Portland city administrators on Tuesday signed off on a settlement that clears the way for Portland General Electric to move ahead with a hotly disputed transmission upgrade through Forest Park, a move critics are blasting as a “backroom deal.” The agreement lets PGE remove roughly five acres of trees and install a second high-voltage line in a narrow slice of the 5,200-acre park. Opponents argue the tradeoffs, including millions for mitigation and an outside consultant, do not come close to compensating for the loss of mature forest in one of the country’s largest urban parks.
As reported by OregonLive, the settlement requires PGE to provide $5.5 million for environmental mitigation and another $250,000 for an independent consultant who will advise the city on future utility work. In return, the utility agreed to withdraw its land-use appeal and said it plans to file a revised land-use application this week. Opponents had pushed for a larger package, asking PGE to contribute $7.5 million toward nearby habitat projects, the reporting notes.
Per PGE, the Harborton Reliability Project would rewire and add a second transmission line inside an existing right of way, work the company says is needed to prevent outages and keep up with growing demand. Planning materials show the current phase would remove about five acres inside Forest Park and selectively take out 376 trees along the corridor, paired with a mitigation plan that includes replanting oaks and other native trees. PGE says the work would stay within its existing easement and describes the clearing as targeted rather than a wholesale clearcut.
Who Signed — And Who Did Not
The settlement is between the City of Portland and PGE, but several prominent conservation groups refused to sign on. The Forest Park Conservancy flagged the deal as “breaking” news on its site and voiced alarm, while the Bird Alliance of Oregon and the Forest Park Neighborhood Association have been among the loudest critics of any construction inside the park. Those groups previously convinced City Council to overturn a hearings-officer approval last year and say they will continue to push for alternatives that avoid new impacts inside Forest Park.
Critics Call It A Backroom Deal
Opponents say the settlement came together with too little public visibility and ultimately leaves the park in worse shape. OregonLive reports that some advocacy groups rejected the agreement because it falls short of the $7.5 million in habitat funding they sought and because they were not at the bargaining table. Local critics also argue that giving the utility a route back into the park sets a precedent that could make future incursions easier.
What Happens Next
PGE says it will resubmit a revised land-use application and work through the city’s review process while following the mitigation and restoration commitments outlined on its project page. Company materials show the work would be staged over multiple seasons, and PGE has included a suite of monitoring and planting actions as part of its mitigation plan. For more on project details and schedules, see PGE.
Legal Implications
Opponents still have legal avenues. City Council decisions and land-use reviews can be appealed to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals, and the land-use record and conditions set by the hearings officer remain central to any challenge. The City of Portland’s findings and appeal record for LU 24-041109 spell out the procedural path and the standards any future application will have to meet; those documents are part of the public record. If opponents seek LUBA review again, the court could either send the matter back to the city or uphold the council’s action.
Forest Park’s size, roughly 5,200 acres, and the narrow but symbolic footprint of the Harborton work mean the fight is likely to continue in public meetings, court filings, and media coverage. For now, the settlement gives PGE a way back into the park, while opponents warn it chips away at long-standing protections for Portland’s largest urban forest.
