Urban Forestry Commission discusses Portland Tree Policy
July 18, 2012
You may have seen a recent story and editorial in The Oregonian about the removal of trees by a downtown developer. Members of the Urban Forestry Commission and the Parks team were concerned that the reporting didn't tell the entire story.
Chair Joe Poracsky and Vice-Chair Meryl Redisch of Urban Forestry Commission, furnished the following response to The Oregonian.
As the current, and incoming, Chair of Portland’s Urban Forestry Commission, we feel that the Oregonian's Editorial Board failed to see the forest for the trees in the recent editorial "Portland's Tree Policy is a Nuisance to Property Owners.”
To be clear, the City did not require developer Greg Goodman to remove any of the public’s street trees and pay a mitigation fee. As part of his development project Mr. Goodman made a business decision to remove healthy, large trees because they would not "match" those being planted on the other side of his building. Mr. Goodman clearly understood his decision would require a mitigation fee...