Prepare Your Trees for Winter Weather!

(Portland, OR) -

As winter approaches, now is the perfect time to have your trees evaluated by a professional to prepare for potential weather-related hazards. Large trees provide significant environmental and community benefits, but they can also present risks during extreme weather if not properly maintained. Contact Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R)'s Urban Forestry division at (503) 823-TREE (8733) or [email protected]for all tree-related questions, concerns, and City property tree emergencies.

Now is the Time to Prepare
Autumn is a great time to hire a tree care professional to assess the health and safety of trees on your property before winter weather hits. Certified arborists can identify and address potential issues before it's too late. Taking preventive action now can help protect your trees and property from winter damage.

PP&R's Urban Forestry division offers an online list of local tree care providers. Listed companies meet the following qualifications:

• Completed the City's Local Tree Care Providers Workshop within the last year.
• Have a certified arborist or similarly credentialed tree professional on staff.
• No documented tree code violations or permitting issues in the past year.
• Have an active Portland business license.

The Value of Large Trees

During extreme weather, it's important to balance the risks with the benefits of large trees. While some trees or limbs may fall, millions of trees across Portland remain strong and provide essential services to our community. Large trees reduce neighborhood temperatures, offer wildlife habitat, improve air quality, reduce stormwater runoff, and help mitigate the effects of climate change. Large trees grew to that size because they're resilient and have persisted through decades of weather. Large trees are vital and maintaining them is critical to keeping our community healthy and our city beautiful. 

However, in extreme weather events, even trees that have stood for a hundred years can be affected. Since a tree's roots are not visible, at times it appears that a healthy tree has fallen when in fact, the structural integrity may have been significantly compromised. To protect your property and the trees themselves, it's best to have them evaluated before the weather changes.

Permit Requirements

Before performing any major tree work (including disturbing roots, pruning, removal, or addressing risks) it's necessary to understand Portland's tree permit requirements. Visit ourTree Permits and Regulationspage for details of when a permit is needed.

Property Owner Responsibilities

Property owners are responsible for maintaining trees on their property and adjacent rights-of-way. For any tree-related issues on private property, including challenging maintenance and safety concerns, contact a private arborist. If a tree needs extensive pruning or removal, a permit may be required.

Emergency and Maintenance Response

PP&R Urban Forestry crews are prepared to respond to hazardous tree situations across the city caused by severe weather. To report tree emergencies on City property, including public streets and roads, call (503) 823-TREE (8733) and press 1 for the fastest response. For non-emergency tree issues, email [email protected].

Portland Permitting & Development and Portland Parks & Recreation

As of October 1, 2025, 21 professionals from the Urban Forestry Division of Portland Parks & Recreation are with a new team at Portland Permitting & Development dedicated to the implementation of the City's tree code. These new employees join six colleagues who moved to Permitting & Development in July 2024 to implement private development-related tree requirements. For more information, including which agency to contact for a given tree permit need, pleasevisit this link.

About PP&R Urban Forestry

ThePortland Parks & Recreation Urban Forestrydivision's mission is to manage and ensure Portland's urban forest infrastructure for current and future generations. Portland's urban forest is valued at around $9.6 billion and is made up of more than 1.2 million park trees, 330,000 street trees, and 2.9 million private property trees. The Urban Forestry team is responsible for the overall management, stewardship, and improvement of this essential infrastructure system. Urban Forestry staff's work includes delivery of sustainable and equitable forest services to all Portlanders; establishing and enacting best management practices, plans, policies, and technical standards for tree care and protection and urban forest expansion; proposing improvements to the City's tree regulations; providing tree maintenance services including 24/7 response to emergencies on City properties and public streets; tree planting and expansion of urban forest services; measurement and assessment of urban forest coverage, health, and services; offering community education and stewardship programs and partnerships; and oversight and support of the City's volunteer advisory tree board. Portland has been recognized as aTree City USAmember for 48 years and counting; aTree City of the World; and the Urban Forestry program is accreditedby the Urban and Community Forestry Society.

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