Restore Tree Manual to 2009-2010 City of Portland Budget

Sent from Kina Voelz, HAND Land Use Chair:
Please attend the final public budget hearing this Thursday, May 21 from 6 – 8: 30 pm at Mt. Tabor Middle School.
Funding tree policy work will hopefully be included in this fiscal year’s budget, but probably not without your input.
You may also testify online if you cannot attend tomorrow evening: www.portlandonline.com/communitybudget.
Please see below as well.

TO CITYWIDE LAND USE GROUP:
This year’s budget process is coming to an end. The Tree Manual
needs your help to happen.

This major element in the Tree Policy work completed to date is not a part of the Mayor’s budget request. The Tree Manual needs to be funded. We need to express our support for a very minor funding request (.0003 of the total City budget) that will provide permanent value to everyone in the City.

The Tree Manual is a basic educational tool to inform all types of
users within the City about the many values of trees and how to
protect them. It will explain how the tree code elements currently
found in seven different bureaus within the City have been combined,
clarified, and explained so tree policy is clarified. As
importantly, it will explain how to avoid unintentional damage to
trees and the species differences that need to be understood.

More than 50% of the trees in the City are on private property. The
role of trees as builders of property value, protectors of watershed
values, filters for water and air quality, habitat, temperature
managers, or simply contributors to quality of human life needs to
be compiled and shared so we can fully understand the multiple ways
in which trees make Portland the city it is. A common source of
comprehensive information is needed for builders, developers,
homeowners, staff doing development review, contractors working in
the field, the general public, and the next generations who will
live in Portland.

The Tree Manual is a really minor investment to provide for the
education of current residents as well as the next generation. That
is why one of fundamental uses of the Tree Manual will be as a
background for curriculum development in schools throughout the
City. This educational tool for multiple users will help change
tree protection from being a source of rule making and enforcement
to its more appropriate role as preserving a valuable asset for
everyone in the City.

Please ask the Mayor and City Council to restore funding for the
Tree Manual to the 2009-2010 City budget.

Here are some ways to do that:
Final Public Budget Hearing
Thursday, May 21
6:00-6:30 PM Community Fair
6:30-8:30 Budget Hearing (2-minute testimony only)
–
Mt. Tabor Middle School
5800 SE Ash St.
Parking: available in lot and on street
Bus Routes: 20, 71, 15

TESTIFY ONLINE
www.portlandonline.com/communitybudget

The Council will adopt the final budget on Wednesday, May 27, 2009.
Please make sure it includes funding for the Tree Manual.
Thanks for one more effort.

Bonny McKnight; Coordinator; Citywide Land Use Group