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A new Portland city code that will take effect on Friday is intended to protect trees from being chopped down as part of development.

Under the Title 11 Tree Code, developers of sizable projects in Portland must preserve a certain number of trees during construction or pay a fee, said Mieke Keenan, coordinator of the city tree program. The new regulation is expected to encourage developers in initial project planning stages to consider ways to avoid cutting down trees, she said.

鈥淭he intent of the tree code is to get more trees preserved during development,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t’s getting people to think about trees early in the process.鈥�

During the city permitting process, developers of projects that involve ground-disturbing construction on properties 5,000 square feet or larger will be required to submit a tree plan. It must account for all trees with trunks that are 12 inches in diameter or larger on the property slated for development. The new code will require developers to preserve at least one-third of those trees. Otherwise, the developer will be required to pay the city $1,200.

To help inform people about the tree regulation, city officials have set up a hotline 鈥� 503-823-8733 鈥� and are urging developers, contractors and citizens to 鈥渃all before you cut.鈥� City staffers will answer the hotline from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and respond to voice mails left on the line outside of those hours, Keenan said.

Additional information about the tree code is available at . City staffers also will answer tree permitting questions emailed to [email protected] or in person at the City Development Service Center, 1900 S.W. Fourth Ave.

The new policy stems from the city’s Tree Project, a collaborative effort between the Bureau of Development Services and Portland Parks & Recreation. The project involves implementation of the tree code adopted by the Portland City Council in 2011, streamlining policies and improving enforcement of rules to protect trees in the city.

City officials delayed implementation of the tree code that the City Council approved four years ago because of a lack of funding during the recession, Keenan said. As development activity in Portland began to rebound, the city added five staffers to assist code promotion and enforcement, she said.