The Portland firm coming in to help settle the discussion of what to do with the site known as Heritage Square is tasked with reading the pulse of the community in order to make their recommendation.

Let the public process begin. I believe that Astoria should create a tiny forest on the site that would have many benefits for locals and tourists alike, and put Astoria on the map as a forward-thinking community with an innovative City Council unafraid to think outside of the box.

Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki developed the tiny forest concept of using natural vegetation to restore degraded urban land. Since its inception 50 years ago, tiny forests have been established in cities throughout Japan and Europe.

Among the many benefits are a beautification of a blighted area, while assisting in the mitigation of climate change, providing a place in a city where people can recharge and relax, while getting more in touch with nature (and the wildlife that inevitably shows up) and the forest’s use as an educational tool for local kids.

There could still be some additional parking, benches and an information kiosk explaining the project and the importance of timber harvest to our area. Selection of the trees planted could be extended to the Oregon State University forestry program, which could result in state subsidies to cover the cost of the project.

There is lots of information about tiny forests online. Check it out, and get on board!

ROGER DORBAND

Astoria