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Label:
Ordinance
Approve the designation of twelve trees as City Heritage Trees and remove the City Heritage Tree designation from fourteen trees
Passed
The City of Portland ordains.
Section 1. The Council finds:
- Section 11.20.060 of the City Code provides for the listing, designation, and maintenance of Heritage Trees within the city which, because of their age, size, type, historical association or horticultural value, are of special importance to the City.
- The Heritage Tree Volunteers and City staff have inspected and evaluated twelve significant trees nominated for inclusion in the Portland Heritage Tree program. City staff presented their findings to Portland's Urban Forestry Commission, a volunteer body. The Urban Forestry Commission recommends that City Council designate these trees as Heritage Trees.
- Section 11.20.060 of the City Code further instructs that "The Urban Forestry Commission (UFC) makes a recommendation to City Council as to whether the Heritage Tree designation should be removed from a tree...City Council may remove the designation if it finds that the designation is no longer appropriate." The Urban Forestry Commission recommends fourteen trees listed below be removed from the list because they have died and were physically removed or have determined that designation is no longer appropriate and should be removed from the program. This action will reconcile the Heritage Tree list with current designations.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Council directs:
- Under the provision of PCC 11.20.060, the following trees are designated as Heritage Trees and are included in Portland's Heritage Tree program:
- Abies grandis, grand fir, publicly owned tree located within Hoyt Arboretum at 1101 SW Bray Ln.
- Nyssa sylvatica, tupelo, publicly owned tree within Holladay Park at 1125 NE Holladay St.
- Pinus coulteri, Coulter pine, publicly owned tree within Berrydale Park at SE Taylor St and SE 92nd Ave.
- Quercus alba, eastern white oak, publicly owned tree within Laurelhurst Park at SE Cesar E Chavez Blvd & SE Stark St.
- Koelreuteria paniculata, golden raintree, publicly owned tree at 2406 SE 30th Ave.
- Castanea sativa, Spanish chestnut, privately owned tree at 2515 SE 15th Ave.
- Quercus garryana, Oregon white oak, privately owned tree at 3137 N Willamette Blvd.
- Aesculus flava, yellow buckeye, publicly owned tree within Woodlawn Park at 6937 NE Claremont Ave.
- Sequoiadendron giganteum, giant sequoia, publicly owned tree within Lownsdale Square Park at 350 SW Salmon St.
- Sequoiadendron giganteum, giant sequoia, privately owned tree at 8614 SE Mill St.
- Cornus nuttallii, Pacific dogwood, privately owned tree at 9038 N Fortune Ave.
- Quercus rubra, northern red oak, publicly owned tree within Patton Square Park at 5340 N Interstate Ave.
- Under the provisions of PCC 11.20.060, Heritage Tree designation is removed from the following trees because the trees are dead, dying or have been removed:
- Ulmus americana, American elm, publicly owned tree at 1111 SW 10th Ave.
- Quercus garryana, Oregon white oak, privately owned tree at 1815 N Humboldt St.
- Castanea sativa, Spanish chestnut, privately owned tree at 2401 SE 26th Ave.
- Ostrya virginiana, American hop-hornbeam, publicly owned tree at 221 NE 45th Ave.
- Juglans cinerea, butternut, publicly owned tree at 1584 SE Lexington St.
- Castanea sativa, Spanish chestnut, publicly owned tree at 3436 SE Johnson Creek Blvd.
- Arbutus menziesii, Pacific madrone, publicly owned tree at 8018 SE Bush St.
- Quercus rubra, northern red oak, privately owned tree at 1961 SW Vista Ave.
- Calocedrus decurrens, incense cedar, privately owned tree at 4825 SW Dosch Park Ln.
- Cornus nuttallii, Pacific dogwood, privately owned tree at 2944 SE Taylor St.
- Malus x domestica 'Gravenstein', Gravenstein apple, publicly owned tree at 4017 SE 9th Ave.
- Malus x domestica 'Gravenstein', Gravenstein apple, privately owned tree at 5003 SE 34th Ave.
- Betula pendula,European white birch, privately owned tree at 1526 NE Thompson St.
- Quercus palustris, pin oak, privately owned tree at 1611 NW 32nd Ave.
Exhibits and attachments
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 by Council
Auditor of the City of Portland
Simone Rede
Impact Statement
Purpose of proposed legislation and background information
In 1993, City Council and the Urban Forestry Commission established Portland's Heritage Tree Program to celebrate and recognize significant trees in Portland. Each year, the City accepts Heritage Tree nominations submitted by the community. Heritage Tree Volunteers review all nominations, and trees they recommend are subsequently verified by City arborists, who confirm that each nomination meets the conditions for inclusion in the program.
If all conditions are met, City staff present the nominations to the Urban Forestry Commission for review and approval. Nominations approved by the Commission are then presented to City Council for adoption by Ordinance, as required by City Code 11.20.060.
Over time, Heritage Trees may decline or fail and require physical removal to ensure public safety. In emergency situations, a Heritage Tree may be removed with approval from the City Administrator, or their designee, the City Forester. In non-emergency cases, the Urban Forestry Commission may approve the removal of a Heritage Tree and recommend that its Heritage Tree designation be formally removed ("delisting").
This legislation grants Heritage Tree designation to 12 trees. It also removes Heritage Tree designation from 14 trees that have been physically removed or whose designation is no longer appropriate.
Financial and budgetary impacts
Maintenance and removal costs associated with Heritage Trees located in the right-of-way, within Parks, or other City-owned property are the responsibility of PP&R Urban Forestry. Maintenance and removal costs for Heritage Trees located on private property are the responsibility of the property owner.
There are no budgetary impacts resulting from this ordinance.
Economic and real estate development impacts
Heritage Trees receive the highest level of protection under the City's tree code and are designated by City Council via Ordinance. Except in emergency situations, removal of a Heritage Tree requires approval by at least six members of the Urban Forestry Commission. Heritage Tree permits are required prior to any activity that may impact the tree, including pruning, development within the root zone, or complete removal.
Heritage Trees located on private or City-owned property may limit future development for as long as the tree stands or retains Heritage Tree designation. Given the relatively small number of Heritage Trees on private property, currently 147, the program's impact on citywide development feasibility and housing production is negligible. Heritage Trees located in the public right-of-way or City parks are protected for as long as the tree stands and/or retains Heritage Tree designation.
Trees on private property may be designated with the documented consent of the property owner. A Heritage Tree Consent Agreement, prepared by Urban Forestry, details the requirements and responsibilities associated with designation and confirms that Heritage Trees are protected, a permit must be obtained before any tree work is performed, and all maintenance costs are the responsibility of the property owner. The Heritage Tree Consent Agreement also establishes that Heritage Tree designation is permanent and binding upon all current and future property owners. The Heritage Tree Consent Agreement must be signed and notarized by the property owner at the time of designation.
For the four privately owned trees under consideration for Heritage designation this year, all necessary Heritage Tree Consent Agreements have been signed by the property owners and submitted to City staff. Upon designation by City Council, these Heritage Tree Consent Agreements will be recorded with Multnomah County for public access.
Once designated, all Heritage Trees are identified by a plaque affixed to the tree and are digitally mapped across multiple City platforms, including the Heritage Tree website, the City's tree inventory, PortlandMaps.com, and the City's permitting system. Property owners with a Heritage Tree on their property will receive an annual letter acknowledging the tree's designation, summarizing its associated protections, and providing resources for learning more about the program.
Community impacts and community involvement
The Heritage Tree program seeks to promote Heritage Tree designation in neighborhoods with few or no existing Heritage Trees, and to recognize the historical and cultural stories that reflect the diversity of our city. Trained Heritage Tree Volunteers are encouraged to seek out and nominate trees that meet program goals. Outreach efforts in these areas invite and encourage Heritage Tree nominations from the broader community. Urban Forestry will continue to prioritize nominations from these areas in future designation cycles.
Heritage Tree nominations are submitted by members of the public and reviewed and evaluated by Heritage Tree Volunteers, a group that includes community members from across the city. City arborists verify tree information including species, size, health, and available growing space. City staff also verify any historical references included in the nomination and confirm ownership of privately owned trees.
Nominations are considered and recommended to City Council by the Urban Forestry Commission, most recently at its March 2025 and January 2026 meetings. City staff then bring those recommendations to City Council for designation by Ordinance.
Property owners of all privately owned nominated trees have provided written consent to nomination and designation via Heritage Tree Consent Agreements. For any nominated tree overhanging into an adjacent property, the neighboring property owner has been notified and given an opportunity to comment. No objections have been received.
100% renewable goal
Not applicable.
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: 2026-166
President's referral: Public Works Committee