Want to help revise Bend’s tree preservation rules? City is now seeking committee members

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The city of Bend is looking for community members to join a new temporary committee designed to help guide the future of how and where trees will be regulated in Bend.

Wednesday evening, the Bend City Council approved a resolution that forms a temporary committee called the Tree Regulation Update Advisory Committee.

The committee, which will range between 11-15 people, is charged with developing and proposing potential changes to city codes and standards for tree preservation.

The committee will be comprised of the following members:

• One member of the Human Rights and Equity Commission
• One member of the Environment and Climate Committee
• One member of the Affordable Housing Advisory Committee
• One member of the Neighborhood Leadership Alliance
• Arborist(s)
• Developers representing affordable housing, production housing and commercial development
• Members from the community at large and from community organizations
• Bend Park and Recreation District staff person, as a non-voting member

“I’m excited to put this group of experts together to work with our staff on updating our tree regulations,” Mayor Melanie Kebler said. “I know this is a topic of high community interest, and Council is ready to find the right balance between promoting Bend’s urban canopy and smart growth that creates the housing our community needs.”

In March, councilors showed interest in finding ways to balance the need to preserve trees with needed housing development. That includes exploring alternatives to preserving trees if it would discourage housing development, such as requiring replacement trees or paying a fee in lieu of replacement to help support expanding Bend’s urban tree canopy. An urban canopy refers to the area of a city that is shaded by trees.

The focus of this work effort is to update regulations for managing trees on sites proposed for new, large-scale development – like a subdivision or commercial center. The Council also wants to explore ways to preserve and expand Bend’s overall urban canopy.

Anyone interested who fits into one of the categories listed above can apply on the Advisory Committee Application webpage on the city’s website by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 12.

For more information and overall timeline for the code update, visit the Tree Regulation Update webpage.