Portland Urban Forest Plan

The Portland Urban Forest Plan is the City's guide for managing trees. It includes a vision, goals, and actions to shape decisions and care for Portland's urban forest. It is Portland's roadmap for preserving, expanding, and caring for the urban forest in an equitable and sustainable way.

The Plan outlines what we want the urban forest to be like in the future, and how we will manage it. It provides recommended management activities to improve tree health and access to trees and nature across the city. The Plan also includes an assessment of Portland's current urban forest and strategies to help us achieve and monitor plan goals.

The Plan does not provide specific changes to the Tree Code (Title 11). The community priorities, vision, and goals in the Plan will inform the 2026 Tree Code Update. 

The urban forest includes every tree in Portland. Trees lining our streets, trees in parks, and trees growing in yards are all part of the urban forest.

The Portland Urban Forest Plan sets management goals for all trees in Portland, including those on private property and City-owned land, like parks and planting strips.

Over 22 months, Portlanders had several opportunities to shape the Plan. Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) hosted an online survey, two large open houses, 10 focus groups, and over 30 discussions. PP&R heard from people from diverse backgrounds, people of different ages, income levels, and people who live and work in different parts of the city. Once the Plan was created, Portlanders had a 50-day public comment period to share their feedback on the Plan.

Three advisory committees also provided guidance throughout the project. These committees include, the Urban Forestry Commission, a community advisory committee, and a technical advisory committee, made up of staff from different City bureaus and external agencies.

No. The first Urban Forest Management Plan was completed in 1995. This new plan replaces the current plan and the Urban Forest Action Plan (2007). In 2015, Title 11, the City's Tree Code was adopted. The goal is to review and update the Urban Forest Plan every ten years.

The Plan is a guide for the whole City to implement. It supports City goals and policies, like those related to climate change, sustainability, livability, and equity. Title 11, the Tree Code and Title 33, the Planning and Zoning Code are two tools for implementing the Portland Urban Forest Plan. An update to Title 11 is following the completion of the Urban Forest Plan. The Plan's vision, goals, and community feedback from this process will inform future updates to Title 11, ensuring the code supports City goals.

The Portland Urban Forest Plan builds on but does not replace the City's Tree Planting Strategy (2018). It aligns with other City plans and practices, such as the Climate Investment Plan (2024) and Portland's Citywide Pedestrian Plan (2019). The Plan also expands on practices to create more space for trees described in the City's Pedestrian Design Guide (2022).

The City of Portland's General Fund, 2020 Parks Local Option Levy, Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF), and the Tree Planting and Preservation Fund are the primary sources of funding for many actions.

The Tree Planting and Preservation Fund was created in 2015 as part of the Tree Code and is the City's only dedicated source of funding for tree planting. Money in this fund can be used to plant trees on public and private property and establish them for up to five years.

Funding to support the initial implementation of a selection of actions has already been allocated as part of the PCEF Climate Investment Plan (2024). Additional funding is needed to sustain these actions long term and fully implement the Plan. This additional funding could come from increases in the City's General Fund or Parks Local Option Levy allocations for urban forest preservation, expansion, and care; coordinated investments between City bureaus and other local agencies; state or federal grants; new bonds or tax levies; public-private partnerships; or other sources.

Future funding will be decided by the City Council through the annual budget process or other methods. Changes in funding will affect the City's ability to carry out the Plan's action items.