Portland’s airport hypes sustainable timber, but those lofty claims are more complicated than they seem

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Portland’s airport hypes sustainable timber, but those lofty claims are more complicated than they seem

Last summer, after years of anticipation and marketing hype, Portlanders got to see what the first part of a $2 billion airport terminal renovation looked like.A small forest of trees, some as high as two-story buildings, growing out of lush garden planters. Soft seating shaped like tree limbs and boulders. But what really grabs visitors' attention is the ceiling: intricately woven wood lattice looming over it all like a protective tree canopy.T…