Talking Points
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- Express appreciation for the extensive analysis, reception to community concerns, and initial steps staff has taken to remedy some of the major flaws of the Tree Code (Title 11) in the proposed code amendments.
- Support the proposal to reduce tree size threshold for required tree preservation as it will mean many more trees will receive greater protections and will lead to many more large trees to be retained in our communities
- Urge the Commissioners to eliminate exemptions for ALL commercial and industrial zones INCLUDING HEAVY INDUSTRIAL (IH). Every zone type in the City should play a role in protecting and growing our urban tree canopy – especially in light of our climate crisis. It is a false narrative to pit trees against industrial land availability and jobs, and if industrial land owners cannot retain trees onsite they should be required to mitigate offsite to ensure that neighboring communities (many of them diverse and/or low income) are less impacted.
- Protecting trees on industrial lands is essential to achieve the City’s commitment to build climate resilient equitable communities. Eliminating all commercial and industrial zone exemptions for Title 11 will help the City move closer to its tree canopy goals and aid in ensuring that it is more equitably distributed.
Thank you for advocating for Portland’s tree canopy and the environmental and community benefits it provides.
