18-04-2025
Portland City Council grants appeal against PGE's Forest Park transmission line
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Portland City Council has tentatively granted an appeal by local conservationists who opposed a plan that would allow Portland General Electric to remove five acres of trees to build power lines in Forest Park.
The has been fighting PGE's plan to install a quarter-mile transmission line for months, and has upped the ante since the was in January 2025.
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Following the decision, the group to relocate PGE's plan to Portland Permitting & Development, claiming the project would remove 397 trees, fill two wetlands, and disrupt two streams.
'The trees in the park are than trees outside the park. For example, PGE owns some properties up north of the Wapato Bridge that could be used for one of these alternate routes,' Carol Chesarek with the Forest Park Neighborhood Association said. 'The trees in the park are more protected, and it's important that we maintain those protections…We should not rewrite the city code — and remove protections from the park — for [PGE].'
Chesarek also warned that allowing the hearings officer to rewrite the city code would lead to a slippery slope of more and more developments in Forest Park.
'The goal of the Management Plan is clear: Protect the resources in the park and grow an ancient forest. PGE's proposal is directly opposed to those goals,' Chesarek said.
The utility stated that it hired a board-certified master arborist to identify the maximum amounts of trees that could be preserved throughout the park. The utility also said working in the proposed area would not affect 'old growth habitat.'
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PGE officials previously shared the following statement with KOIN 6 News:
'The decision to approve PGE's permit request is an example of the process working as it should, and will allow PGE to proceed with work that is crucial for safe, reliable and increasingly clean energy for Portland homes and businesses.'
The appeal was approved Thursday evening following a calling for an end to the plan.
'When I think about Forest Park, it's probably one of the city's greatest resources — not just for its biodiversity but its natural beauty and especially for the recreational and educational opportunities that we all enjoy immensely,' Councilor Loretta Smith said.
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