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The Newsletter of the Urban & Community Forestry Assistance Program - April 2024

UPDATES FROM ODF UCF

Oregon Department of Forestry adds capacity to its
Urban Forestry Program with New Hires

SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is poised to provide increased service on tree-related matters to Oregon’s urban residents thanks to five new hires. Using funding from the Oregon State Legislature, and the USDA Forest Service through the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), ODF has been able to hire a grants administrator and four new community assistance foresters – up from just one for the whole state.

Scott Altenhoff, Manager of ODF’s Urban and Community Forestry program, said he’s looking forward to how much more the added staff will allow the agency to do.

“With 241 cities and towns in Oregon spread over 90,000 square miles and only one urban forester, we were limited in how much support we could provide to any one community,” said Altenhoff. “With more staff, I’m excited we can engage with more communities to help them plan and manage their urban trees in accordance with best practices and the latest scientific research.”

Until now, Brittany Oxford had been the agency’s lone Community Assistance Forester. She has been joined since March 18 by Evan Elderbrock, Lilah Gonen, Alison Herrell and Jennifer Killian. Read the news release.

More Housing, More Trees: Giving Oregonians Both

The Oregon Urban & Community Forestry Conference will be held Thursday, June 27th in Eugene.
Hosted by Oregon Community Trees, this annual conference is supported by the
Oregon Department of Forestry and USDA Forest Service.

Updates to Urban & Community Forestry Grants

Inflation Reduction Act Grant Update
 The projected timeline for request for proposals for all eligible community partners has shifted to late spring. Have questions about IRA grants? Join our office hours now being held every Monday from 3:00-4:00pm.

Office Hours We are creating a virtual space for community members to meet with ODF’s Urban & Community Forestry staff. Virtual office hours are held every MONDAY from 3:00-4:00pm (PST) on Zoom.  ZOOM MEETING LINK Meeting ID: 916 3926 3800 Please note office hours will not be held on state government holidays.

DLCD is Seeking Members for an Advisory Committee on Community Green Infrastructure Investment

Applications will be accepted through Sunday, April 28, 2024.

In 2023, the Oregon Legislature created the Community Green Infrastructure Grant Program and put $6.5 million into a fund administered by the Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD). Green infrastructure is infrastructure that includes or mimics natural systems, such as urban green space, parks, rain gardens, bioswales and trees. It provides a wide array of social, environmental, and economic benefits.

The program will award grants in four categories:

• Planning and developing community Green Infrastructure Projects
• Planning and developing Community Green Infrastructure Economic Development Projects, which are Green Infrastructure Projects that employ members of a community that benefits from the project
• Developing or supporting native seed banks or native plant nurseries
• Supporting and implementing green infrastructure master plans

DLCD is seeking members for an Advisory Committee on Community Green Infrastructure Investment to advise on the implementation of the Community Green Infrastructure Grant program and make biennial reports to the legislature on the program.

Committee Meetings

The committee will meet virtually starting in May 2024. Meetings will generally last between one and two hours. The committee will meet more frequently during the spring, likely bi-weekly. Meetings will become less frequent as the program is implemented, moving to monthly and then quarterly by fall of 2024.

Spread the Word

If you’re not interested in being on the committee yourself, please help us by forwarding this announcement to anyone who might be interested. Questions about the program or advisory committee? Please visit the program website or contact Laura Buhl at laura.buhl@dlcd.oregon.gov.

Stay informed! Sign up for email notifications on this topic.

Emerald Ash Borer Information Oregon Department of Forestry has put together a newsletter specifically for updates and best management practices around the response to the presence of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and other forest threats. For more information about EAB in Oregon visit EAB Oregon Website and email Jim Gersbach to subscribe to future EAB email updates.

Oregon Community Trees seeks Poster Presentations on Trees and Housing Case Studies

EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon Community Trees (OCT) is inviting students and organizations to submit abstracts on case studies or research to present as a poster presentation at this year’s Oregon Urban Forestry conference. The conference is being held on Thursday, June 27 in Eugene at Venue 252. This year’s theme is “More Housing, More Trees: Giving Oregonians Both.”

OCT is organizing the conference, which is co-sponsored by the Oregon Dept. of Forestry and the USDA Forest Service. Presentations can be about successes in preserving large, healthy shade trees or room to plant them on residential or commercial properties that were developed or redeveloped with an increased density level. Also sought are presentations about methods of tree preservation during construction, ideas for redesigning streets and right-of-way planting strips to make room for larger trees, and similar concepts.

Posters are limited to 30” x 40”. All selected posters will be displayed at the conference. To be considered for selection you must be able to attend the conference and be on hand to answer questions from people visiting the poster display area during breaks, the lunch hour, and the social hour following the conference. Discount tickets for students are available for $80 (includes lunch). Some scholarships are available for those who can submit a statement of financial need.

Submissions should be sent via 2024 UCF Conference Poster Application Form no later than Friday, May 17^th by 5:00p.m.

Please reach out to Samantha Wolf at sammwolf@gmail.com for any questions or concerns. Posters can be set up the day before the conference on Wednesday, June 26 from noon to 4:30 p.m. All poster presenters are expected to register for the conference. Poster presenters can go online at oregoncommunitytrees.org to register and get information about the Conference and the Poster Presentations.

You must be registered by the early registration deadline of May 25, 2024.

Two Portland Residents receive Oregon’s top Urban Forestry Honors along with City of Wilsonville

PORTLAND, Ore. – The non-profit organization Oregon Community Trees (OCT) is honoring Portland residents Ryan Gilpin and Bruce Nelson and the City of Wilsonville for their work on behalf of urban trees. Gilpin and Nelson are receiving awards for their individual contributions to urban forestry, and Wilsonville is getting the award in the Organizations category.

“Every year Oregon Community Trees recognizes individuals and organizations that are doing outstanding work to help our urban forests,” said OCT President Tyler Roth. “This year’s recipients’ are especially deserving for the depth and breadth of their commitment to educating people about urban trees and promoting policies and actions to keep those trees healthy and well cared for.” Read the news release.

ARBOR MONTH IN OREGON

Gov. Kotek proclaims April to be Oregon Arbor Month SALEM, Ore. – Governor Tina Kotek has proclaimed that April 2024 will be Oregon Arbor Month throughout the state. This year’s proclamation recognizes the importance to neighborhoods of urban trees as cities add housing and rapidly densify.   The proclamation states that “Trees play an integral role in fostering healthy communities,” adding that urban development and the preservation of trees demands a careful balance.

Governor Kotek said, “To protect Oregon’s natural and working lands in the face of the worsening climate crisis, we must build a more resilient future that forges connection across our landscapes, for both rural and urban communities alike. Arbor Month is key to this goal, promoting the preservation and planting of trees across Oregon.”

Her proclamation notes the loss of trees in Oregon to wildfire, extreme heat and drought, development pressures and new pests, such as emerald ash borer.

Oregon Dept. of Forestry Urban and Community Forestry Program Manager Scott Altenhoff said, “Replacing those trees will require us to pick up the pace not only of planting but also ensuring nurseries have the capacity to grow the numbers of trees needed and the types of trees that are resilient to climate and resistant to serious pests and diseases. Equally important is growing and diversifying the workforce in urban forestry.” Read the full article.

Arbor Day Foundation Updates

Important News from the ADF
regarding 2024 Applications

In the calendar year 2024, an Arbor Day observance and proclamation (Standard 4) is required to earn or maintain recognition status in the Tree City USA Program. Tree Campuses-Higher Education are required to hold an observance, and Tree Line USAs are required to sponsor or participate in observances. Proclamations are required to be signed and dated for approval. Local proclamations and celebrations can occur anytime during 2024, but Oregon Arbor Month is a great time to consider holding a tree-related event!

It is official! We are thrilled to announce that 69 Oregon communities have achieved 2023 Tree City USA recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation (see table). Does your city participate?

Cheers to the 17 Tree City USA communities that achieved a Tree City USA Growth Award! These cities accomplished tree care and community engagement activities that help build sustainable urban & community forestry programs. We applaud the cities of Beaverton, Central Point, Corvallis, Cottage Grove, Eugene, Grants Pass, Hillsboro, La Grande, Lake Oswego, Medford, Milwaukie, Oregon City, Pendleton, Portland, Redmond, Silverton, and Talent.

Cities that achieve at least 10 Growth Awards over the years gain Sterling Tree City USA status. Cheers to Oregon’s 12 Sterling Tree Cities: Beaverton, Corvallis, Echo, Eugene, Grants Pass, La Grande, Lebanon, Medford, Portland, Salem, Tualatin, and Wilsonville.

Six Oregon colleges and universities achieved Tree Campus Higher Education status in 2022. A round of applause to Central Oregon Community College, Eastern Oregon University, Oregon State University, Portland Community College, Southern Oregon University, and Western Oregon University for being Oregon’s 2022 Higher Education Tree Campuses! Does your college or university campus participate?

We send a special congratulations to PacifiCorp – aka Pacific Power – for reaching their 22nd year of participation in the Tree Line USA Program! Does your utility participate?

To all the staff and volunteers of Oregon’s Tree City USAs, Tree Campuses, and Tree Line USAs - We applaud all the work you do to support healthy Oregon urban and community forests. 

Tangent becomes Oregon’s newest Tree City USA

TANGENT, Ore. – Just in time for Oregon Arbor Month, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is announcing that the city of Tangent in Linn County has earned the Tree City USA designation. ODF administers the program for the national Arbor Day Foundation, based in Nebraska.

Tangent joins 68 other communities in Oregon that hold the Tree City USA designation.

Brittany Oxford, ODF Urban and Community Assistance Forester, says to earn the designation, a city or town must meet four criteria:

• Maintain a tree board or department
• Have a community tree ordinance
• Spend at least $2 per capita on urban forestry
• Celebrate Arbor Day each year

In 2023, during Tangent's 50-year celebration, the Park Commission was renamed the Park & Tree Board to promote the city's efforts to maintain parks and trees. The city council unanimously approved new tree care ordinances, and the Mayor signed a proclamation recognizing Arbor Day during a celebration with food trucks and community members gathering to celebrate.

For 2024, the City of Tangent again plans to recognize Arbor Day. City staff are looking forward to using TreePlotter Inventory software to catalog all public trees and invite the public to come out and volunteer to help. Along with plotting trees, the city is looking at planting new trees along two parks this year and encouraging residents to be aware of the importance of tree maintenance and reporting tree health concerns.

The Tree City USA program dates to 1976, when the first group of 42 cities in 16 states were named. Today, over 3,600 communities across the country and located in every state and Puerto Rico hold the distinction.

Oregon Department of Forestry names Pendleton as Oregon Tree City of the Year

PENDLETON, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) has named Pendleton as Oregon’s Tree City of the Year. It’s an unusual honor given that the town in northeast Oregon is surrounded by rolling grasslands and was largely treeless except along the Umatilla River when Pendleton was laid out in 1868. Early city residents wasted no time planting trees to buffer the winds and offer shade from the area’s hot summers.

That tree-planting tradition has continued to this day. In partnership with the Umatilla National Forest and the volunteer-led Tree Commission, the city annually distributes free trees to residents during an Arbor Day celebration, giving away 250 last year and nearly 700 over the past 4 years.

A city of more than 16,000 people, Pendleton has maintained its status as a Tree City USA for the past seven years and in 2023 received a national Arbor Day Foundation Growth Award.

ODF Community Assistance Forester Brittany Oxford said Pendleton earned Tree City of the Year honors not only for planting trees but for their active response to drought, invasive species, plantings to offset the gradual decline of the oldest trees in city parks, and commitment to address herbicide damage to trees.

“The Tree Commission and city staff work on tree-related projects with many partners, from OSU Extension to the Forest Service and the Girl Scouts,” said Oxford. “That track record of being a good collaborator helped them win a federal grant of $2 million for their urban forestry program.”

Parks director Liam Hughes said the City will use the funds in three key areas:

• Tree Planting and Maintenance
• Workforce Development
• Planning and Community Outreach

“We want to increase access to nature and green spaces by maintaining and expanding tree canopy coverage citywide” said Kaci Radcliffe, chair of the Tree Commission. “The grant money will also help us facilitate long-term planning, youth and early career experiences, and foster community outreach.”

HERITAGE TREE HERO AWARDS

2024 Oregon Heritage Tree Award Winners Announced

The Travel Information Council and its volunteer Oregon Heritage Tree Committee are pleased to announce the 2024 Oregon Heritage Tree Award winners.

“The award recipients have done an exceptional job engaging communities about the importance of trees and raising awareness about Oregon’s history told through trees and forests,” said Oregon Heritage Tree Committee Chair Craig Leech. “The recipients range from volunteers to professionals who use their time and talents to better our communities.”

Maynard Drawson Memorial Award

The Maynard Drawson Memorial Award was created to honor a native of Oregon and a veteran of World War II who was best known as a tree advocate. Drawson led a campaign in the 1970s to preserve the Valley of the Giants, and in 1995 helped launch the Oregon Heritage Tree Program, the first state-sponsored heritage tree program in the country. This award recognizes exceptional, meritorious, and extraordinary work promoting the appreciation of trees over an extended period.

2024 WINNER

Phyllis Reynolds of Portland for being a founding member of the Portland Heritage Tree Program, a published author, including two editions of Trees of Greater Portland and Hoyt Arboretum, It’s Story, a long-time urban Forestry Commissioner for the City of Portland, and close friend of Hoyt Arboretum. Phyllis has inspired generations of tree advocates through her books and volunteerism.

Heritage Tree Heroes of the Year Award

The Heritage Tree Heros of the Year Award recognizes individuals and groups who are engaging communities through education about the importance of trees and raising awareness about Oregon’s history told through trees and forests.

2024 WINNERS

Giana Bernardini of Philomath for being the driving force behind the creation of the City of Philomath’s Heritage Tree Program.

Nancy Broshot of Oregon City for leading the revision of municipal code to remove the arborist report requirement for Heritage Tree status and making the program more accessible to community members.

Mike Oxendine of Talent for his tireless commitment to assisting heritage tree projects including Hiroshima Peace Tree plantings and assessing heritage tree health.

Award winners will be honored at local events in April during Arbor Month. The Oregon Heritage Tree Program is the first state-sponsored heritage tree program in the country. It was established in 1995 to increase public awareness of the important contribution of trees to Oregon’s history and the significant role they play in the quality of our daily life. The program is administered by the Oregon Travel Information Council and a committee of dedicated volunteers from across the state. For more information regarding the Heritage Tree program visit oregontic.com/oregon-heritage-trees.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Urban & Community Forestry Events

• Trees for Small Spaces - April 20 Independence
• Tree Walk at Concordia Learning Landscape Arboretum - April 21 in Portland from 10-11:30am
• Ten Proven Ideas for a Bird-Friendly Garden - April 24 Online
• Native Plants & Pollinators: What Does the Latest Science Reveal? - May 1 Online
• Friends of Buford Park Native Plant Nursery Tour - May 4 in Eugene
• Soil pH Testing - May 4 in Eugene
• Wildflower Walk in the Woods & Potluck - May 7 in Oakland
• Backyard Cherry Tree Workshop - May 10 in Pendleton
• PNW ISA: ISA Certified Arborist, Utility Specialist, Municipal Specialist Written - May 11 in Medford
• Wildlife Field Day: Forestry for the Birds - May 11 in Oregon City
• Native and Non-Native Insect Pests of Forest Trees: Diagnosis and Management - May 13 Online
• Arbor Chat: Collaborating with Community - May 16 Online
• Military Veteran Farmer Coffee + Chat (Fig & Fruit Tree Propagation) - May 17 in Dallas
• Bigleaf Maple Field Day: Processing, Products, and Possibilities - May 18 in Oregon City
• Conifers of the PNW: Characteristics and Natural History - May 18 in Portland
• PNW-ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification in Person Renewal Workshop - June 7 in Eugene
• Portland Oregon Tree Climbing Competition (Female Climber) - June 8 in Portland
• 2024 Oregon Urban & Community Forestry Conference - June 27 in Eugene

ONLINE RESOURCES

Quick Links

Contact us at UCF.program@odf.oregon.gov

ODF UCF Program • OR TPI Resources • Oregon Community Trees

Oregon Heritage Trees • PNW ISA • Arbor Day Foundation

About the Community Tree Connections Newsletter

Community Tree Connections (CTC) is a periodic publication by the Oregon Department of Forestry, Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Program. Our mission is to help Oregonians improve their quality of life by promoting community investment in our urban forests. CTC is published in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service. The USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Subscriptions to Community Tree Connections are free. Sign up to receive the newsletter.

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