Multnomah County, OR Tree Protection: Parkway Planting (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit
- Required before planting, removing or altering
- Scope
- Unincorporated county right-of-way, not Portland
- Standards source
- County Design and Construction Manual
- Enforcement
- County Attorney may seek injunction
- Citation
- MCC § 29.580
Summary
Planting, maintaining or removing a street tree in the public right-of-way of unincorporated Multnomah County requires a permit under the county's Street Standards subchapter, which sets species, location and maintenance rules through the Design and Construction Manual.
Requirements and standards for street trees may be established by administrative rule or the County Design and Construction Manual under this subchapter, and may include the following subjects: (A) Permit, agreement and issuance procedures. (B) Species and location. (C) Maintenance and removal. (D) Other matters of design, installation and procedure.
Full Breakdown
Multnomah County Code § 29.580 authorizes the county to set street tree requirements by administrative rule or the County Design and Construction Manual, covering permit and agreement procedures, species and location, and maintenance and removal. Under § 29.502, the subchapter applies to every public right-of-way in unincorporated Multnomah County and to county roads within incorporated cities, but not to Portland's own city-maintained streets. Portland runs its own street tree program. The code section itself doesn't list species or spacing; those specs live in the county's Design and Construction Manual, but planting, removing or altering a street tree in county right-of-way requires a permit first.
Violations & Fines
The county director enforces the Street Standards subchapter administratively, and the County Attorney may sue to compel compliance or enjoin violations under § 29.505; no fixed civil-penalty amount is set for this subchapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to plant a tree in the parkway strip in Multnomah County?
Does this rule apply if I live in Portland?
What happens if I plant or remove a street tree without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Multnomah County
Compare Multnomah County to another location·View the Oregon tree protection overview
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