Wildlife advocates raise concerns about PGE proposal in Forest Park

On the northern tip of the 5,200-acre Forest Park, PGE is proposing a project to improve its power grid. It would cover roughly five acres of the park.

“This project is really critical because much of our transmission system was built in the 60s and 70s. Very little of it has been upgraded since then,” said Andrea Platt, a spokesperson for PGE. “We have buses and commercial trucks that now run on, you know, electricity as opposed to fossil fuels, and that’s really important to be able to electrify as we work to affect the warming climate.”

The project would result in the loss of about 376 trees.

“[This] includes 150-year-old trees, two streams and wetlands, which are knitted together in a complex ecosystem. That is diverse, and provides so many homes for wildlife and a water source,” said Micah Meskel, the urban conservation director with the Bird Alliance of Oregon.

He said it will make it easier to continue taking land from the park.

On the other hand, PGE has pledged to plant more trees than it takes down.

“Those benefits that they’re purporting to make will be realized in 150 years from now. And what we need is the habitat now,” said Meskel.

We went back and brought that concern to PGE.

“So there would be temporary disruption to the area. However, the process is somewhat slow, and it would be done in a way that would be seasonally accommodating to wildlife habitat,” said Platt.

https://katu.com/news/local/wildlife-advocates-raise-concerns-about-pge-proposal-in-forest-park
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News post in at: January 26, 2025, 3:00 am.

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