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Tree Bark
News from Urban Forestry — All Trees, No Pulp • April 15, 2025
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I’ve found a place beside a friendly tree,
Where I’ll hide my face when the world hurts me,
For the tree will never hurt; I shall love it to the end;
It shall have a dear, dear name:
“My true and silent friend.”
- The Friendly Tree by Annette Wynne
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Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) and the City of Portland’s Proposed Budget
 As you may have heard, the City of Portland is facing a $93 million general fund budget gap this year. Individual City Bureaus are also facing additional budget shortfalls. For Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R), this would result in a budget reduction of at least $23 million for Fiscal Year 2025-26 (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026).
To close the gap, City Leadership must make difficult choices to streamline services and ensure the most efficient use of resources.
If you’d like to provide feedback to City Council on the proposed budget, here are a few ways to share your opinions:
- Provide written testimony or comment on the budget: https://www.portland.gov/budget/comment-and-testimony
- Contact City Council representatives directly: https://www.portland.gov/council
For more information, see: Join Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget Planning | Portland.gov
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Apply Today to Be a Neighborhood Tree Steward!
 Did you know that Urban Forestry manages nearly 4 million trees across the city? That includes 252,180 street trees, 1.2 million park trees, and nearly 3 million private property trees. To grow and protect our urban forest, we can’t do this work alone. That’s why we have our Neighborhood Tree Stewards program, to teach passionate community members how to care for and protect the city’s trees in their communities.
Participants will gain skills in tree identification and pruning. They will also learn about the emerald ash borer, the Street Tree Inventory Project, and Urban Forestry’s tree planting programs, all the while touring various parks and trees around the city.
Learn, explore, and build community with us, in this year’s program. The application deadline has been extended to April 28. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to learn how to support our urban forest. Learn more and apply to Neighborhood Tree Stewards.
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Pruning Moratorium for Elm Trees
To protect our elm trees from Dutch elm disease (DED), pruning of any elm is prohibited from April 15 to October 15 in Portland. DED is a destructive plant pathogen caused by a parasitic fungus that affects elm trees.
Initially discovered in the U.S. in 1930, DED spread through bark beetles and decimated elm tree populations across the country. It's estimated that between 1930 and 1980, 50 to 100 million American elm trees died. Currently, Portland has over 5,000 elm trees, the largest population of mature American elms remaining in the country.
Help us protect these great trees by refraining from pruning from spring until fall. Learn more about the disease, treatment, and Urban Forestry’s Elm Management Strategy.
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Become a Heritage Tree Program Volunteer
 Join us in making a difference, by volunteering with the Heritage Tree Program. Whether you're passionate about amazing trees or just looking to give back to the community, your time and effort will make an impact.
Why Volunteer?
- Spend time outdoors with Portland’s most impressive trees
- Learn how to measure and assess trees
- Review and recommend trees for Heritage status
- Preserve Portland’s natural beauty and cultural heritage
- Gain valuable knowledge about Portland’s rich tree history and ecological diversity
To become a Heritage Tree Volunteer, fill out a Heritage Tree Volunteer application form and attend the annual orientation session on May 17.
Contact Parks.HeritageTree@PortlandOregon.Gov with any questions.
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Event Highlight: Tree Summit 2025
 On Saturday, April 5, over a hundred community members gathered at St. Johns Community Center for Tree Summit 2025. The theme for this year's event was "Tree Stories."
Urban Forestry staff shared findings from the Street Tree Inventory Project, including updates on the health, species diversity, and distribution of Portland’s street trees. They also demonstrated a new interactive street tree map and tree data dashboard.
Dave Hedberg (Outdoor History Consulting), Ryan Gilpin (Nidus Consulting) and Thomas Meinzen (Vanport Placemaking Project) discussed the history of Vanport and presented their fascinating research on locating possible surviving trees of the 1948 Memorial Day flood that destroyed the city.
Author Amy Stewart shared some touching stories of tree enthusiasts from her book, "The Tree Collectors." There was even a raffle to win a signed copy!
Finally, community groups like Friends of Trees, Verde NW, The Blueprint Foundation, Portland Fruit Tree Project, and the Multnomah County Library tabled at the event, providing attendees with a chance to learn about their work in growing and caring for the urban forest.
Follow these links to learn more about the different presentations:
We are so grateful to all who attended and hope to see you back again next year!
Check out photos from the event.
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Upcoming Events
 City of Portland Earth Day
April 19, 12 - 3pm
Laurelhurst Park (SE Cesar E Chavez Blvd & Stark St, Portland, OR 97214)
Celebrate Earth Day - "Together as One" with the City of Portland. This celebration is a fun, family-friendly afternoon dedicated to sustainability, community, and connection.
This year’s theme, “Together as One,” invites Portlanders of all ages to come together to celebrate of our shared commitment to a greener, healthier future. Plus, it’s completely free to join in on the day of fun. There will be a community bike ride, food, music, and various kid-friendly activities. You can find Urban Forestry tabling at the event, too. Learn more about Earth Day with the City.
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Other News
Urban Forestry is Hiring a Street Tree Care Supervisor
Urban Forestry is looking for a dedicated and experienced Street Tree Care Supervisor (Supervisor II) to lead the development and management of Portland’s first-ever citywide street tree care initiative. This role will focus on creating and implementing the processes, policies, and procedures required to maintain 252,180 City-owned street trees. This position is funded by the new Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) program “Tree Protection and Care," of which the primary objective is to conduct a pilot program for street tree maintenance. Salary: $107,126 - $151,881 annually. Applications close April 21. Apply to the Supervisor position.
Urban Forestry is Hiring an Education Coordinator
This position will play an important role in educating Portland residents about trees, the urban forest, and Urban Forestry services. The Education Coordinator (Coordinator III) is responsible for leading the development and implementation of community education plans that inform the public about City requirements and the roles of community members and property owners in managing urban forest infrastructure. The Coordinator will supervise one associated position and oversee contracted services to ensure effective education outreach. This position is funded by the new Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) program “Tree Protection and Care,” of which the primary objective is to conduct a pilot program for street tree maintenance. Salary: $97,510 - $126,692 annually. Applications close April 21. Apply to the Coordinator position.
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