Greetings!

This is from Dawn Smallman's post on our FB Group :

Please email and/or call City Commissioners before Thursday's 5pm tree code hearing and vote! I'm going to attend and testify in person - hope others will too. Come early to sign up to testify, and to be able to get a seat. Here's what I'm going to ask for in my testimony:

1. Urge City Council to vote to renew the "big tree amendment" and remove the "sunset" (expiration) date on the amendment. Turn the amendment into permanent tree code.

2. Urge City Council to immediately take a vote on removing the exemptions that currently exist in the tree code for industrial and commercial properties. Industrial and commercial properties should be held to the same tree codes and legal standards as other property types. I'm urging you to hold this vote - and to vote in favor of removing the exemptions for industrial and commercial properties that currently exist. This is an equity issue for the many of our neighbors in low income neighborhoods who live near industrial/commercial zones, and are on the front line of increasing urban heat zones and other effects of climate change.

3. Urge City Council to implement an immediate comprehensive review of the Title 11 tree code to start now and be finished by the end of 2020. Those reviewing and making recommendations on the code update should include not just the Bureau of Parks, and the Bureau of Development Services - but it should also include the Urban Forestry Commission, and the Bureau of Environmental Services' input and recommendations.

4. Figure out how to properly fund our Urban Forestry program. Revising the tree code will be meaningless if City Council doesn't properly fund Urban Forestry. The City's Urban Forester said "Urban Forestry is insufficiently staffed to fully implement and enforce the city’s tree regulations. For example, each year about 2,000 trees required to be planted as conditions of permits (such as a permit for removing a street tree) are not; UF has no code compliance program funding." In the past, Parks could not (or wasn't willing to) fully fund Urban Forestry. Its time to consider moving Urban Forestry to a Bureau that is securely funded by taxpayers - by moving it into the Bureau of Environmental Services' portfolio. Our urban canopy manages and retains stormwater, keeps our rivers cleaner by reducing runoff and protects public health by cleaning our water, sequestering carbon and providing oxygen. Trees accomplish 3 of the 4 points stated as the mission of BES. The Bureau of Development Services has repeatedly failed - for years - to properly attend to, prioritize and manage our tree codes. Parks only has UF in their portfolio because many years ago, our Parks Dept. grew all of our city's street trees - that program ended decades ago. The Bureau of Environmental Services should be professionals managing and funding our trees - it time to move Urban Forestry and Title 11 tree code management into their well-funded portfolio and into their environmentally-minded hands.

Written testimony on agenda items may be sent to the Council Clerk at  cctestimony@portlandoregon.gov


And, in case you want to write individual councilmembers, here's how to reach them:

amanda@portlandoregon.gov
503-823-3008
mayorwheeler@portlandoregon.gov
503-823-4120
nick@portlandoregon.gov
503-823-3589
joann@portlandoregon.gov
503-823-4151
chloe@portlandoregon.gov
503-823-4682

Have a great day. I'm looking forward to a time when trees are truly protected and we can simply rest in their presence.

Albert Kaufman