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The Portland City Council today sided with protectors of Forest Park and rejected a plan by Portland General Electric to cut down 5 acres of trees for new transmission lines that the utility says are crucial to meet growing demand for clean power.
The plan has been under review for months, getting both green and red lights as various agencies weighed in. In January, Portland Permitting & Development recommended that the plan be denied. Later, a city hearings officer disagreed and approved it. The Forest Park Conservancy appealed that decision to the City Council, which voted today.
Facing one of its first significant policy questions, the new City Council voted unanimously to overturn the hearings officer’s decision.
But not without some qualms. “In upholding this appeal, we might very well be making a disastrous decision for our quality of life, for our economy, and for reaching our climate goals,” Councilor Steve Novick said. “Unfortunately, I don’t think that PGE has left us much choice.”
Novick, like several other city councilors, chastened the utility for failing to demonstrate a need for expanding the power grid.
“Forest Park Conservancy applauds Portland City Council for their correct decision to deny PGE’s application to remove trees from Forest Park,” executive director Scott Fogarty said. “We hope this sends a message that our unique treasure must remain intact for all future generations to enjoy and benefit from.”
The project came to light in February 2024, when WW reported that PGE had been polling residents in its service area, asking them how they would feel if the power company, Oregon’s largest, were to cut down trees on 3 acres of land in Forest Park above Linnton in order to boost electricity transmission.
PGE said construction of the new lines would require cutting down 376 trees and filling two wetlands in an area that’s home to the northern red-legged frog, an at-risk species. To offset the lost trees, PGE planned to plant 400 others in the project area, another 400 elsewhere in Forest Park, and more trees in overheated Portland neighborhoods.
“We are currently reviewing the Portland City Council’s findings as we consider an appeal,” PGE vice president Kristen Sheeran said in a statement. “The hard truth is that the need for the Harborton Reliability Project is unchanged, and the evidence is clear that this is the least impactful of all options to the environment, landowners, and costs ultimately borne by customers. We should expect City Council to share our commitment to providing reliable electricity to Portlanders, but no critical infrastructure process can be seriously addressed in only 15 minutes of testimony.”