The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) has named Pendleton as Oregon’s Tree City of the Year. It’s an unusual honor given that the town in northeast Oregon is surrounded by rolling grasslands and was largely treeless except along the Umatilla River when Pendleton was laid out in 1868. Early city residents wasted no time planting trees to buffer the winds and offer shade from the area’s hot summers.
That tree-planting tradition has continued to this day. In partnership with the Umatilla National Forest and the volunteer-led Tree Commission, the city annually distributes free trees to residents during an Arbor Day celebration, giving away 250 last year and nearly 700 over the past 4 years.
A city of more than 16,000 people, Pendleton has maintained its status as a Tree City USA for the past seven years and in 2023 received a national Arbor Day Foundation Growth Award.
ODF Community Assistance Forester Brittany Oxford said Pendleton earned Tree City of the Year honors not only for planting trees but for their active response to drought, invasive species, plantings to offset the gradual decline of the oldest trees in city parks, and commitment to address herbicide damage to trees.
“The Tree Commission and city staff work on tree-related projects with many partners, from OSU Extension to the Forest Service and the Girl Scouts,” said Oxford. “That track record of being a good collaborator helped them win a federal grant of $2 million for their urban forestry program.”
Parks director Liam Hughes said the City will use the funds in three key areas:
· Tree planting and maintenance
· Workforce development
· Planning and community outreach
“We want to increase access to nature and green spaces by maintaining and expanding tree canopy coverage citywide” said Kaci Radcliffe, chair of the Tree Commission. “The grant money will also help us facilitate long-term planning, youth and early career experiences, and foster community outreach.”
