Tree Protection in Gresham, OR: What Residents Actually Need to Know

If you live in Gresham or are thinking about moving there, tree protection are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Gresham has 3 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of tree protection, and some of them might surprise you.

Parkway Planting

New Gresham development must include one street tree for every 35 feet of frontage, each at least 1.75 inches in caliper and spaced no closer than 20 feet apart in the planter strip.

Key details: Trees per frontage: 1 per 35 feet. Minimum caliper: 1.75 inches. Tree spacing: 20 feet minimum apart. Clearance from crosswalk: 12 feet.

Developing without the required Street Tree plan, or planting outside the approved species list and spacing standards, is a Development Code violation enforceable through the City's permit process.

Heritage & Protected Trees

Gresham designates individual trees or groves as Significant when they show distinctive size, beauty, historic association, or ecological value, adding them to a protected inventory the Urban Forestry Subcommittee maintains.

Key details: Who may nominate: Any person, agency, or group. Owner consent: Required for designation. Review body: Urban Forestry Subcommittee. Re-inventory interval: Every 4 years.

Pruning more than 20 percent of a Significant Tree's limbs, or removing it without following the Section 9.1051-9.1056 procedures, is enforceable under GRC Article 7.50 civil penalties.

Protected Tree Species

Before a Gresham building or land-use permit disturbs ground near a Regulated, Required, or Significant tree, the developer must fence off a protection zone sized to the tree's trunk diameter.

Key details: Trees covered: Regulated, Required, Significant trees. Zone radius: 1 ft per inch DBH. Fence height: 4 feet minimum chain-link. Trenching in root zone: Prohibited.

Disturbing a marked Tree Protection Zone or removing a protected tree without the Manager's written approval violates Section 9.1031 and is enforceable under GRC Article 7.50 civil penalties.

The Bottom Line

Gresham's tree protection rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Gresham is broadly strict or permissive.

These rules come from Gresham's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.