Residents strongly opposed the proposed Mount Hood Vista subdivision's plan to remove 41 mature trees, including a large grove of 65-to-70-year-old Douglas firs, to accommodate high-density housing. Although the developer plans to preserve a small grove in the southwest corner and plant over 200 saplings to meet city codes, neighbors argued that small ornamental trees cannot replace the carbon sequestration and cooling benefits of mature conifers. Consequently, community members advocated for a lower-density development to protect the neighborhood's already low tree canopy and prevent a localized heat island effect.
Forests_green_space
Vancouver Land Use Hearings · Jun 16, 2026 · 1:51:34–1:51:47 · Watch on CVTV ↗
Keywords: open space parks old growth forestry Urban forest Urban Forest tree canopy urban forest Forestry
What was said
1:50:33 and sequester carbon. After cutting these trees, GIN will meet code, as they said, by leaving 10 mature dug fir on one lot and one Oregon white oak and planting 226 saplings, mostly smaller ornamental species. All nine remaining dug firs are on lot 33, which I now understand will be, I guess, owned by the HOA. I'm not quite sure I get that, how that'll work, but. Approximately 180 of the 226 trees planted are ornamental deciduous that were selected for their small size and are within the list the city recommends. Because of their small size and the fact that they will only photosynthesize in the summertime and lose their leaves in the fall, they will sequester much less carbon for more than half the year. These trees will be planted in very small spaces.
1:51:32 And if water, which is a question mark, according to Charles Ray, the urban forest manager, future homeowners have to water these trees for them to survive. These trees, even though small in stature, will likely overgrow their spaces in a few years. About 100 of the 180 trees are being planted along the streets, 34th, 35th, 152nd, and 155th. These trees will have to be regularly pruned in order to allow garbage truck access to the sidewalks where the garbage is planned for pickup. The end result will be that there will be much less carbon sequestration, much less pulling of carbon dioxide from the air by these small trees if they survive. There will be 40 native incense cedar planned in the backyards of the boundary lots along the perimeter.
1:52:30 Incense cedar is a native conifer and it has the potential to grow to 70 plus feet tall and at maturity exceed spreads of 30 feet, being planted in backyards with 10 foot setbacks and 26 foot wide yards.
Evidence (1 match)
direct keyword 1:51:34–1:51:47 open space, parks, old growth, forestry, Urban forest, Urban Forest, tree canopy, urban forest, Forestry
synthesize in the summertime and lose their leaves in the fall, they will sequester much less carbon for more than half the year. These trees will be planted in very small spaces. And if water, which is a question mark, according to Charles Ray, the urban forest manager, future homeowners have to water these trees for them to survive. These trees, even though small in stature, will likely overgrow their spaces in a few years. About 100 of the 180 trees are being planted along the streets, 34th,