Tabor to the River aims for 200 trees this year

Partners in Community Forestry 2009

National Arbor Day Foundation Conference: Nov. 9

With an emphasis on combining both ‘grey’ and ‘green’ approaches to improving storm runoff control, the Bureau of Environmental Service’s Tabor to the River (T2R) program hopes to plant 3,500 trees by 2023.

That is, of course, if the funding becomes more secure, said BES Environmental Specialist Naomi Tsurumi at the National Arbor Day Conference.

Program facets range from replacing structurally deficient pipes (grey) to strategically planting trees where they will provide maximum benefit to sewer problems (green).

Working together on the river basin program that runs from Mt. Tabor to the Willamette River, T2R and Friends of Trees are able to offer significantly discounted trees to pre-identified home owners.

“It can’t be stressed enough that this program couldn’t exist without partnerships,” said Tsurumi, who added that Friends of Trees’ plantings are great events with enthusiastic neighbors.

“It’s really an honor for the city to be a part of that,” said Tsurumi.

With a target area that is 37 percent impervious surface, BES canvassers created detailed maps that identified over 5,000 potential spots for street trees.

Last year, T2R planted 150 trees via the Neighborhood Trees program.

–Toshio Suzuki