MUNJOY HILL BOARD CALLS FOR MORATORIUM

The Munjoy Hill Neighborhood Organization’s Board Of Directors on September 11th called for a moratorium after hearing from concerned citizens about the cutting of old evergreen trees from Fort Allen Park.

The eighty to one-hundred years old trees have been earmarked by the City for “incremental removal” in accordance with the City’s Eastern Promenade Master Plan, and some have already been removed. The initial phase of removal spurred local residents into action, which led to the MHNO’s Board of Directors immediate drafting of the following proposed moratorium:

“In the name of preservation, the Munjoy Hill neighborhood Organization asks the City of Portland to place a moratorium on the further “incremental removal” of evergreens from the Eastern Promenade, particularly in Fort Allen Park. Regardless of historic interpretations, these trees, eighty to one- hundred years old, represent mature vegetation, are healthy, and are not volunteer invasive growth, but deliberate plantings that add to the character of the landscape. We ask that there be no further cutting of the mature evergreens of Fort Allen Park until further community consideration occurs.”

Past MHNO president Dave Cowie said, “It takes a couple of hours to drop a tree; it takes a hundred years to replace it” and after discussing the potential ramifications of the tree removal, board member Nolan Thompson said, “Remember Union Station.”

The board urged residents to contact East End City Councilor Will Gorham about the issue. It plans to make more information available about the tree cutting, the moratorium, and the Eastern Promenade Master Plan on Saturday, September 16, at the annual Munjfest event on Munjoy Hill.