I-205 multi-use path begins to grow … trees

Friends of Trees and its Green Space Initiative (GSI) program officially started planting along the I-205 multi-use path Saturday.

Thirty volunteers arrived at SE 94th and Yamhill to plant 100 trees the week before Christmas, successfully kicking off this three-year partnership between Friends of Trees, Metro and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). The larger plantings begin starting Jan. 9 at NE Marine Drive and 112th Avenue and run through March.

With tools and gear lining the side of the approximately 200-meter stretch of path, one volunteer transported Grand Fir, Douglas Fir, Ponderosa Pine, Bigleaf Maple and other species via his bicycle version of a flatbed truck.

“I’m really happy, thrilled to see some greenery here,” said volunteer Aaron Tafrman.

Whether planting trees or commuting to work by bicycle, both actions have positive environmental merit, said Tarfman.

“I think we should appreciate everyone’s efforts to help make the city green,” he said.

The $400,000 grant awarded to Friends of Trees—the largest capital grant Metro has ever given—has an interesting back story regarding how a tree became deemed a capitalized asset by the regional governing body, but the planning did not stop there.

Potential tree sites were studied and analyzed for months by GSI staff and ODOT representatives. Once those were established, tree species were selected based on sun exposure and proximity to water, according to GSI Manager Logan Lauvray.

“The planning on this job is great,” said Amy Dial, landscape coordinator for ODOT. “This is a perfect place to plant trees.”

“It’s nice to see trees rather than just bear earth,” said Dial.

To view more planting photos, visit the Friends of Trees Flickr page.

–Toshio Suzuki