Portland is about to get a lot leafier. Portland Parks & Recreation’s Urban Forestry team is rolling out a plan to put 8,500 free trees in the ground this season, with crews and partner groups handling the planting and follow-up care for up to three years at no cost to property owners. The focus is on heat-vulnerable neighborhoods that lag far behind the city’s greener west side when it comes to tree canopy.
According to KATU, the push is funded in part by the voter-approved Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund and is aimed at growing a healthier, more resilient city. KATU reports that in some cases, these trees can also count toward meeting the city’s tree-replanting permit requirements. City staff say the program will ramp up city-run plantings alongside work with community partners to help more young trees survive their first tough summers.
Which neighborhoods are eligible?
Urban Forestry is prioritizing neighborhoods with the thinnest canopy, including Argay, Centennial, Cully, East Columbia, Glenfair, Hayden Island, Hazelwood, Lents, Mill Park, Montavilla, Parkrose, Parkrose Heights, Powellhurst-Gilbert, Russell, Sumner, Sunderland and Wilkes. Per Portland Parks & Recreation, sign-ups are open year-round. Staff will confirm addresses, call in utility locates, visit properties to flag planting spots and then schedule plantings for the winter season.
Contractors working with Urban Forestry will handle planting, watering and pruning for the first three years and will replace any tree that dies during that period.
Partners and outreach
PP&R is teaming up with professional contractors and community organizations to reach more residents and keep new trees alive. Friends of Trees is one of the partners helping identify planting locations and organize volunteers. The group says a $1.8 million partnership with the city will support about 750 trees and include volunteer training and stewardship support. City officials say combining city crews with neighborhood groups is meant to extend the reach of the program while improving long-term care for saplings as summers get hotter.
Funding and the bigger plan
According to a Portland Parks & Recreation news release, the expansion is funded by the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund and is intended to more than double annual plantings, from roughly 3,500 to 10,000 trees a year by 2028. City leaders describe the investment as a way to cut urban heat risks and deliver direct climate benefits to neighborhoods with the fewest trees. Officials also say putting more plantings under city management and contracted crews is expected to boost survival rates for newly planted trees.
How to sign up
Residents who want a tree can fill out the city’s interest form and note how many trees they are hoping for. Urban Forestry will check eligibility, set up a site visit and offer species options. Renters can participate with property-owner permission, and addresses that are not eligible this year will go on a waitlist. Planting season typically runs from mid-November through the end of March, and residents can call 311 with questions.
“Everyone deserves the clean air, shade, and beauty trees bring,” City Forester Jenn Cairo told KATU. Program details and the sign-up form are available on Portland Parks & Recreation’s Urban Forestry webpages.
