Portland launches strategic plan for urban forest areas as risks persist
Jack Phillips, executive director of the Portland Parks Conservancy at Deering Oaks Park in July 2026. (Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer)
Invasive pests. Intensifying storms. Housing development pressure.
The trees of Maine’s largest city are increasingly at risk.
“We’re facing pretty strong headwinds,” said Jack Phillips, executive director of Portland Parks Conservancy, who estimates that the city is planting only two trees for every three it loses.
In an effort to fight back against these challenges, the conservancy has partnered with the city and a consulting firm to develop an urban forest master plan. Part of that will include a community-wide survey and public workshop in September.
This effort comes in the face of ongoing tree loss from a variety of sources. Without a shift in strategy and investment, Portland is likely to face a continued and growing deficit in its tree canopy — one that will affect environmental quality, climate resilience, and overall livability. Other cities, such as Lewiston, have recently begun similar urban reforestation projects.
“An important thing to keep in mind is that this isn’t occurring in a vacuum,” said Mark Reiland, Portland’s city arborist. There are many factors contributing to both tree death and the replanting process.
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The Emerald Ash Borer, for example, is currently the most aggressive pest plaguing the city’s trees, and with warming temperatures, other pests are becoming more common. Climate change also increases storm intensity and frequency which can damage trees. Conversely, trees can help collect rainwater, which is a major benefit for high-precipitation storms because it keeps sewer systems from being overwhelmed.
Additionally, there is tension between reforestation efforts and the need for housing developments. While housing and reforestation are not mutually exclusive, Reiland said, they are certainly factors in how each is able to grow.
“Obviously, housing development is a major priority for the city right now, and there is some tension in terms of, you know, how we manage trees in the context of development in the city, and so you think about all those factors,” said Phillips.
City arborist Mark Reiland inspects an ash tree near the intersection of Spring and High streets in Portland in 2024. A row of ash trees there have been treated against an infestation by emerald ash borers, insects that are responsible for the deaths of many ash trees throughout the city. (Ben McCanna/Staff Photographer)
Separate from any future development, more than 70% of the city’s trees are on private property. That means long-term management could require updating local ordinances to limit tree cutting. Reiland emphasized this project will be a master plan, not a management plan, so it will include recommendations on how the city should manage trees on private land.
The “partnership is really important with Portland Parks Conservancy, with the city government and with the community, because the trees on private property, especially residential property, are really important and a huge part of the urban forest,” said Mindy Mohrman with Urban Canopy Works, the consulting company working with the Parks Conservancy for the tree canopy project.
Urban Canopy Works will collect data, including information from the tree census the city conducted last year, as well as community feedback from a survey that is now open. The ongoing effort also includes an advisory group represented by nonprofits, neighborhood associations, local businesses, and other community groups.
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More information about the project will be shared at a public workshop from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17 at Merrill Auditorium Rehearsal Hall.
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Charley DiAdamo, from North Andover, Massachusetts, is a rising senior at Colby College. She writes a food and humor column for The Colby Echo and is a freelance contributor to The Maine Monitor. She is. More by Charley DiAdamo
