08-05-2025
City councilors strike down PGE's plan to axe portion of Forest Park trees
PORTLAND, Ore. () — Portland General Electric is no longer permitted to go forward with its plans to remove five acres of trees from a treasured urban park.
During a meeting on Wednesday, Portland City Council voted to reverse a . Under one phase of the project, PGE planned to cut 376 Forest Park trees to make way for a new quarter-mile transmission line and upgrades on a pre-existing line.
Chefs behind Portland's Cafe Olli tapped for Taste America series
A Portland hearings officer approved the proposal in mid-March, despite the that it could negatively impact the park's plant and animal communities and it could increase wildfire risks. Forest Park Conservancy challenged the decision with an appeal it submitted to Portland Permitting & Development later in the month.
City councilors in April, but their recent vote finalizes the move.
In a statement to KOIN 6, PGE Vice President of Policy and Resource Planning Kristen Sheeran said the utility is considering an appeal of its own.
'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,' Sheeran added. '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. The Council's process deserves serious reconsideration.'
PHOTOS: Laurelhust Park tree goes up in flames early Thursday morning
Although conservationists have argued the project will negatively impact Forest Park, the utility has contended that it would only prevent safety hazards from occurring. PGE has also claimed that the proposal ensures only a necessary amount of trees would be removed.
But the utility failed to show data on how they would provide a 'material carbon reduction,' according to District 3 Councilor Angelita Morillo.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
