Forestry Division
Portland, Maine – ‘the Forest City’
It is fitting that Portland, the largest city in Maine has long been known as ‘the Forest City’. Trees, forests and open spaces blend well with our urban environment and our geographic setting located on Casco Bay and the Gulf of Maine. It is the synergy and balance between our built environment and the natural environment that make Portland a great place to live, work & play.
The Forestry Section has been managing Portland’s community forest resources: shade & ornamental trees along with city woodlands and parks since the late-nineteenth century. Our municipal community forest consists of over 20,000 trees along over 300 miles of public roadways and in our parks & public grounds. Our Horticulture group create and maintain beautiful display gardens along with maintaining landscape elements from green roofs and rain-gardens to our Deering Oaks rose garden and downtown planters.
With help from the Maine Forest Service’s ‘Project Canopy’ program and the US Forest Service – Portland recently completed a city-wide GIS based tree inventory, conducted management plans for our woodland parks and created a ‘Portland Forest Video’ as part of the MFS ‘Profiles of Woodland Stewardship’ series.
Portland has received the ‘Tree City USA’ award from the National Arbor Day Foundation since 1978.
PROGRAMS
Our Forestry Division provides a great deal of opportunities for tree planting each season. Programs include:
- Co-Op Tree Program
- Tree Replacement Program
- Portland Tree Trust Program
- HCD Residential Tree Program
- Capital Improvement Program / Street Reconstruction Project Planting
- Memorial Tree & Gift Tree Program
COMMUNITY SUPPORT – In 2014 ‘the Friends of Forest City Trees’ was formed by Portland residents to advocate for Portland’s trees & forests. With a focus on environmental benefits of trees, edible landscape (orchards & food forests), sustainable trees & forests.
A Short History of Trees in Portland | Read now.
Excerpted from: Green Spaces Blue Edges: An Open Space Plan for the City of Portland
Historical Yearly Forestry Reports: 1900 - 1934 | View reports.
Our annual city reports contain an interesting view back and make for interesting reading.
Shade Trees | Open excerpt.
The following is an excerpt from History of Portland by William Willis, written in 1864.
- Invasive Pests
- Invasive Threats to Maine's Forests and Trees
- Forest & Shade Tree - Insect & Disease Conditions for Maine
- Bugs (Insects, Spiders, Mites, etc.)
- Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)
- Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)
- Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)
- Emerald Ash Borer (EAB)
- Hemlock Wooly Adelgid (HWA)
- Asian Longhorn Beetle (ALB)
- Winter Moth
- Browntail Moth
- Browntail Moth
Contact Us
-
PARKS OFFICE
212 Canco Rd, Ste A
Portland, Maine
PH: 207-808-5400
OFFICE HOURS
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
INTERIM PARKS director
Alex Marshall
CITY ARBORIST
Jeff Tarling
Email Forestry
PARK RANGER
Jill Mulkern
Ph: 207-808-5454
DURING NON-WORKING HOURS
CONTACT PUBLIC SAFETY
(207) 874-8575
- Staff Directory
- Recommended Tree List
- Forestry Resources
- Co-Op Tree Program Registration Form
- Memorial / Gift Tree Program Registration Form
- Co-Op Nurseries
- Forest Plan
- Baxter Woods
- Future Forests of the Northern U.S.
- Tree Conditions Report
- Yardscaping
- Longfellow Arboretum
- Maine Forest Service - Insect & Disease Fact Sheets
- Maine Bug Watch
- US Forest Service
- ISA - Tree Selection "Trees Are Good"
- Right Tree, Right Place
- Cornell University Tree Selections
- U.S. National Arboretum
- Cary Award - Trees / Shrubs
Contact Us
-
PARKS OFFICE
212 Canco Rd, Ste A
Portland, Maine
PH: 207-808-5400
OFFICE HOURS
8:00 AM - 4:30 PM
INTERIM PARKS director
Alex Marshall
CITY ARBORIST
Jeff Tarling
Email Forestry
PARK RANGER
Jill Mulkern
Ph: 207-808-5454
DURING NON-WORKING HOURS
CONTACT PUBLIC SAFETY
(207) 874-8575