Dear Friends:

On behalf of Concerned Neighbors of Multnomah Village, once again we reached out to Multnomah County Commission to save Multnomah Village’s 150-year-old Mother Tree! 

Today, we requested that a member(s) of Portland City Council visit the property of 7301 SW 26th Avenue immediately, to view this rare, interconnected grove of towering Douglas Fir Trees, including a 100-year-old Mother Tree, over 60 inches in diameter, all slated to clear cut, violating the City of Portland’s own climate policy initiatives.

We have collectively reached out multiple times, including testifying before Portland City Council three times now, with the latest testimony from Dr. Brooke Bachelor. We have yet to hear back from anyone. My written testimony for reference.  At this point, 2,727 Portland residents have signed the petition to keep Multnomah Village’s Mother Tree standing.

If Multnomah Village’s Mother Tree is cut down, it will take over 100 years to recreate, and there is no concrete evidence we will ever regain this canopy’s values once removed, ever.  There is no “replacement”.

We need to slow down clear cutting of these large, formed trees, when there are other ways for new houses to share these lots and spare their needless removal. Ornamental trees (termed replacements) do not do the job of a Douglas Fir, towering at 100 feet with enormous mass and carbon offset, getting us to the city’s zero emissions objective. Scientists estimate just one Douglas Fir sequesters almost 14 tons of carbon in the first 100 years!

These few large trees—over 100 feet still standing in Portland—are at alarmingly low numbers will determine the city’s future livability, and, when they’re gone, they’re gone. That’s why we are asking the City of Portland to take immediate action to Multnomah Village’s Mother Tree.

URGENT:  Please reach out to Mayor Ted Wheeler, Commissioner Ryan, and Commissioner Rubio to respectfully request that a member(s) of Portland City Council visit this property to see first-hand the over 100-year-old towering trees, including the designated Mother Tree, that have been permitted to be cut down by the City of Portland.

mayorwheeler@portlandoregon.gov

comm.rubio@portlandoregon.gov

CommissionerRyanOffice@portlandoregon.gov

Our livability, our climate, and our future depends on their decisions and willingness to engage on this issue today.

Thank you once again for your fierce compassion and determination.

Angie and Kelly