Greenspace Blog Office of Sustainability & the Environment

Greenspace

City of Seattle Blog

Three Positions Available: Apply by 2/24 to Join the Urban Forestry Commission

by

Commission meetings are held twice a month on the first and second Wednesday from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Currently, meetings are being held remotely via Webex application (with access via either phone or computer). 

The City of Seattle is now accepting applications for three positions on the Urban Forestry Commission, a 13-member body established to advise the Mayor and City Council around policy and regulations related to protecting, maintaining, and preserving trees and vegetation in the City of Seattle. There are three open positions:

  • Position #2 – Urban Ecologist (or similar)
  • Position #3 – Natural Resource Agency or University Representative
  • Position #13 – Community/Neighborhood Representative.

Commission positions ask for a time commitment of roughly 8-10 hours per month. In addition to meeting one of the positions above, applicants must also understand the impact racism and race-based disparities have on communities of color and have an interest in working to eliminate these disparities and advance equity. Applicants should also have an interest in collaborating with other community members to develop recommendations for tree canopy care and protection, while centering the communities most burdened by lack of access to tree canopy and its related benefits, and demonstrated ability to develop collaborative, productive, and respectful relationships with people from diverse educational, social, cultural, and racial backgrounds.

How to Apply:

If you are interested in collaborating with a team of community leaders working on improving the care and management of Seattle’s tree canopy for the benefit of the community while centering communities most impacted by health and educational injustices, please apply by February 24. For information on the open positions and to access the application, please visit our website.

For more information, please contact Patti Bakker, Interim Urban Forestry Commission Liaison, at patricia.bakker@seattle.gov.

About the Commission:

The Urban Forestry Commission was established in 2009 by Ordinance 123052 to advise the Mayor and City Council concerning the establishment of policy and regulations governing the protection, management, and conservation of trees and vegetation in the City of Seattle. Commission meetings are held twice a month on the first and second Wednesday from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Currently, meetings are being held remotely via Webex application (with access via either phone or computer). Commission members must live or work in Seattle and generally must commit approximately eight to ten hours per month to Commission business and serve without compensation. Additional information about the Urban Forestry Commission can be found at http://www.seattle.gov/urbanforestrycommission.

The thirteen-member UFC consists of a wildlife biologist; an urban ecologist; a representative of a local, state, or federal natural resource agency or an accredited university; a hydrologist; a certified arborist; a representative of a non-profit or non-governmental organization; a representative of the development community or a representative from a non-city utility; an economist, financial analyst, or Washington State license real estate broker; a Get Engaged young adult; an environmental justice representative; a public health representative; and a community/neighborhood representative.

About the Seattle Urban Forest Management Plan:

The City of Seattle set the bold goal of achieving 30 percent tree canopy cover by 2037 to increase the environmental, social, and economic benefits trees bring to Seattle residents. The Seattle Urban Forest Management Plan (UMP) is a comprehensive strategy for increasing Seattle’s tree canopy cover to meet the 30 percent target. The UFMP lays out outcomes and a broad range of actions to be implemented over time to preserve, maintain, and plant trees as well as restore the public forested areas remaining in the city. A recent canopy cover assessment shows Seattle has 28% canopy cover. More information about Seattle’s urban forest program can be found at http://www.seattle.gov/trees/management.htm

Deadline 1/31: Apply to Join Seattle’s Green New Deal Oversight Board

by

Green New Deal Oversight Board
Are you passionate about climate justice? Would you like to be a voice for communities and workers most impacted by climate change? Are you committed to mitigating the causes of climate change and improving our city’s resilience to it?

The City of Seattle is seeking passionate individuals to join the Seattle Green New Deal Oversight Board to work collaboratively on solutions to climate change that center our frontline communities (Black people, Indigenous people, sovereign tribal nations, communities of color, immigrants, refugees, youths, elders, houseless people, disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, people with low and no income, and people who work in outdoor occupations) and people who live, work, plan and pray in Seattle.

Apply to Join the Green New Deal Oversight Board Today! 

A Green New Deal for Seattle seeks to eliminate climate pollution by 2030 while creating jobs that advance a just and equitable transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy by prioritizing investments in communities historically most harmed by economic, racial, and environmental injustices.

The Office of Sustainability and Environment is currently accepting applications for the following 3-year term seats: 

  • One representative directly impacted by racial, economic, and environmental injustices.
  • One representative of environmental justice organizations.
  • One representative with experience in greenhouse gas reduction and/or climate resiliency strategies relevant to cities.

Apply by January 31st by visiting:   https://seattle.surveymonkey.com/r/gndob2022 or contact equityenviro@seattle.gov for more information.  

2022 Seattle Community Partnership Grant Program Now Accepting Applications

by

King Conservation District (KCD) and Seattle’s Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) are excited to announce that the 2022 Seattle Community Partnership Grant Program is now accepting applications!

There is a little more than $700,000 in funding available from KCD and each proposal can request up to $75,000. This grant invests in natural resource improvements led by or in deep partnership with communities disproportionately impacted by environmental injustice and systematic racism.

Organizations seeking to improve natural resources and advance environmental equity can learn more and apply at https://kingcd.org/tools-resources/grants/seattle-community-partnership-grant-program/.

Applications Due February 4, 2022 at 12:00PM

Application info: https://kingcd.org/tools-resources/grants/seattle-community-partnership-grant-program/

Eligible projects can focus on a number of areas for natural resource improvement, including:

  • Managing and preventing stormwater pollution
  • Protecting and restoring creeks, shorelines and wetlands
  • Building healthy soil
  • Supporting the urban forest
  • Supporting a sustainable food system

View the grant guidelines to learn more about the natural resource priorities and actions, as well as the Equity and Environment Initiative strategies that projects should address. This year’s grant will take into consideration unique needs to continue doing natural resource and environmental justice work amidst a pandemic.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Jessica Saavedra at King Conservation District Jessica.Saavedra@kingcd.org or call 425-773-9065, or email Chris Iberle with the Office of Sustainability & Environment at chris.iberle@seattle.gov.

City of Seattle’s Environmental Justice Fund Awards $750,000 in Grants for 14 Projects Led by and Benefiting Those Most Impacted by Climate Change

by

2021 Grants Are Largest-Ever Amount Awarded and Continue Trend of Growth Each Year 

The City of Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE) is pleased to announce $750,000 will be awarded through the Environmental Justice Fund (EJ Fund) to 14 community-led projects designed to benefit those most impacted by environmental and climate issues, including communities of color, immigrants, refugees, and Indigenous people.

“In Seattle, we are confronting the intersecting crises of climate change, COVID-19, and systemic racism by leading alongside the community and working directly with the community,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “The Environmental Justice Fund is a critical tool to directly support community-based organizations led by communities of color that are bringing innovative, aggressive, and bold local solutions to achieving environmental and racial equity.”

The Environmental Justice Fund was developed in 2017 as part of the City’s Equity & Environment agenda to provide grants to community-led projects that improve environmental conditions, respond to impacts of climate change and get us closer to achieving environmental justice. Since its launch, the EJ Fund has awarded three grant cycles of over $1.1 Million to 26 community-based organizations, whose projects are led by or are in deep partnership with communities of color impacted by environmental injustices.

“The Environmental Justice Fund plays a critical role in supporting community-driven projects especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Edwin Hernandez of Duwamish Valley Sustainability Association, a newly awarded Environmental Justice Fund grantee. “This funding will allow us to engage youth in exploring ways to accelerate a transition to renewable energy sources in the Duwamish Valley.” 

Overall, OSE received 44 proposals totaling nearly $2.8M. Proposals focused on a range of climate and environmental justice topics including food justice, workforce development, environmental education, renewable energy, and youth leadership.

“These 14 grantees represent the breadth of creative efforts that advance climate and environmental justice and are designed and led by frontline communities harmed first and worst by climate change,” said Lisa Chen, Equity & Environment Manager, OSE. “The EJ Fund advances the goals and strategies of the Equity & Environment Agenda by directly investing in community-led efforts that advance environmental equity in Seattle.”

Select EJ Fund grantees and select members of the Environmental Justice Committee served on the seven-member review committee to ensure continuity in a community-led process, a cornerstone of the Fund since inception.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has left many seniors feeling isolated, struggling to access critical services and culturally appropriate foods as well as reduced opportunities to connect with fellow seniors and community members,” said Senayet Negeusse, 2021 grant review participant and who’s organization, East African Senior Meal Program, was awarded a grant in 2020. “Funding from grant programs like the Environmental Justice Fund helped our organization weather the most severe impacts of the pandemic, and I’ve been thrilled to help continue the legacy of the EJ Fund by serving as a grant reviewer this year. I hope the City will continue to expand and manage this program for years to come.” 

Three of these organizations (Doorways Project, Y-WE, and Delridge Neighborhood Development Association) are past recipients of the EJ Fund. Funding these proposals deepens the relationship and investment in their work and within their communities.

“We were thrilled to be part of the 2019 EJ Fund cohort and support community workshops and habitat restorations with neighborhood youth at the Delridge Wetland Park,” said David Bestock of the Delridge Neighborhood Development Association. “With this year’s funding, we can expand our work to empower and equip local youth with a deep understanding of environmental justice and connection within the neighborhood.“

The increase in this year’s EJ Fund is a result of 2021 recommendations from the Equitable Communities Initiative (ECI) Task Force, adopted by City Council. This allocation increased the Environmental Justice Fund by $550,000, bring the total award amount available to $750,000.

The organizations receiving funding and their projects are:

  • Delridge Neighborhood Development Association (DNDA) – $56,012

DNDA’s project aims to provide paid opportunities for high school-aged, primarily youth of color from South Delridge to connect and build a relationship with their natural environment. They plan to lead youth in developing a deeper understanding of environmental justice and exposure to community and federally driven efforts within the neighborhood. They plan to empower youth to develop a project of their own choosing that relates to the environmental justice issues discussed in the program and work with youth to develop digital media skills. This program will focus on the historical ecology of our local landscape, traditional Indigenous approach to ecosystems, specifically looking at Roxhill Bog located in South Delridge.

  • The Doorway Project – $64,450

The Doorway Project will expand their Bloom Urban Gardening Internship, a place-based educational internship aimed at developing critical consciousness around the relationship to land and self. This internship serves youth and young adults experiencing homelessness in the University District. Funding will support the growth of the program to host two internship cohorts per year.

  • Y-WE (Young Women Empowered) – $75,000

Funding will support the Y-WE’s Nature Connections (NC) program, with a focus on environmental justice and healthy food systems in marginalized communities of color. In this time, Y-WE Nature Connections will directly benefit young women in Seattle, primarily from communities of color and of immigrant and low-income backgrounds. Young women will engage in food systems learning and food production, gaining facilitation skills and leading community environmental health and food justice activities. In Y-WE Grow program activities at Marra Farm in the South Park neighborhood, participants will connect with the Earth in reciprocal relationship and gain practical gardening skills while increasing environmental justice knowledge, confidence, and commitment.

  • Basilica Bio – $61,050

Gardening Under the Microscope will expand current efforts at the Garfield Community Center Garden. In addition to maintaining the garden and producing food for the community surrounding them, Basilica Bio will continue to use the spaces as an avenue for their interactive mobile classroom. Participants leave each event with knowledge of important farming and gardening techniques and greater context for why developing local food systems is so important.

  • Beacon Hill Council – $75,000

This work advances ongoing efforts to mitigate air and noise pollution that impacts the Beacon Hill community, comprised of 32,000 residents of which 70% identify as BIPOC and 44% identify as immigrants and refugees. Specifically, funding will provide organizational capacity to educate, activate, and mobilize the Beacon Hill community members to be able to claim their voice and stories to testify in writing or in person to the proposed SeaTac Airport expansion of capacity to accommodate the increase from 47-66 M passengers, the doubling of international flights and the tripling of air cargo.

  • Duwamish Valley Sustainability Association (DVSA) – $75,000

The organization seeks to accelerate the transition to renewables in the Duwamish Valley, starting in South Park, by facilitating a youth-led process to design, engage, and implement a community-wide project to establish a decentralized biofuel and solar energy system. The project deliverable will be a roadmap towards a zero-waste energy system for South Park, which is scalable to the Duwamish. While building the roadmap, they will create a medium and long-term strategy plan for DVSA. This project also includes a skill building component for youth to position them to join the green workforce.

  • International Capoeira Angola Foundation – $30,000

This grant would launch the Nourishian Training pilot program to reconnect Black, Indigenous, and People of Color with the land and cultural traditions, building leadership within community to advocate for their needs, and leveraging the basic human need for nourishment and food as a tool for resistance and healing. The International Capoeira Angola Foundation views shifting power dynamics in health, education, and agricultural systems as a key aspect of advancing environmental justice. The goal of the pilot is to support twelve Nourishians in developing knowledge about how food choices are connected to health, community, and the health of the land.

  • Khmer Community of Seattle & King County (KCSKC) – $69,826

KCSKC will partner with Department of Neighborhoods to bring Khmer youth to the High Point P-Patch to learn how to grow food from the Khmer elders who currently steward the Market Garden plots of the P-Patch. This project will support intergenerational activities outdoors while teaching youth about localized food systems.

  • Muslimahs Against Abuse Center – $30,000

This organization seeks to launch a weekly series to educate and build awareness about food insecurity and poverty in with the East African community. They will facilitate workshops, cooking classes that provide healthy food alternatives, and create a guide to local food resources accessible to community. The organization will also establish a local food pantry that will offer culturally-relevant halal food as well as water and air filters for those who need it.

  • Raíces Verdes – $30,000

Raíces Verdes is a platform by and for BIPOC artists and storytellers dedicated to highlighting the stories of BIPOC people in connection with the environment in a multidisciplinary and living archive. Their mission is for Black, Indigenous, and other racialized people to reconnect to their ancestral “green roots.” This funding will create an Environmental Justice art series, a photo essay of the Seattle-area P’urhépecha diaspora, and video storytelling on food justice and Black liberation. Funding will also support a paid social media fellow and a small summit for BIPOC environmental justice storytelling.

  • Serve Ethiopians Washington – $30,000

Through this project, Serve Ethiopians Washington will conduct community outreach activities to raise awareness on environmental justice issues affecting the East African community. The organization will host educational events on different topics, including indoor and outdoor air quality, to build awareness of the health impacts as well as identify community priority areas regarding environmental justice.

  • The Backpack Academy – $43,300

The Backpack Academy strives to ensure Rainier Valley BIPOC youth have access to up-to-date information about job readiness and workforce marketplace opportunities. To this end, they will launch a 6-month workshop series for youth ages 16-24 to learn about transportation mobility, carbon footprint reduction, and clean energy alternatives. Through the hands-on component to convert manual bikes to electric bikes, youth will learn engineering and green energy concepts and develop new skills.

  • Sawhorse Revolution – $35,362

Sawhorse Revolution will develop and pilot a “Y/our Green Impact Handbook” to teach high-school-aged youth furthest from educational justice about fundamentals of green building and design, introduce them to a variety of green jobs, and interrogate the intersections of environmental, social, and racial justice built into our landscape. Working with the Northwest Eco-Builders Guild, A&R Solar, and, crucially, a board of Black and Brown designers, builders, urban planners, and educators who are living this work, they will undertake the necessary research and program revisions needed to incorporate green design and construction practices into our full suite of programs. The curriculum will be piloted in a Sawhorse design/build program in mid-2022 and published/widely implemented by end of 2022.

  • Wa Na Wari – $75,000

Funding will support Wa Na Wari to focus on a comprehensive garden redesign that implements both a learning lab space and a spring to fall co-design workshop where local BIPOC community members have access to green space and community building opportunities amid the ongoing COVID pandemic. They will design young adult and intergenerational learning labs for soil remediation that are both culturally attuned and deeply scientific at the same time to seed deeper cross-cultural understandings.

2021 OSE Year in Review

by

Michelle Caulfield

Letter from Interim Director, Michelle Caulfield

Dear OSE Friends & Colleagues,

The start of a new year is always a time of reflection – an opportunity to consider the past year and look boldly toward the opportunities ahead. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, OSE hit the ground running in 2021, working with City departments and community stakeholders to advance equitable communities and reduce climate impacts. I am proud of our accomplishments and the way our team – along with City staff from every department – stepped up to meet unprecedented community need.  

In 2021, we awarded the most-ever in funds for BIPOC-led grantees through the Environmental Justice Fund. We saw the implementation of the new building energy code to eliminate most fossil fuel uses in commercial and large multi-family buildings. We launched the Transportation Electrification Blueprint, Seattle’s strategy for electrifying everything that moves people, goods, and services throughout our city. All the while, our food team continued to address rising food insecurity due to COVID and expanded Fresh Bucks to include more customers and more retailers.

OSE also supported the establishment of the City’s first-ever Green New Deal Oversight Board and worked with the Mayor to assemble $8.5M of Duwamish Valley investments to implement community priorities, a $14M package of investments to advance Seattle’s Green New Deal, and a Climate Executive Order to eliminate fossil fuels from existing buildings, expand transit access and Healthy Streets, and advance clean energy workforce development.

Looking ahead, the OSE team continues to advance climate and environmental justice priorities under the leadership of Mayor Bruce Harrell and in partnership with all of you. We are over-the-moon excited to leverage new federal investments and Seattle’s Green New Deal to make big climate and community resilience impacts in 2022 and the years to come. I am hopeful that 2022 will be another unprecedented year – but with a record level of progressive policies and investments to combat the climate crisis, protect natural ecosystems, advance environmental justice, foster healthy food systems, develop a more resilient and healthier communities, and keep Seattle green.

As we close out 2021, we want to thank you for all you do for sustainability and the environment. We wish you a wonderful holiday season and a very Happy New Year. As is our tradition, we leave you with OSE’s 2021 by the numbers, with thanks to so many organizations and community members whose partnership made these activities possible.

Thank you for your partnership.

-Michelle 

Michelle Caulfield, Interim Director
Office of Sustainability and Environment

OSE’s 2021 By the Numbers: 

  • Grant proposals received for the 2021 Environmental Justice Fund cycle: Dollars requested: $2.8 million. Dollars granted: $750,000
  • Dollars of COVID emergency grocery vouchers distributed before sunsetting the program in July: $25.4 million. Households served: 14,000
  • Appointments made to the Green New Deal Oversight Board: 15
  • Members of the GNDOB Inter-Departmental Team, to support the Green New Deal from inside City government: 21
  • Number of people who attended the Environmental Justice Committee’s panel on Tribal and Native Perspectives on the Connection of Energy and Climate Justice: 173
  • OSE staff members interviewed on live TV, talking about electrifying “everything that moves people, goods, and services” & educating viewers about Seattle’s first-in-the-nation Transportation Electrification Blueprint: 1
  • Equitable Road Pricing Strategies Workshops with BIPOC Community leaders: 7
  • Fresh produce boxes distributed to SPS students to help meet food insecurity needs: 221,000
  • Fresh Bucks customers enrolled to receive $40/month: 12,000. Percent of those customers from priority RSJI communities: 75%. Community-based organizations contracted to support that enrollment:
  • Dollars secured from King County’s Conservation Futures Tax to acquire property in South Park to expand an existing park, increase river access, and site a building for community-supportive services (in collaboration with SPR and OPCD): $2,000,000
  • Affordable housing units that will be created in South Park with OH’s purchase of 2 properties, advancing the priorities of the Duwamish Valley Action Plan: 100+
  • Small businesses in South Park and Georgetown provided with COVID support through a reallocation of OSE general funds: Percent of these businesses that are BIPOC-owned: 92%
  • Listening sessions held with stakeholders and BIPOC community members to inform tree protection updates (with SDCI): 12
  • Percent energy reduction in municipal buildings since 2008: 23.5%. Percent above target: 3.5%
  • City-owned buildings occupied by CBOs providing community services with completed energy efficiency upgrades: 3 (South Park Neighborhood Center, NeighborCare at Columbia City, and Daybreak Star)
  • Percent of Seattle’s largest buildings compliant with Tune-Up law: 91%
  • Number of Seattle buildings that will save significant energy via a tune-up: 660
  • Benchmarking & Tune-Up technical assistance inquiries handled to help owners comply: 3,325
  • South Seattle College Sustainable Building Science Technology benchmarking outreach interns sponsored: 4
  • Households the City helped convert from oil to heat pumps since the Clean Heat program inception in 2017: 850. Gallons of oil per year avoided: 425,000. MTCO2e avoided: 63,000
  • Followers on OSE’s Twitter: 2,003. Total tweets throughout the year: 400. Impressions from those tweets: 435,000
  • News articles placed about OSE’s work or featuring OSE staff members: 35. Average per month: 2-3
  • Number of state legislative climate-, environmental- and food-related bills reviewed by the OSE team: 50
  • Major climate Executive Orders passed: 1
  • Number of OSE staff members thankful for your service and wishing you a Happy New Year: All of us!

Reflecting on My Time as an Intern with OSE

by

Hello, my name is Aditi, and I was the communications intern for the Office of Sustainability and Environment for this past summer and fall. As my internship comes to a close, I wanted to reflect on what I did and learned over the past six months.

One of the biggest responsibilities I had during this internship was managing our social media accounts, and I focused on Twitter in particular. I think communication from the government to the people we serve on a platform that is accessible and easy to follow is very important and can help bridge the gap that can often exist between them. Paring down important information and communications to 280 characters can make it easier to digest and help us focus on what’s significant.

During this internship, I started a series on twitter that I called the OSE Happy Series. Every so often, I tweeted out some uplifting climate news or stories that emphasized and encouraged hope in the future of our planet. Climate change is scary, but there is still so much we can be and are doing right now, and I believe that fearmongering and nihilism only slows progress. I think important to remind people to be hopeful that we can still work to combat the climate crisis, and that it’s not too late. That’s why I really wanted to tweet out little bits of positivity whenever I had the chance.

I also wrote for this blog, which really allowed me to strengthen my writing skills. The posts that I am the proudest of are Reflecting on the Big Day of Play and Reflecting on the PNW Heatwave (they both start with the word reflecting… and so does this one… I must really like that word). I was able to put more a more personal touch on those and write about topics that particularly interested me. I also thoroughly enjoyed being able to chat with Alyssa Patrick for the former blog post.

Being an intern and working what was functionally my first office job during a global pandemic was a rather unique experience, but I am so grateful that I was still able to connect with the others in the office remotely, and even meet up with some of them at Gasworks Park once. I met some really impressive and amazing people in OSE. Some cool things happened at OSE and the City of Seattle while I was interning with them, like the executive order announcement on November 1st, Fresh Bucks launching electronic benefits, and the $1.7 Million budget announcement for oil-to-heat-pump conversations for low- and middle-income households. My experience with this internship has given me vital experience in government and public service, which is what I want to go into after I graduate from UW this spring.

I am so grateful for this experience, this office, and all the amazing people that I was able work with. Thank you!

Be Ready Be Hydrated Water Bottle Giveaway at Rainier Beach High School

by

On December 7, the City of Seattle joined S’well water bottles and Lonely Whale to give away hundreds of free, reusable water bottles to Rainier Beach high school students to support new water bottle filling stations that were just installed at the school.

This was a joint effort between us, Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle Public Schools, Seattle Human Services, and FEEST Seattle to promote drinking water.

City Staff spoke with students about Seattle’s drinking water and why it’s better than bottled water, both because of how clean it is and because it reduces plastic use, and the importance of staying healthy and hydrated while distributing the water bottles. When you drink Seattle’s tap water, you’re having mountain fed drinking water that ranks as some of the best water in the country.

The City’s efforts are part of the Be Ready, Be Hydrated campaign, which is funded by the Sweetened Beverage Tax. Research shows that the more water people consume, the less sweetened beverages they will drink.

Earlier this year, OSE teamed up with the HSD, SPU, and Lonely Whale at the annual Big Day of Play to promote hydration and spread awareness about the safety and cleanliness of Seattle’s water, where the team gave away thousands of reusable S’well water bottles.

FEEST Seattle Students at Rainier Beach High School created some amazing posters promoting the new water bottle filling stations and encouraging students to drink fresh water.

Fresh Bucks Welcomes HT Oaktree Market as New Retail Partner

by

Fresh Bucks is excited to welcome HT Oaktree Market, located in Seattle’s Licton Springs neighborhood, as our newest Fresh Bucks retail partner. HT Oaktree is open seven days a week from 9 am – 8 pm and is located at 10008 Aurora Ave N.

Nearly 12,000 households enrolled in the Fresh Bucks program receive $40 a month to purchase fruits and vegetables at participating farmers markets, farm stands, and grocery stores. Customers can shop at farmers markets, six small grocers, and all Seattle Safeway locations. At independently-owned grocers like HT Oaktree, customers can shop for frozen, canned, and dried fruits and vegetables (without added fat, salt, or sugar) in addition to fresh produce.

Owners Mike Kee and Debbie Che are ready to welcome Fresh Bucks customers to their store. “We cater to the diverse communities in North Seattle and HT Oaktree is stocked with foods that are not commonly found in other grocery stores in the area,” said Mike Kee. “Here you can find Hawaiian yams, Chinese winter gourd, and nance along with a wide variety of canned and frozen fruits and vegetables.”

HT Oaktree also has grocery aisles devoted to Latino foods, Asian foods, Halal foods and European foods in addition to specialized produce.

Robyn Kumar, Fresh Bucks Program Manager, has been looking forward to the addition of HT Oaktree, “It has long been a priority to expand the Fresh Bucks retail network to increase options for culturally relevant produce. Throughout the coming year, Fresh Bucks will announce additional new retailers, where customers can redeem their Fresh Bucks benefits, including large supermarkets, small independent stores, BIPOC-owned grocers, and additional grocers that offer culturally-relevant produce items.”

Fresh Bucks customers now have the convenience of paying for their fruit and vegetable purchase with their Fresh Bucks Card or app. This new redemption model reduces the stigma customers may experience using paper vouchers at checkout. Customers can use their Fresh Bucks Card or the app linked to their account to purchase fruits and vegetables at all participating Fresh Bucks retailers. The new system also provides real-time transaction reporting and retailer reimbursement within two business days, reducing challenges for small grocers, farmers, and other businesses who accept Fresh Bucks.

Fresh Bucks is funded by Seattle’s Sweetened Beverage Tax and General Fund and operated by Seattle’s Office of Sustainability and Environment.

For questions or to learn more about Fresh Bucks, visit SeattleFreshBucks.org or reach us at Freshbucks@seattle.gov or 206-684-2489.

Mayor Jenny Durkan Announces New Executive Order at COP26 Climate Summit to Drastically Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

by

Executive Order directs City departments to implement new carbon-based building performance standards, expand transit access and Healthy Streets, and advance clean energy workforce development

GLASGOW (November 1, 2021) – Mayor Jenny A. Durkan today announced a new Executive Order directing City departments to accelerate action toward net zero emission buildings, healthy and equitable transportation, and clean energy workforce development to advance climate justice. Actions announced today are projected to reduce the City’s building carbon emissions an additional 27% by 2050.

“From a new normal of smoky summers and dangerous heat in Seattle, I have never seen the impacts of climate change that we are now facing,” said Mayor Jenny Durkan. “We’ve invested billions to support green transportation, efficient buildings, and other policies to mitigate climate change, but we know we need to do more to reach net zero. Cities are leading the way to take real action – our work in the last four years is making a commitment to reduce our building emissions by nearly 50% and lead the nation on climate justice and equity.”

Buildings account for more than one third of Seattle’s climate pollution and are one of the fastest growing sources of emissions. Mayor Durkan’s Climate Action Executive Order will:

  • Direct the Office of Sustainability & Environment to create legislation for Carbon-based Building Performance Standards for existing commercial and multifamily buildings 20,000 sq ft or larger in 2022. This standard is estimated to reduce building greenhouse gas emissions 27% by 2050.
  • Prohibit fossil fuels in City-owned buildings by 2035 to continue Seattle leading by example.
  • Provide options to lower upfront and operating costs for affordable housing to address the climate crisis and improve resilience as we build, operate, and maintain affordable housing.

“Seattle needs to take serious and significant action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings. A carbon-focused building performance standard is a cornerstone to that effort and will build on the success and work at the state and city level to reduce energy use,” said Amy Wheeless, Senior Policy Associate at the NW Energy Coalition. “This bold action must also come with supportive policies that ensure the benefits of this transition are equitable and support affordable energy services.” 

Key provisions in the Executive Order include:

  • Expanding free transit for SPS Middle and High School students with additional ORCA cards for middle school students. Announced in 2018, Seattle’s ORCA Opportunity is now available to up to 8,000 additional middle school students, 15,000 high school students, and more than 1,000 Seattle Promise students.
  • Expanding Seattle’s Stay Healthy Streets to establish City’s first urban pedestrian zone. Potential sites for the urban pedestrian zones will be identified by December 31, 2021 for implementation in Summer of 2022.
  • Taking legislative and permitting action to incentivize electrification and make it easier for residents, businesses, and governments to transition away from fossil fuels and go electric.  
  • Launching $1 million pilot to convert heavy-duty diesel trucks operating in the Duwamish Valley to electric to reduce carbon pollution and diesel emissions.

“Expanding ease of access to public transit is a key element of creating a climate resilient and socially equitable city,” said Alex Hudson, Executive Director of Transportation Choices Coalition. “This transit expansion project will help get more young Seattleites where they need to go safely and reliably, while also lowering transportation costs for families and empowering a new generation of transit riders.”

“EVgo applauds the City of Seattle for making continued advancements toward a fully electrified transportation sector,” said Sara Rafalson, Vice President of Market Development and Public Policy at EVgo. “Public-private partnerships, coupled with critical efforts to streamline permitting, are important tools to accelerate infrastructure investments for fleets and personal use vehicles alike.”


In addition to policies that reduce emissions in the buildings and transportation sectors, the City is working to advance a more diverse clean energy workforce to ensure a just transition off of fossil fuels. Key provisions of the Executive Order include:

  • Launching City clean energy workforce committee to advance the economic equity goals of Seattle’s Green New Deal in alignment with the Green New Deal Oversight Board.
  • Deploying new 2022 clean energy workforce investments and identify City capacity and funding needs and regional partnerships to prepare, connect, and diversify workers in the growing clean energy sectors.

“Seattle has been a trailblazer in energy efficiency, mode shift to transit, electrification, smart growth near transit, eliminating fossil fuels from homes and commercial buildings, and climate justice, but we need to do more,” said Michelle Caulfield, Interim Director of the Office of Sustainability & Environment. “I’m proud to see Seattle’s leadership on display at COP26 and the Mayor standing with leaders from across the globe to confront the climate emergency head-on.”

Mayor Jenny Durkan announced the executive order from Glasgow, Scotland, where she is representing the City of Seattle at the COP26 Climate Summit which brings Cities and nations together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

“Cities have proven time and again their ability to push the envelope on climate action and consistently raise ambition – the Building Performance Standard (BPS) announced today by Mayor Durkan is a great example,” said Kelly Shultz who leads the sustainable cities program at Bloomberg Philanthropies. “Policies to lower building emissions are critical to ensuring a sustainable, more inclusive future. We celebrate this announcement and look forward to continuing our collaboration with cities leading the fight against climate change like Seattle.”

“It’s exciting to see these next steps from a city that already has ambitious climate policies on the books,” said Elizabeth Stampe, a city strategist at NRDC with the Bloomberg Philanthropies American Cities Climate Challenge. “Policies like free transit for kids and cleaner energy in large buildings do more than reduce greenhouse gas emissions: they make Seattle a better place for all people to live and breathe. A zero-emission pedestrian zone is an especially important way to reduce pollution and make way for safer walking in Seattle. As the City makes good on these commitments in the coming year, we expect to see equity front and center alongside decisive climate action.”

The City of Seattle has already led bold action to advance energy efficiency and decarbonization in buildings, including a new commercial energy code that is among the strongest on climate in the nation, an Oil Heat Conversion Tax to fund low-income household conversions from oil heat to electric heat pumps, a ban on fossil fuels in new municipal buildings, accelerated transportation electrification including expanding bus-only lanes and transit capital investment, 52 miles of new bike facilities in the last five years, EV Readiness Ordinance requiring EV-ready electrical service in new off-street parking stalls, environmental and racial justice policies, and more.

Apply to Join the Urban Forestry Commission

by

The City of Seattle is now accepting applications for two positions on the Urban Forestry Commission, a 13-member body established to advise the Mayor and City Council concerning the establishment of policy and regulations governing the protection, management, and conservation of trees and vegetation in the City of Seattle. There are openings for Position #4 – Hydrologist (or similar) and Position #6 – Landscape Architect with ISA Arborist Certification. Commission positions ask for a time commitment of roughly 8-10 hours per month. 

About the Commission:

The City of Seattle set the bold goal of achieving 30 percent tree canopy cover by 2037 to increase the environmental, social, and economic benefits trees bring to Seattle residents. The Seattle Urban Forest Management Plan (UMP) is a comprehensive strategy for increasing Seattle’s tree canopy cover to meet the 30 percent target. The UFMP lays out outcomes and a broad range of actions to be implemented over time to preserve, maintain, and plant trees as well as restore the public forested areas remaining in the city. A recent canopy cover assessment shows Seattle has 28% canopy cover. More information about Seattle’s urban forest program can be found at http://www.seattle.gov/trees/management.htm

The Urban Forestry Commission was established in 2009 by Ordinance 123052 to advise the Mayor and City Council concerning the establishment of policy and regulations governing the protection, management, and conservation of trees and vegetation in the City of Seattle. Commission meetings are held twice a month on the first and second Wednesday from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Currently, meetings are being held remotely via Webex application (with access via either phone or computer). Commission members must live or work in Seattle and generally must commit approximately eight to ten hours per month to Commission business and serve without compensation. Additional information about the Urban Forestry Commission can be found at http://www.seattle.gov/urbanforestrycommission.

The thirteen-member UFC consists of a wildlife biologist; an urban ecologist; a representative of a local, state, or federal natural resource agency or an accredited university; a hydrologist; a certified arborist; a representative of a non-profit or non-governmental organization; a representative of the development community or a representative from a non-city utility; an economist, financial analyst, or Washington State license real estate broker; a Get Engaged young adult; an environmental justice representative; a public health representative; and a community/neighborhood representative.

How to Apply:

If you are interested in collaborating with a team of community leaders working on improving the care and management of Seattle’s tree canopy for the benefit of the community while centering communities most impacted by health and educational injustices, please apply by November 12, 2021. For information on the open positions and to access the application, please visit our website.

For more information, please contact Patti Bakker, Interim Urban Forestry Commission Liaison, at patricia.bakker@seattle.gov.