Often, when homes in Concordia are demolished – to be replaced with new, larger homes – any existing mature trees on the site are also removed.

This practice can remove habitat for birds and animals, as well as remove the shading, cooling and air quality services trees provide to help mitigate the urban heat island effect.

But doesn’t Portland have an adopted city tree code that implements the Portland Urban Forest Plan and protects the beloved trees of our neighborhood?

According to research provided by neighbor Jordana Leeb, yes. And no.

Unfortunately, the current tree code exempts sites of under 5,000 square feet in size from tree preservation requirements when undergoing development.

What this means effectively is almost none of Concordia west of 33rd Avenue is subject to the Portland Tree Code:

• Parcels south of Killingsworth Street tend to have an average lot size of 4,000-5,000.
• Parcels north of Killingsworth sit on historically platted lots that are only 2,500 square feet.
• Even east of 33rd many parcels are – or can be – subdivided into lots of 5,000 square feet or less.

For sites over 5,000 square feet, onethird of all on-site trees over 12 inches in diameter are to be preserved, but applicants can choose to pay fees in lieu of preservation for any trees they wish to remove below this threshold.

The fee is only due, however, if the site isn’t eligible for an exemption from the tree code because a tree is:

• Dead, dying or could be declared dangerous by an arborist
• “Nuisance species”
• Exempted by a land use review
• Tree removals already approved through a land division or planned development
• Other reasons

Indeed, Portland’s tree code seems to be doing its part to help perpetuate Portland’s nickname: Stumptown.

Data from 2018 to 2020 citywide reports over 33 trees were chopped down that were at least a foot in diameter of the trunk at the breast height of the average person. Additional were uncounted trees with smaller diameter trunks.

The Portland Urban Forest Management Plan lacks any sort of quantitative goals to achieve in terms of tree canopy coverage, urban heat island mitigation or even tree planting.

Plans without goals are easier to achieve, which perhaps explains why this plan, policy and code do very little to actually preserve the trees of Concordia from being cut down during development.

According to the Portland Urban Forest Action Plan of 2020, 30.7% of the city is covered currently by tree canopy, up from 26% in 2002.

The plan does not state a goal for future tree canopy coverage; however, other cities have adopted goals. Nearby Milwaukie has a goal of increasing its tree canopy to 40% by 2040. Farther away, a tree canopy already covers 40% of Pittsburgh, which is still seeking to protect and expand tree coverage beyond that.

Garlynn Woodsong lives on 29th Avenue, serves on the CNA board and is an avid bicyclist. He also is a dad who is passionate about the city his son will inherit. He is the planning + development partner with Cascadia Partners LLC, a local urban planning firm. Contact him at LandUse@ConcordiaPDX.org.

Reminding a community of its differences and similarities, creating a living laboratory to study trees, filtering pollutants and noise from nearby arterial roads, acting as a gateway for people traveling from the airport to northeast Portland neighborhoods.

All these and more were the aspirations for creating the International Grove 10 years ago at the corner of 42nd Avenue and Lombard Street.

Developing the grove was part of the Bureau of Environmental Services Grey to Green Canopy Initiative. That eightyear commitment began in 2008 to increase the health of local watersheds.

Efforts included construction and planting projects to divert stormwater from the sewer system, reduce flooding and erosion, filter pollutants, provide habitat and increase neighborhood green space.

The Concordia and Cully tree teams and the Ainsworth Street Collective were involved in planning and planting the grove. Maintenance over the years has mainly been performed by volunteers.

To reflect the many cultures represented in nearby neighborhoods, the grove includes trees from six continents. Those trees include the Chilean beech and the Moroccan snow gum. This diversity is in contrast to the maples, ornamental cherries/plums and crabapples found widespread in the city.

A similar combination of trees was not anywhere else in the city, apart from perhaps Hoyt Arboretum, according to Robert Pallesen. In 2011 he served on the Concordia Neighborhood Association Tree Team.

“We will now have a unique arborscape that will look distinctive and attractive year round,” he told The Oregonian in 2011.

Planting different types of trees in the grove also offers an opportunity to study, over time, which trees could offer shade, mitigate climate change effects and filter air pollution.

For example, current day tree team members found the cork oak tree did much better in a recent ice-storm than expected.

“The grove is important because as northeast 42nd becomes denser and more built up, urban heat island effects will become more pronounced,” said Jim Gersbach, Concordia Tree Team member.

“Expanses of tree-shaded land will become even more precious and lifesaving as cool-air refuges,” he added.

Jordana Leeb is a longtime Concordia resident who is passionate about the neighborhood, its people and trees. She lives with her partner and newly adopted special needs dog. You can see her recent film about Concordia at TinyURL.com/ DiaryOfAStreet.

The future of the International Grove hangs in the balance. There are many threats to this unique stand of more than 60 trees, including people driving and parking inside the grove.

The most pressing issue on the minds of local tree and community advocates is the possibility the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will use the grove for two years as construction staging or parking.

That would be during the $12 million reconstruction project beginning next year on the 42nd Avenue overpass across Lombard Street. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) owns most of the grove’s land.

“Using the grove as a staging area is a concern because parking heavy equipment and materials would cause soil compaction,” said Jim Gersbach, Concordia Tree Team member and 20-year Concordia resident. “That can be deadly to trees because it prevents water and oxygen from reaching their roots.”

Moreover, staging work could injure tree bark and limbs. Tree advocates have identified alternative sites for construction staging.

Staff members from the Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA), residents of Nesika Illahee across 42nd Avenue from the grove and members of the Cully and Concordia tree teams met during the summer to talk about what they would like to see happen in the grove instead.

Nesika Illahee opened in early 2020 and was developed by NAYA and tribal and nontribal partners as affordable housing for Native Americans in recovery.

“I would like to help the grove grow,” said Angelique Saxton, resident services manager at the 59-unit complex.

“I have heard from the resident community they would like the grove to be part of Nesika and become more inviting, more people friendly and have safer access. It could be used for meditation, drumming, picnics and recovery meetings.”

Eleven organizations signed a joint letter to PBOT and ODOT to ask them to not use the area for construction staging. The letter also asks the agencies to consider pedestrian safety and to include Native American art and culture in the new bridge design.

These organizations included: NAYA, Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest, Verde, Hacienda Community Development Corporation, Our 42nd Ave, Cully Boulevard Alliance, Living Cully, Portland Clean Air, Cully Association of Neighbors, Concordia Neighborhood Association and Habitat for Humanity Portland Region.

Bob Granger, a member of the Cully Tree Team who helped plant the grove in 2011, is impressed with the efforts that led to that letter.

“I’m blown away at how this organic process has evolved into such a robust, holistic advocacy effort,” he said. “The inclusive and collaborative involvement of key neighborhood stakeholders is wonderful to see.”

Jordana Leeb is a longtime Concordia resident who is passionate about the neighborhood, its people and trees. She lives with her partner and newly adopted special needs dog. You can see her recent film about Concordia at TinyURL.com/DiaryOfAStreet.