Please use the Contact Us page to submit questions to the committee.
Q: How did the Joint-CPO Tree Group get started?
A: We are a group of concerned citizens living in unincorporated Washington County who are alarmed at the rate of loss of trees in our communities. We formed into the Joint-CPO Tree Group in December 2007 in response to an announcement in the CPO newsletters looking for those interested in discussing the status of trees in Washington County. After some initial research into existing code, we decided to work within the CPO format to address this gap in County governance. We have been meeting at least monthly since then with subgroups meeting more frequently.
More information on CPOs (Citizen Participation Organization) can be found here.
Q: What are current policies involving trees in Washington County?
A: There is no coordinated tree or urban forest management policy in Washington County. There are few instances in Washington County code addressing trees.[1] Clean Water Services require a “Vegetative Buffer” near streams and the County requires developers to complete a tree inventory before development is approved (developers may do what they wish with these trees however). Adopting a tree policy and code would bring Washington County into alignment with neighboring jurisdictions and accepted best practices. There are also requirements for certain types of development to install street trees.
Q: Why should I care?
A: You should care because trees are community assets — they play an essential role in Washington County’s livability as well as assist in storm water management and soil erosion control, reduce air pollution, provide shade and windbreaks which reduce your energy bill, and provide critical habitat for wildlife. Mature trees also increase property values for that house and the immediately surrounding houses.
A 2008 US Forest Service report estimates that Portland street trees are worth $45 million annually versus the $4.6 million in maintenance costs[2]– so we are not talking about small change here!
Lastly, local governments will likely be asked to address climate change issues in the future. Having a tree policy in place can be an effective means of addressing possible future requirements.
Q: What are you proposing?
A: We are proposing that Washington County adopt a comprehensive urban forest management policy with the supporting tree ordinances for the unincorporated areas within the Urban Growth Boundary (UGB). Areas addressed in our proposal include preservation, protection, mitigation, permitting, enforcement, and education/stewardship.
Q: How did you develop your proposal?
Our proposal is based on our research into ‘best in class’ urban forestry management practices. We reviewed research on urban forestry management, tree care, and how to develop comprehensive tree protection policy. We compared nine tree ordinances and policy documents from cities in the Portland Metropolitan area as well as county-level ordinances from other states. We interviewed a number of experts and advocacy groups in the our local area — Washington County staff, Clackamas County Urban Green, the Portland Urban Forestry Commission, and non-profits focused on sustainability. We invited local developers to one of our meetings to learn about their concerns. We also attended the 2008 Oregon Urban Forestry Conference “Urban Forests: A Tool for Sustainable Communities.”
Q: What areas in Washington County will your proposal cover? Will it replace the existing tree codes in my city?
A: Our proposal covers the unincorporated areas within the UGB. It does not address the rural areas outside the UGB — they fall under the State forestry regulations “Oregon Forest Practices Act”. We are not addressing the existing tree codes of the incorporated areas (cities) within Washington County, although we see opportunities for gaps to be closed.
Q: What are other communities doing?
A: We’re hearing more and more examples in the press of communities across the country taking action to aggressively protect and rebuild their tree canopies. These communities are realizing the significant role that trees play in the urban infrastructure in the areas of pollution control, storm water management, reducing heat islands, erosion control as well as improving an overall sense livability.
One of the best urban forestry management plans we have seen on the West Coast is in the Sacramento regional area – the Sacramento Tree Foundation will be rolling out a comprehensive tree policy and code to 22 cities and 4 counties and will be planting 5 million trees by 2025.
A recent Oregonian article outlines efforts to increase the tree canopy in the Portland Metropolitan area. The City of Portland has kicked off their “Gray to Green” program where 83,000 trees will be planted – 50,000 of them street trees. City of Beaverton, Lake Oswego, and Tigard have in place tree codes and several are looking to strengthen them. The City of Gresham will be hiring their first urban forester and will be re-writing their tree code. Clackamas County is currently considering a tree code through the efforts of the advocacy groupClackamas County Urban Green.
Q: What are the characteristics of ‘best in class’ tree codes?
A: “Best in class” tree policies and supporting codes have a number of features in common. These include:
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measurable targets in place;
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a commitment to preserving the existing, mature trees and maintaining a healthy, diverse urban forest;
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enforcement provisions and strong penalties for violation; and
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programs which promote education and stewardship of trees.
Q: What is the target tree canopy? Where are we now?
A: Our recommendation to the County is to regain a 40 percent tree canopy coverage as recommended by American Forests for suburban areas in the Pacific Northwest. Our current canopy is 31 percent based on the 2007 Metro Study for Washington County.
We are concerned that without protections for trees in place, our canopy will continue to decline if the growth projections of 500,000 people moving to our County within 30 years come true.
Q: What have you done so far?
A: We have spent several months researching best in class tree policies and codes of more than nine cities and counties as well as met with experts in the area. So far, we have met with the:
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Principal Planner for Washington County Department of Land Use and Transportation to learn about existing tree protections in place.
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Advocacy group Clackamas County Urban Green to learn about their efforts in getting a tree code in place for Clackamas County.
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Co-Chair of the City of Portland Urban Forest Commission to learn about the elements of an effective tree code.
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The team sent a representative to the 2008 Oregon Urban Forestry Conference “Urban Forests: A Tool for Sustainable Communities” to make sure we heard the latest thinking in urban forestry management.
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We invited nine developers as well as the Home Builders Association to one of our meetings so that we could get developer community input on the ways that tree preservation and enforcement can work for developers. One developer attended our meeting and shared his perspective.
We developed a set of recommendations for a tree policy and code based on best in class practices as a result of our research. You can find our report at here. This report was initially presented to the Board of Commissioners in February 2009 and we presnted in person again in September 2009, also requesting inclusion on the 2010 DLUT work program.
Q: How do I get involved?
A: Express your support for our proposals to be one of the top priority (Tier 1) items for the County’s 2010 Work Program.
We are also looking for CPO member representatives to help the CPOs stay informed of our work.
Q: I’m upset about the loss of trees in my neighborhood due to development. What can I do?
A: Talk to your friends and neighbors about trees and your concern for the loss of trees in your neighborhoods and community. Bring this up for discussion at your CPO meetings. Encourage your CPO to support our initiatives.
Go to Neighborhood Review Meetings (where developers present their development proposals to the neighbors) and express your feelings about the loss of trees and sense of place to the developers and your neighbors. Ask the developers what is being done to reduce the number of trees removed and what quantity an types (native?) of trees are being replaced. The developers are required to take minutes of your comments and these become part of the public record. Write letters of comment for development applications during the public review process. Encourage your neighbors to send letters as well.
Get the word out that trees are important to this community.
Q: What are your next steps?
A: We expect to refine our recommendations and present to the County Board of Commissioners at a Work Session this November or December, and have requested that our proposal is included in the 2010 work plan.
[1] Relevant Washington County codes relating to trees: Section 430-72.3 provides for a buffer and is used for privacy considerations where an additional set-back may be allowed. Section 407-3 addresses exemptions and submission requirements for applications to remove trees.
[2] “The Value of Street Trees in Portland, Oregon” USDA Forest Service PNW Research Station, March 2008.
