Environmental groups ask Port of Portland to re-vet its mass timber tenant over CEO's past
Fourteen environmental groups, including Oregon Wild and the Sierra Club Oregon Chapter, asked the Port of Portland in an Oct. 28 letter to fully vet Zaugg Timber Solutions, anchor tenant of its Terminal 2 mass timber campus, and to disclose details of its lease. The port says Zaugg met its requirements.
The letter centers on Tobias Levey, Zaugg's North American CEO, OPB reported. In 2022 the Seattle nonprofit Forterra fired him from its Forest to Home project, The Seattle Times reported at the time. That project relied on wood from 12,000 acres of Snoqualmie Tribe forest land and on a $20 million U.S. Department of Agriculture grant. The tribe pulled its support and accused Forterra of overstating how much timber its forest could supply and of not consulting it.
An investigation paid for by Forterra found that Levey led the grant writing and was the only staff member in direct contact with the tribe. It also found the application counted on the tribe for about $1.5 million in matching money, which the tribe never agreed to, and that Levey added that pledge two days before submission. Investigators said they found no direct evidence that he meant to deceive anyone. Levey told The Seattle Times at the time that he made mistakes without malice.
Port spokesperson Kara Hansen said the port did its due diligence and found that Zaugg and its owners went beyond the port's requirements. She did not answer OPB's questions about Levey. Zaugg Timber Solutions, the North American arm of Swiss firm ZAUGG, said by email it had no concerns about his leadership. The letter also argues the port has not weighed what more mass timber output would mean for public forests. Zaugg signed on in 2025 as part of a state push for mass timber backed by Gov. Tina Kotek.
Why it matters: Oregon's mass timber factory plans rest on public land and public money, so partner vetting is now a public fight. Mills, CLT suppliers and modular subs counting on Zaugg work at Terminal 2 should watch whether the port releases lease terms or reopens its review.