Trees
The trees page is an effort to encourage home owners and developers to keep and or re-plant site appropriate trees on their property in order to restore and preserve the tree canopy of Bridlemile and SW Portland.
Our perception of Bridlemile is to a great extent defined by its trees. They bring beauty to our streets.
4900 block of SW35th, just North of Albert Kelly Park. Photo by Victor von Salza
The trees in our neighbors yards are often what constitute our views and sense of place.
4917 SW37th, just North of Albert Kelly Park. Photo by Victor von Salza
And they are the background of our memories of other activities we enjoy in Bridlemile.
Hamilton Park looking North. Photo by Victor von Salza
But each housing development and home remodel often results in the removal of trees from our neighborhood.
The Value of Trees
Trees provide many benefits: improved air and water quality, reduce runoff, noise reduction, summer cooling, winter heating, habitat for birds and other critters, aesthetics, privacy, and can significantly increase the resale value of your property.
Choosing Site Appropriate Trees for Your Yard
Just as the right tree can add value and save you money the wrong tree - one that will grow too tall, requires lots of water, is prone to disease, not suited for your soils, is overly messy, or has very invasive roots - or even the right tree planted in the wrong place - too close to your home, foundation, or power lines - can be a significant detriment to your yard and pocketbook. Therefore consulting with a local arborist to find a selection of trees appropriate for the conditions in your yard is well worth the time, effort, and dollars spent.
The Hoyt Arboretum is a great place to see mature tree species. Visit it at different times of year to see their spring bloom, summer shading, fall color, and winter form.
Tree Regulations and Enforcement
Current tree regulations are very complex, as shown in this flowchart:
TrPtFlCht.pdf 84 KB / 1 page
making it too difficult to simply determine whether or not you need a permit to cut a particular tree on your property, and if so who to get it from. Enforcement of existing regulations is pretty much confined to the site plan review process, with virtually no follow up on site after construction takes place.
In March of 2005, Greg Schifsky, Margot Barnett, John Gibbon, Leonard Gard and others (see page 16 of PDF below) began a series of meetings to research the problem and come up with specific workable solutions and recommendations. After seven months of work, peer and SWNI review, here are their findings and recommendations:
Tree Protection and Preservation Report.pdf 524 KB / 20 pages
If you have questions regarding Tree regulations, e.g. whether or not you need a permit to cut a tree on your property, please contact SWNI Land Use Specialist Leonard Gard leonard@swni.org, 503-823-4592
Urban Forest Management Plan(UFMP)
An interbureau team of City staff, led by the Bureau of Parks and Recreation, has been working on a UFMP Implementation Strategy action plan to implement the 2004 Portland Urban Forest Management Plan. The goal of both is the protection and enhancement of the city's urban forest: it's public and private trees and natural areas.
If you'd like to join a working group to dedicated to formulating next steps in protecting and expanding the urban forest canopy in the Portland-Vancouver Region contact Jim Labbe, jlabbe@urbanfauna.org, 971-222-6112 and read all the latest at http://www.urbanfauna.org.
Related Links:
• Friends of Trees
• Portland Plant List - Native Trees
• Portland Tree Liaison Program/Training - Learn how to prune and care for trees in your neighborhood - become a Neighborhood Tree Liaison (NTL). This 10-session course, offered by Portland Parks & Recreation/Urban Forestry Division, will teach you general tree care, tree biology, tree planting, preservation, and identification. Once trained, NTLs work with Urban Forestry staff to educate their neighbors on proper tree care and the importance of a healthy urban forest.
• Tualatin Riverkeepers Urban Forestry page talks about and shows examples of the environmental, storm water, and economic benefits of trees in urban settings.
• US forests cost-effective vs global warming study shows that trees can play crucial role in battle against global warming.
• Urban Fauna - Friends of Advocates of Urban Natural Areas, a group of individuals and organizations dedicated to the protection and restoration of watersheds for fish, wildlife, and people and more fully integrating the built and natural environments in the Portland-Vancouver Metropolitan Region.
• Urban Greenspaces Institute
• Western Washington and Oregon Community Tree Guide.pdf 2.9MB - good information on benefits, costs, general guidelines for selecting and siting trees, recommended trees for western Washington and Oregon communities
• Preparing Tree Preservation Plans.pdf 2.7MB
• BDS Tree Review Doc.pdf 432KB
• Portland Maps
Heritage Trees
At one time all of Bridlemile was covered by forest, when settlers came they cleared the land for farming, orchards, and dairy lands. As Portland grew, in the 1940's and 1950's the first housing developments were created in Bridlemile. Most of the trees we see today are less than 60 years old, but a few trees are older, and two have been designated heritage trees.
American Elm located on SW 60th (turn south off SW Hamilton). Photo by Victor von Salza
Another view of the Heritage Elm Tree on SW 60th. Photo by Victor von Salza
Pondersosa Pine located at the corner of SW Hamilton and SW Shattuck. Photo by Victor von Salza
Another view of the Heritage Pine tree at Hamilton and Shattuck. Photo by Victor von Salza
Related Links:
• Portland Parks Heritage and Trees of Merit pages, maps and information about the 265+ other heritage and noteworthy trees in Portland.
• Preparing Tree Preservation Plans.pdf 2.7MB
Other Trees
Many large, old, and beautiful trees stand proudly throughout our neighborhood. Photos by Victor von Salza.
Black Walnut at 3726 SW 48th Summer 2007
"In October 2005 the Black Walnut tree on 48th Place celebrated its 100th birthday. Gerel and Henry Blauer invited neighbors to the birthday party. Folks greeted and admired the centennial Black Walnut, played "Guess the Circumference " game and enjoyed dessert. When spring comes and Old Black Walnut is looking its best, the History Committee will take its picture and post it here." - Ginger Danzer
Oak as seen from SW Hamilton Ct off SW 39th Dr Summer 2007. "In 1997, an arborist did a core sample and found the tree to be 334 years old. Now, in 2007, it would be 344. It is a very old tree that houses birds, squirrels, and the mama raccoon who trains her young each spring." - Joan Leigh
Japanese Maple 4752 SW 39th Dr Spring 2007
Decideous Redwood, SW 36th & Bridlemile Ln
Same Decideous Redwood but in Winter 2006
Tri Color Beach, 4015 SW36th Pl in Summer
Same Tri Color Beach as above, 4015 SW36th Pl but in Fall from a different angle.
Plananus, 4015 SW36th Pl viewed from Bridlemile Ln
Unknown, 4015 SW36th Pl in Fall.
Close up of unknown above, 4015 SW36th Pl in Fall.
Unknown, along SW 41st in early Summer 2007.
Unknown, SW 41st and SW Jerald Ct in early Summer 2007.
Giant Sequoia Tree, East side of Shattuck, just north of Hamilton
A tree Ent, spotted in Albert Kelly Park
More tree photos can be found on the Fall Color and Spring Color Walking Tours pages.
Saving Trees from Ivy
Many trees in Bridlemile and SW have become infested with English Ivy whick will eventually kill these trees.
Rescuing a tree from Ivy is a simple two step process: girdling and creating a lifesaver. Girdling entails carefully cutting the ivy runners on the trees at ankle and shoulder height, and removing that section of runners from the tree without damaging the tree's life giving bark.
Before and after tree rescue (and blackberry removal), note that ivy has not yet died in the right hand photo, but has been removed from the bottom 5 five of the tree. Albert Kelly Park by footbridge, looking East. Photos by Victor von Salza
Creating a lifesaver entails pulling back/removing all the ivy on the ground to a least six feet from the base of each tree.
Detailed information and photos of this two step process can be found on this No Ivy League webpage.