Impacts and Community Involvement
Eliminating permit fees is responsive to community input received over the last few years through formal planning processes like the Portland Urban Forest Plan and recommendations made by the City’s Urban Forestry Commission. This change is anticipated to make it easier for Portlanders
Urban Forestry presented the fee schedule to the Urban Forestry Commission at their March 2025 meeting for feedback.
100% Renewable Goal
Not applicable.
Financial and Budget Analysis
Analysis provided by City Budget Office
Changes to the fee schedule aim to align City operational costs with inflation occurring between FY 2025-26 and the last update in 2019. Several fees are reduced or removed between the two schedules, estimated to decrease service fee revenue by $400,000 annually. PP&R anticipates the revenue being netted by PCEF resources transferred to the Urban Forestry program. Changed fees represent a five-percent increase and estimated revenue increases are very minimal as receipts from these fees are sparse.
Economic and Real Estate Development Analysis
Analysis provided by Prosper Portland
Prosper Portland staff has reviewed the Economic and Real Estate Development Impact Analysis submitted for this action and finds that it satisfies the requirements set forth in City Council Resolution 37664. The analysis is sufficiently detailed and complete to be considered a final statement for purposes of this action.
Document History
Document number: 2025-123
President's referral: Finance Committee