Urban Forestry Stewardship Support for Tree Teams and Tree Stewards

4/24/2020 UPDATE: Due to budget constraints, stewardship funding is currently limited. Please contact ufvolunteers@portlandoregon.gov prior to completing your application for details. 

PP&R Urban Forestry offers financial, in-kind, and limited staff support for tree stewardship events- presentations, workshops, community projects and outreach activities for Neighborhood Tree Stewards and Neighborhood Tree Teams. 

Project Eligibility

• Applicant must be either a Neighborhood Tree Steward or Tree Team.

• Event must be conducted within the City of Portland and arranged by volunteers.

• Projects must benefit trees that are publicly owned, regulated, or in public use and projects must show a clear public benefit. Funding is not available for trees that are solely privately owned and/or accessible. Priority is given to projects benefiting trees on City of Portland property or the public right-of-way.

• All tree purchase requests will require a two year establishment plan and plans for long term maintenance of the tree. The establishment and long term maintenance plans must be documented in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by the property owner and responsible volunteer group.

• Projects must demonstrate a commitment to supporting increased access to trees and/or urban forest services to low income and low canopy communities - please reference Growing a More Equitable Urban Forest for more information

How to apply for Stewardship Support

• Complete Stewardship Support Form and email funding request form to UFvolunteers@portlandoregon.gov.
• Forms are due on the 15^th of each month.
• Applicants are notified by the end of the following month (some projects may need additional lead time).

Here are some examples of stewardship support:

1. Supplies and equipment - These may be borrowed from Urban Forestry for one-time events for no cost OR you can apply for the purchase of these items for on-going activities.

• Pruning equipment: pole saws, hand saws, hand pruners, pole pruners, and loppers
• Planting equipment: shovels, stake pounders, tree tie
• Safety vests, gloves, hard hats
• Watering equipment- hoses, buckets, water carts, watering bags
• PP&R handbooks on pruning, winter tree id, summer tree id, and Heritage Trees

Example: The Roseway Tree Team requested watering equipment for community members to care for trees recently planted through a Tree Team/Urban Forestry organized tree planting event in the Roseway Park Blocks. Total cost was $400.

2. Community Tree Projects - This is a more involved endeavor and will require submitting the Stewardship Support Form AND a project proposal describing goals, objectives, benefit to community and explanation of costs involved.

Example: Albina Neighborhood Tree Team (ANTT) submitted a project proposal to contract for the removal of dead/dying cherry trees (identified through the Street Tree Inventory) for self-identified low-income neighbors. ANTT also arranged for the donation of replacement trees (and replanting) with Friends of Trees.

For questions or more information about Urban Forestry Stewardship Support, please contact UFvolunteers@portlandoregon.gov.

1. Budget Updates

FY 2019-20 Budget Adjustments: As part of the City’s routine financial management, PP&R is required to participate in a Budget Monitoring Process (BMP) in the spring and fall. This process allows the bureau to work with the City Budget Office (CBO) to make technical adjustments to its budget. PP&R submitted its FY 2019-20 Spring BMP to the CBO on April 20^th (please see attached cover memo). Due to revenue shortfalls, PP&R is projecting a year-end budget shortfall and has requested $1.4 million as part of its Spring BMP. Other technical budget adjustments were made – we will share a link to details once CBO updates its webpage. 

FY 2020-21 Budget Process: We are now expecting Mayor Wheeler to release his Proposed Budget in early May.