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Portland Parks & Recreation’s Urban Forestry staff and volunteers work together to plant trees in parks and on public properties.
Community Tree Planting Interest Form
Program Overview
The Park Tree Planting Program focuses on replanting trees in developed city parks and other public properties. Most trees are replacements for trees removed because they were dead or dying. New trees are also planted in parks that need more canopy coverage.
After a review period involving city stakeholders, trees are procured from local nurseries. Trees are planted from mid-November to March by Urban Forestry staff and volunteers. Each tree receives three years of care to ensure successful establishment. Use the request form on this page to recommend a park or public property that would benefit from having more trees.
Eligibility
This program is only for developed parks and public properties in Portland. It does not include natural areas or environmental zones. We prioritize plantings in parks with low canopy and available space.
Interest Form – Request a Community Tree Planting at a Park
Use the request form to request a community tree planting or to recommend a park or public property that would benefit from having more trees.
Volunteer
If you would like to volunteer at one of our tree planting events at a Portland park, visit our volunteer page to look at and sign up for our upcoming volunteer events.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why trees?
Trees provide essential services for all Portlanders. Planting trees helps cool down our neighborhoods and make living and working in Portland more comfortable during the hottest months. They also clean the air, buffer noise, and improve our mental and physical health. On top of all of this, they provide year-round beauty.
Replacing trees that die in our Parks ensures that our forests will not disappear over time. A strong urban canopy includes both mature trees and younger ones growing to take their place. Some of our parks are already full of trees, which is why we move those replacements to parks that could use a little more shade.
What kinds of trees do you plant?
We focus on planting large, native, and evergreen trees wherever possible. These trees provide the most benefits to Portlanders. Large trees grow tall, live longer, and give more back to the community. Their large canopies create shade that helps cool neighborhoods in the summer and can improve public health while lowering energy use. They also clean the air, soak up rainwater, and support wildlife. Evergreen trees continue to provide benefits all year long. Because large trees last for many decades, they are a smart, long-term investment. In locations with height limits, like under high-voltage power lines, we plant smaller trees.
Who pays for this?
This program is primarily funded by the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) with contributions from the Tree Planting and Preservation Fund (TPPF), the Parks Operations Levy, and the General Fund. PCEF is funded by a 1% surcharge on large corporate retailers and is used for projects that reduce carbon emissions, create economic opportunity, and help make our city more resilient to climate change. TPPF is a dedicated city fund that collects fees from developers for removing trees during construction to finance new tree planting.
What other tree planting programs does Urban Forestry have?
We have many programs under Urban Forestry. Here is a list of all our programs:
What is Urban Forestry?
Urban Forestry is a division of Portland Parks & Recreation. Urban Forestry's mission is to manage and ensure Portland's urban forest infrastructure for current and future generations. Urban Forestry is committed to working with property owners, residents, contractors, and communities to enhance the urban forest and optimize the services that trees provide us all.