City’s study shows Portland losing tree canopy

A city’s urban tree canopy has so many benefits, from reducing summer peak temperatures and air pollution, they raise property values, provide habitat for wildlife and besides all of those benefits, they’re just beautiful. So this next bit of news is hard to take. For the first time in 20 years (since the city started keeping track of urban forest canopy), the number of trees in Portland has fallen. The city’s report found that Portland’s tree canopy has dropped from 30.7% to 29.8%, or an estimated 800 acres of canopy over five years. That’s losing the equivalent of Mt Tabor Park every year for five years, and Portland’s east side, one of the hottest parts of town, saw the biggest loss.  The biggest reason for the loss is development of new housing or remodeling. 

City’s study shows Portland losing tree canopy