The Fight for Forest Park: What You Might Have Missed

All of the Examiner's coverage in one place

The trees that would have gone: Photo from Bird Alliance of Oregon.

The Fight for Forest Park: What You Might Have Missed

Today we posted our report on the Portland City Council’s rare and unanimous rejection of Portland General Electric’s plan to run high-voltage transmission lines through Forest Park. It was a fast turnaround—newsworthy, but brief.

This follow-up is for those who want the full story.

Over the past year, the Northwest Examiner has tracked PGE’s proposal from its quiet beginnings to its resounding defeat. What started as a little-noticed infrastructure plan evolved into a flashpoint over how Portland balances green space, community voice and corporate pressure. Below is a curated guide to our complete coverage—investigations, commentaries and civic drama in six acts.

Our Full Coverage of PGE’s Forest Park Plan

🔎 Power Ploy
Our original investigative report exposed how PGE’s “Harborton Reliability Project” would slice through a protected public asset. We asked early: Why weren’t more people sounding the alarm?

🔥 It Could Happen Here
A close look at the wildfire risk posed by overhead transmission lines in Forest Park. With firefighting access limited and climate risks rising, the stakes were higher than they first appeared.

🪓 PGE’s Tree-Cutting Plan Is Bad News for Portland
In this letter to the editor Darcie Meihoff, former president of the Forest Park Conservancy, argued that cutting old-growth trees in underserved areas contradicted Portland’s environmental equity goals.

🤝 Old Friends Once in High Places
A closer look at the former city officials and behind-the-scenes relationships that helped move the project forward despite early public concerns.

🗳 PGE Gets No Support From Portland City Council
As opposition grew, so did scrutiny from elected officials. This piece documents how the council came to break with the city hearings officer’s initial greenlight and push back on the utility’s claims.

✅ Ruling Against PGE Gives Rare Affirmation
Our latest, posted today: the final vote, the legal implications and why this may be one of the strongest examples in recent memory of Portland listening to its people.