Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) will give away 3,000 trees to residents this fall. The annual event now offers 1,000 more trees than the previous year, allowing more people to reserve a free tree to plant in their yard. Registrants can select from 22 tree types, and Montavilla residents will receive free delivery this year. Tree availability is limited, and participants have care responsibilities that come along with participation in the program. This work is part of Portland’s efforts to increase the urban tree canopy and make tree ownership more accessible.
Residents must pick up reserved trees at one of four collection events throughout the City. Montavilla residents can have the tree and supplies delivered this year with registration code “AHMP” or choose the September 22nd date hosted near the Mt Tabor Community Garden on SE 64th Avenue and SE Lincoln Street. That option offers collection times between 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Outside the free delivery zone, PP&R Urban Forestry staff can provide yard tree delivery and planting for Portlanders with limited mobility or who need additional accommodations to participate. People who can not plant the tree as anticipated must agree to return it to Urban Forestry so people on a waiting list can have a chance to participate in the program. During the pickup or delivery, Parks staff will provide planting instructions and a watering bucket filled with mulch to assist with a successful planting.
This free tree giveaway is the eighth year PP&R will provide Portland residents with free trees. The Tree Planting and Preservation Fund, which gathers money from tree removal payments, supports this program. “When trees come down and aren’t replaced, that typically happens in development, developers put money into the tree fund, and then that money has to be used for tree planting or preservation,” explained Molly Wilson, a Community Tree Planting Specialist at PP&R Urban Forestry. However, additional funding from the Portland Clean Energy Fund, now augmenting the budget, allowed the program to expand service to more Portlanders.
City staff are working to grow the Portland tree canopy, which has declined in recent years as housing density and other factors reduce urban trees. Programs like this annual giveaway are predominately successful at adding more trees to the urban tree canopy. “We monitor our trees to see how many trees planted are still in the ground. The first year when we go back, we find that 70 percent are alive and in the ground. Then we find, based on weather, about 94 to 95 percent [of the previous 70 percent] survive the second year.” explained Wilson. Beyond that, tree species selected by the program tend to make it to maturity after those early years. “It’s a low-cost way to get high-quality trees providing shade, cooling, and other environmental and health benefits,” said Wilson.
Residents can only plant trees at a location inside Portland city limits, and they must exist on the person’s property or planted with permission of the property owner. This program is different from the street tree program, with these trees needing to live within the ground in a private yard, not between the curb and sidewalk. After the tree is in its new home, participants must provide the tree with 15 gallons of water per week from May through October for at least the first three years. “Certainly, not all the trees make it, but generally, I think people are doing a nice job of getting their trees in the ground in good locations and being really thoughtful about the trees they pick out. When they register or pick up their trees, we provide them with a planting and care booklet that talks about proper planting,” said Wilson.
Program designers shaped the initiative for all Portland residents with space to plant a tree. “We want to reach renters more and make sure that trees are accessible for renters,” said Wilson. “We find that about five to eight percent of the trees go to rental properties each year, which is great, but we would love that number to be even higher.” Gathering permission to plant can be a barrier for some people. PP&R recommends renters share their passion for tree canopy expansion with property owners and explain their commitment to care for the tree over its first three years. Not all yards are suitable for planting trees, but if it can take root at least ten feet from a building, there should be enough room for it to thrive. When completing a tree reservation, people can request a consultation about selection and placement before pickup or delivery. Urban Forestry staff will answer tree questions post-planting to help owners take care of the young trees. People will also be on an email list with watering season reminders and other helpful instructions.
Molly Wilson recommends people reserve trees early, as there is a set number of trees, and the type an applicant is interested in may run out. If the form is no longer available, Portlanders should look for a wait list opportunity on the program’s web page.
