PGE deal revives Forest Park tree removal plan

The latest: In a deal finalized last week, the utility pledged to increase funding for mitigation and restoration efforts for the roughly 370 trees that would be cut down as part of the proposal, the Oregonian reported.

• That follows four months of negotiations after city councilors voted unanimously to block the project, overruling a hearings officer who had approved the plan.

Yes, but: Several conservation groups said they were excluded from the final round of negotiations, per the Oregonian, and felt blindsided by the deal.

What they're saying: "We are frustrated that the City has caved to PGE's pressure campaign, and is poised to approve their destructive project in Forest Park," Micah Meskel, with the Bird Alliance of Oregon, told the Oregonian.

The other side: The deal represents "win-win solutions to serve Portlanders reliable energy and improve Forest Park," Kristen Sheeran, PGE's vice president of policy and resource planning, told Axios in a statement.

Context: PGE has argued the project is necessary to replace aging transmission lines and to add capacity to avoid power outages in the city.

• Critics maintain that the project will harm sensitive species and could open the door to further development within the park.

What's next: The city will issue a report recommending approval of the project as part of the deal, but it will still need to go through a public hearing before it gets the go-ahead.