Amend fee schedule for tree permits (amend PRK 2.03)

This ordinance allows Portland Parks & Recreation (PPR) Urban Forestry (UF) to update the tree permit fee schedule for FY 25-26. With the consolidation of private property development permitting into PP&D, fees related to those permit review and issuance responsibilities have been removed from this fee schedule. Some fees for development on city-owned or managed property are retained since those reviews remain with PP&R. The amounts for those fees are set to the same amount as PP&D’s fee schedule in order charge both private and city applicants the same amount for similar reviews. Fees in non-development situations such Tree Removal and Replanting permits and street tree pruning permits are eliminated or significantly reduced.

Through Strategic Program 34 in the Council-adopted Climate Investment Plan, PCEF is providing funding to Urban Forestry to reduce financial barriers to complying with Title 11, the city’s tree code. PP&R anticipates reducing and eliminating non-development fees in the FY26 Title 11 Fee Schedule will reduce program revenue by approximately $400,000 annually. PCEF funding will replace the program revenue to sustain current service levels. Two fees are being increased: the Fee in Lieu of Planting and Establishment and the application fee for Programmatic Permits. The Fee in Lieu of Planting and Establishment is increasing by 5% from $450 to $472. This is the first increase of this fee since 2019. Other fees in the Fee in Lieu section are linked to this fee and increase by 5% as well. These fees are assessed in development situations in lieu of planting or preserving required trees. The Programmatic Permit Application fee is increasing by 10% from $6,500 to $7,150. This fee applies to utilities such as PGE and Verizon Wireless, as well as some city bureaus, who perform routine maintenance of city or street trees. Programmatic Permits are typically issued for multiple years which disperses the cost of the application fee. The current fee level was last set in 2019.

The proposed fee schedule was presented to the Development Review Advisory Committee at their April 2025 meeting. Urban Forestry presented the fee schedule to the Urban Forestry Commission at their March 2025 meeting for feedback. As of July 1, 2024, permitting for private development and associated public works has been consolidated into Portland Permitting & Development. Consequently, most fees related to Title 11 requirements in private development have been removed from the Title 11 fee schedule to PP&D’s fee schedule. The lone exception is the Fee-in-Lieu of Preservation and Planting which is assessed in private development situations. That fee is increasing by 5% consistent with other development related fees. This modest increase is not anticipated to have economic impacts. In the non-development section of the fee schedule, fees are either being eliminated or significantly reduced. This includes fees for tree removal permits, pruning permits, and administrative review and appeal fees among others. The impact of this change will reduce the cost of acquiring required permits for tree work.

Eliminating permit fees is responsive to community input received over the last few years through formal planning processes like the Portland Urban Forest Plan and recommendations made by the City’s Urban Forestry Commission. This change is anticipated to make it easier for Portlanders Urban Forestry presented the fee schedule to the Urban Forestry Commission at their March 2025 meeting for feedback.