Urban Forestry

Urban Forest Management Plan Vision

Healthy Trees, Healthy Wilsonville. Wilsonville’s urban forest is a thriving mix of tree and understory species that creates a contiguous ecosystem through the City. This healthy, arborescent habitat is valued and cared for by Wilsonville staff and all residents as an essential environmental, economic, and shared community asset. Wilsonville’s identity as a forested, livable city informs urban forestry management. Whether it is a majestic 200-year old Oregon white oak or a young flowering cherry, trees greatly contribute to our sense of place and quality of life; they clean the air, conserve the soil and water, reduce heating and cooling costs and bring nature close to home.

Supporting the Vision: Wilsonville’s Tree Canopy and Equity Goal

Tree canopy is a valuable component of Wilsonville’s urban ecosystem and expanding our urban forest is part of the solution to the City’s social, environmental, and economic concerns. Urban tree canopy is integral to enhancing public health programs, increasing land values and local tax bases, providing job training and employment opportunities, reducing costs of city services, increasing public safety, improving air quality, offsetting carbon emissions, managing stormwater runoff, and conserving energy.

To achieve our vision for the urban forest, the City has established a goal to increase its tree canopy coverage by 6 percent— up from 30 percent currently— over a 25-year timespan or “36 percent by 2046”. To reach this goal, approximately 27,000 new trees need to be planted over the 25-year timeframe while preserving the City’s existing urban tree canopy cover. Urban Forest Management Plan Goals Supporting the vision and the overarching canopy goal of 36 percent canopy by the year 2046 are a series of urban forestry goals. These strategic goals were derived from the outcomes of the planning effort involving City staff and stakeholder engagement and extensive analyses of the urban forest.

The following items are not listed by any particular priority or order:

Tree Management Policy: The City’s urban forest policies are the foundation for preserving the environmental benefits, management, and character of Wilsonville’s urban forest.

Capacity, Training, and Authority: Wilsonville has the capacity and expertise to provide optimal levels of service for sound urban forest management.

Assessment and Plans: A thorough understanding of the urban forest ensures data-driven decisions, sustainable and comprehensive planning, and amplified tree benefits.

Community Engagement: Sustainable urban forest management and equity is achieved through a partnership with the City and its residents resulting in improved well-being, human health, and local economies.

Green Asset Management: Wilsonville proactively manages the public trees, continues to grow and expand a healthy canopy, effectively mitigates storm damage, maintains public safety, and optimizes urban forest benefits.

Adopting the Vision

The City's Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP) was adopted by the City Council in December of 2021. To develop the Plan, a systematic planning approach was completed which included the following elements:

Long-Term Strategy Framework: Establish a framework for a long‐term strategy (25 years) to protect, conserve, and enhance Wilsonville’s urban forest with comprehensive goals and objectives. Develop specific recommendations to implement the goals and objectives.

Urban Forest Status: Describe the status of Wilsonville’s urban forest, the history and land use changes, environmental conditions, vegetation (canopy cover, tree inventory), and community values and issues.

Current & Future Issues: Identify current and future issues that will affect the City’s urban forest, such as climate change, pests, and tree diversity.

Urban Forestry Operations: Describe and assess the City’s overall urban forestry activities and practices, including various departments’ roles and responsibilities in permitting, management, and maintenance operations via interview or survey, and review of City documents, such as codes/ordinances. Provide recommendations on improvements to existing programs.

Focus Area Goals: Develop specific goals, objectives, and recommendations for the special focus areas in Charbonneau and Town Center.

Community Engagement: With City staff, identify interested parties for community engagement and develop a strategy to obtain public input. Target specific groups early in the Project via email, focus group discussion, online surveys, or applicable strategies (e.g., Let’s Talk, Wilsonville!).

Monitoring Plan: Develop a monitoring plan that will allow the City to measure progress in achieving the Plan’s goals, objectives, and recommendations.

Funding & Partnership: Provide recommendations on potential program funding sources or partnership opportunities for implementing the Plan