Bend neighborhood leader proposes stricter city tree preservation rules

'These are the Ponderosas that absolutely make Bend unique'

BEND, Ore (KTVZ) -- As more and more people move to Bend, the community also is losing more and more trees.

However, Karon Johnson, the land use chair for Bend’s Old Farm District neighborhood association, is proposing a change to city codes to save more of the trees that she loves.

“They’re beautiful,” Johnson said, standing next to one of the large Ponderosa pines on her property on Monday.

And they’re practical, too.

“They’re shady,” she told NewsChannel 21. “For example, some people have air conditioning in Bend. I don’t have air conditioning, because we have our shade trees.”

But there’s not as many trees in her city as there used to be.

“The problem is, the Bend tree code doesn’t protect trees,” Johnson said.

As Bend continues to grow, more and more wooded areas are being cleared for development.

Johnson said state law requires the city code to provide “clear and objective standards for developments.”

“We do not have clear and objective standards in the codes,” she said.

Under the current code, trees of a certain size are supposed to be protected when building happens.

“This tree here is 13 inches in diameter,” Johnson said, pointing to one of her trees. “This kind of tree would totally be protected.”

But there’s a loophole: The code says those trees must be preserved unless preservation is impractical.

“The developers realized this about a year and a half ago,” Johnson said. “Since then, the trees in the development have been clear-cut.”

Johnson penned a new ordinance, one that provides a clear standard for preservation.

“It makes the developers incorporate the design from the beginning,” she said. “They know how many trees have to be saved, and they can design around it.”

The proposed ordinance has been submitted to city leaders, and Johnson said she hopes it will be high on the new city council’s goals list.

“These are the Ponderosas that absolutely make Bend unique,” she said, looking up at the trees she wants to protect.