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Seattle Launches New ‘Climate Portal’ to Track and Visualize Climate Emissions Using Updated Neighborhood-Level Data  

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The Office of Sustainability and Environment (OSE) is excited to debut the first components of a new map-based website, featuring dashboards that track building and transportation greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) across Seattle neighborhoods. As called for in the Green New Deal Resolution (Res 31895), the site will be updated on a quarterly basis to provide more frequent and granular data indicators of emissions in Seattle’s neighborhoods.

“Fighting the global issue of climate change requires cities to take bold action, reduce emissions, and protect our communities here at home. Through the new Climate Portal, we can now see where climate emissions and pollution are occurring in our city and make decisions guided by science and equity — bringing people together to create more effective policies and programs that drive progress and invest in those hardest hit by the climate crisis.”

– Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell

The Climate Portal launch comes after the recent 2020 GHG Inventory report, which found a significant, but temporary decrease in emissions attributed to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Seattle’s 2018 inventory showed emissions increased 1.1% since the last report, and without additional action the City projects emissions will not only rebound to pre-pandemic levels but also continue this upward trend.

“Our GHG inventories can give us a broad understanding of how our emissions are trending, but they’re not detailed enough in scope or depth to use as the primary source for making decisions that center racial equity. The Climate Portal comes in to address these limitations and provide more frequent, neighborhood-level data that show how climate pollution is worse in certain parts of the City. There’ll be more coming next year – it’s our goal to keep iterating on the Portal to make it more useful and accessible to all Seattle residents.”

– Ani Krishnan, Climate Data & Policy Manager, OSE

In addition to continuing GHG inventory reports and maintaining the Climate Portal dashboards, OSE is exploring new updates to the portal which will incorporate community led data efforts, as well as ways to spatially track city-led investments that are informed by budget recommendations from the Green New Deal Oversight Board. The Portal will also feature community climate stories and track additional indicators that can help inform Seattle’s progress in equitably stewarding a healthy and sustainable city.

“We know that not all in Seattle bear the burden of climate change and air pollution equally. Our communities experience this disparity everyday, and now we have better quantitative data to back up these lived realities. This data can help make the case for investments to ensure communities are supported in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from climate change related emergencies such as extreme weather events and wildfire smoke.”

– Debolina Banerjee, Green New Deal Oversight Board, Puget Sound Sage

The creation of the Climate Portal was guided through feedback from a 2021 community engagement series of listening sessions to identify data gaps, equitable approaches to data collection and more. A report outlining the takeaways from these sessions can be found here.

“As the climate changes, Seattle residents are noticing environmental, health, and economic effects. These changes are harmful for everyone, but our frontline communities bear a disproportionate burden of harm. I thank the Oversight Board, City staff, and community members, who have worked together to guide the development and future iterations of the Climate Portal.”

– Jessyn Farrell, Director, OSE

Learn more about the climate portal and watch a brief video demonstration featuring OSE Climate & Policy Manager, Ani Krishnan.

Mayor Harrell Signs $6.5 Million in 2022 Green New Deal Opportunity Fund

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Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell speaking at an event at the South Park Community Center with Green New Deal Oversight Board members and community partners to sign $6.5 million in Green New Deal 2022 budget investments.

The City of Seattle’s Green New Deal reached a critical milestone on Thursday September 22 as Mayor Bruce Harrell signed into law $6,491,539 in 2022 Green New Deal Opportunity Fund investments that will accelerate the City’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, build community resilience to climate change, and increase net zero affordable housing.  

These investments are the first set recommended by the City’s Green New Deal Oversight Board of 19 community representatives, established by Ordinance 125926 through the Jumpstart payroll expense tax legislation passed in 2020. The Oversight Board also provided recommendations for the Mayor’s proposed 2023 budget, which will include $2.6 million in rebates and incentives to help middle-and-low-income residents transition off oil to clean electric heat pumps. With these investments, Seattle is on the path to transition all oil heating furnaces to clean electric heat pumps. An expanded list of the Mayor’s Green New Deal investments is included below. Mayor Harrell’s full budget will be announced next week.    

“For the past few days Seattle has been blanketed with smoke-filled skies and choking air quality, with areas of the city like here in the Duwamish Valley, where the life expectancy is eight years shorter than the Seattle average, especially hard hit,” said Mayor Harrell. “During times of increasingly severe climate events like these, it’s critical that everyone have access to clean, filtered air and cooling. I am proud to sign today $6.5 million in the Green New Deal Opportunity Fund and look forward to advancing further action in our 2023 proposed budget. I thank the Oversight Board, City staff, and community members, who have worked together to develop this and future sets of strategic and community-driven Green New Deal investments.” 

Investments for the $6.5 Million Green New Deal Opportunity Fund include:   

  • $2.4 Million to Identify and Develop Resilience Hubs in Seattle: Seattle is facing a climate crisis, but not all bear the burden equally. Resilience Hubs are an innovative approach to help ensure communities are supported in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from climate change related emergencies such as extreme heat events and wildfire smoke. The city is working to address community needs at nexus of resilience, emergency management and response, climate change mitigation, and social equity. Mayor Harrell has also proposed $2 million in his Parks District budget proposal toward the Resilience Hub effort. 
  • $2.3 Million to support efforts to get all City-owned buildings off fossil fuels by 2035. The City of Seattle owns 650 buildings, including 27 public libraries which are increasingly on the front lines of community care during climate emergencies. In addition to supporting the decarbonization of all municipal buildings, these investments strategically invest in providing heating, cooling, and clean air at the NE and SW Library branches to support communities during times of climate crisis. 
  • $2 Million to increase the number of city-funded affordable housing projects. Investing in multi-family affordable housing electrification avoids installing new fossil fuel systems that will lock newly created affordable housing – and its residents — into decades of climate pollution.  
  • $300,000 to support climate data and Community Health Indicator project. As the City continues to make exciting investments to address climate change, Seattle is developing the infrastructure to track our impact. This investment will collect critical data needed to see the full picture of climate impact on transportation, community health, and more – allowing the city to further efforts to advance climate justice and reduce greenhouse gas impacts.  
  • $100,00 for community engagement to inform climate elements of the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan update. This investment sets aside funds to support community engagement that will inform climate components incorporated into the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan – an effort fundamental to shaping land use, transportation, and infrastructure investments over the next 20 years. 

These investments and the 2023 budget will drive urgent action through Mayor Harrell’s One Seattle Climate Justice Agenda, centered on efforts and investments to build a green economy and create good jobs, ensure a just transition off fossil fuels, and build community resilience to meet the scale of the climate crisis – leaving no one behind. 

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:  

Seattle City Council Member Teresa Mosqueda 

“Today’s signing represents a crucial step towards fulfilling the JumpStart Seattle spending plan investments in our City’s climate resilience and in our City’s future. These investments represent a portion of the total $14.5m for 2022 and the near $20m for 2023 from JumpStart Seattle that is being directed from frontline and fenceline community representatives on the Green New Deal Oversight Board. As we continue to battle wildfire smoke and see climate impacts worldwide, we must make big, bold investments in forward-thinking, creative solutions to the extreme climate crisis that faces our communities; in particular vulnerable and historically marginalized communities. Thank you to the Green New Deal Oversight Board, staff at the Office of Sustainability and the Environment and the Mayor’s Office for your work towards investing in equitable climate resilience.” 

Maria Batayola, Co-Chair of the Green New Deal Oversight Board 

“At the Green New Deal Oversight Board, this is our first year gathering community priorities, consulting with City departments, and learning quickly to develop the 2022 budget recommendations. We are heartened and humbled to accelerate Seattle’s transition off fossil fuels and improve the resiliency of our impacted overburdened communities during this climate crisis. We are here today thanks to the hard work and dedication of environmental justice leaders from across Seattle’s neighborhoods, past and present. From community members to City staff and elected officials, Seattle’s commitment to justly address the climate crisis is evident in Seattle’s Green New Deal. Thank you.” 

Paulina López of the Duwamish River Community Coalition  

“Communities in Seattle—specially in places like the Duwamish Valley—need places to go and ways to connect to each other and services during times of climate emergencies. Resilience hubs are exciting community driven investments and we look forward to engaging with the City to pilot resilience hubs in the Duwamish Valley where community members are experiencing compounding impacts of sea-level rise, air pollution, and urban heat island effect.” 

WATCH THE EVENT RECORDING:

In its fight for food justice, Young Women Empowered displays its admiration for the Earth

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 By Carol Aragon, Environmental Justice Storytelling Youth Intern

Across the United States, race is the most significant predictor of a person living near contaminated air, water, or soil. It is for this reason that Seattle’s Environmental Justice Fund was created in 2017 to support efforts that benefit and are led by, or in partnership with, those most affected by environmental and climate inequities: Black, Indigenous, People of Color, immigrants, refugees, people with low incomes, youth, and elders. The Environmental Justice Fund supports a wide variety of community-led projects that advance environmental justice and respond to the impacts of climate change. This story series features some of the incredible work led by community groups and organizations supported by the Environmental Justice Fund.

Young Women Empowered’s (Y-WE) mission is to “cultivate the power of diverse young women* to be creative leaders and courageous changemakers through transformative programs within a collaborative community of belonging.” Y-WE offers various outdoor programs including Nature Connections and Y-WE Grow. I had the honor of learning more about Y-WE Grow by interviewing Neli Jasuja who manages this program that was founded on forming a bond with the Earth. Y-WE Grow lives and thrives in South Park’s Marra Farm harbors youth and giving gardens, while being an educational space for those learning about food-related issues.

Neli shared her story with us in between gardening tasks.

Neli leads Y-WE Grow alongside Tayah Carlisle and has focused on food justice throughout her career. I had the wonderful opportunity to hear from Neli about how the EJ Fund has supported Y-WE Grow, her hopes for youth participants, and her emphasis on sustainability through farming while remaining respectful of and connected to the land.

“I love the Environmental Justice Fund,” Neli said. “It feels grounded in respect and trust. Rather than requiring us as an organization to prove ourselves constantly, it feels truly like a relationship. OSE staff have joined Y-WE volunteer work parties and been in community which has meant a lot. And with that trust, with that respect, comes openness for creativity. We don’t have to submit a rigorous grant proposal around what the youth will produce; there’s sometimes pressure around that. Instead, it’s more about letting the magic happen, like what emerges for the youth.”

While the EJ Fund currently supports Y-WE Grow, they were also a recipient of a grant in 2018 which supported their Nature Connections programming. Nature Connections is an opportunity for young women to deepen their relationship with nature and themselves through outdoor activities that allows them to experience nature and dive into environmental justice topics. As a result of their grant, Y-WE served over 230 young women through Nature Connections and the youth had access to outdoor activities including invasive species removal with Snoqualmie tribal leaders and working at Marra Farm, and connecting with the South Park community to share community meals while learning about the environmental justice issues they face.

Currently, the youth who participate in Y-WE Grow contribute to the environmental justice movement through their dedication and participation at Marra Farm and beyond. Once finished with Y-WE Grow, Neli hopes the youth walk away having a respectful relationship with the land, and that they are happy with the work that they accomplish.

“I want them to feel belonging and connection with the land from the start and to know that anywhere they go, they can approach their environment and observe, listen, and converse in relationship. It’s also a lot of pressure to inherit climate chaos and hold the responsibility that is pushed onto them by adults to fix it. What’s special about this space is that young people can heal and contribute at the same time. Action on its own without purpose or understanding of the land’s history, people and environmental justice movements can be dangerous. Self-care without purpose or action can be an avoidance mechanism. Because we have action, purpose, and healing integrated here, the youth know that it’s possible to have all three and build sustainability in environmental justice work long-term. You can experience joy while fighting environmental racism in community.”

On the left, Neli instructs a youth participant on the “chop and drop” method of weeding. On the right, she speaks with the same participant about the mycelium found in the mulch pathways.

Y-WE has collaborated with numerous programs that are focused on environmental equity. Here, Neli describes the importance of the different organizations coming together and the sense of community present at Marra Farm.

Neli and the author pose for a photo together as the volunteer day ends.

“I think that what’s special about Marra Farm is that it’s not just one group farming here. It’s a collection of organizations, neighbors, and individuals all doing cool projects. I think that sometimes when we hear that there’s people engaging in the environmental justice movement, there can be a hero-industrial complex, as though there’s this one person doing it all. We should recognize that people are coming together and sharing resources. That’s the mosaic of it. We’ll have foods next to each other at the market; we’ll look out for each other. It’s very relational, knowing that it also has a much bigger impact across the community. I feel very lucky that there’s so many people in Seattle doing this work. The community is very strong. It’s nice to have someone you can call, and to have people you can ask to join you in the movement. The community aspect is what gives me a lot of life in this work, in addition to the farm work.”

Lastly, Neli shared some words of wisdom for those beginning their environmental justice work.“I’d say it’s urgent and never too late to begin. I started doing this work, fully dedicating my life to it at twenty-five years old. To see where I’m at now and to see where our youth are now, it’s never too late to start building with people in community around this work because it’s work that needs to be done.”

Find out more about the Environmental Justice fund on our website, and consider applying before 4 p.m. on September 16.

*Y-WE uses this term to refer to those who identify as women or were assigned female at birth, inclusive of trans and non-binary folks.

About the Author

Carol Aragon is a Storytelling Intern for OSE through the Seattle Youth Employment Program, assisting in interviewing grantees of the Environmental Justice Fund. She is an incoming undergraduate at Washington State University.

The East African Senior Center brings together communities and generations through environmental learning 

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By Carol Aragon, Environmental Justice Storytelling Intern

Across the United States, race is the most significant predictor of a person living near contaminated air, water, or soil. It is for this reason that Seattle’s Environmental Justice Fund was created in 2017 to support efforts that benefit and are led by, or in partnership with, those most affected by environmental and climate inequities: Black, Indigenous, People of Color, immigrants, refugees, people with low incomes, youth, and elders. The Environmental Justice Fund supports a wide variety of community-led projects that advance environmental justice and respond to the impacts of climate change. This story series features some of the incredible work led by community groups and organizations supported by the Environmental Justice Fund. 

Michael Neguse is a former social worker and community activist who has co-managed the East African Senior Center (EASC) for nearly the past decade, along with program partners Senayet Negusse and Nerea Workneh. He has been an active program organizer, cook, and overall contributor to the work the Center achieves. Throughout the years, he has befriended and put food on the table for many people, especially the elderly. I recently had the chance to visit the Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands, one of the three locations that is home to EASC (which is also based at the Northgate Community Center and the Yesler Community Center). Through this visit and an interview with Michael, I got a glimpse into the activities that elders, youth, and individuals of all ages in between partake in, gained valuable insight on the program’s achievements, and learned how the EJ Fund supported their impact on the communities it serves.  

EASC’s work on the farm began ten years ago when it was an abandoned lot. Since then, they have experienced considerable growth, both literally and figuratively.  

“Individually, we wanted to bring people together and make peace. They come here and make friends, helping each other emotionally. Throughout the years, we lost people who used to come here, but they support each other and try to help other families. When someone gets sick, there are people from this program who go visit. It’s good to have that neighborly connection. Most of our people don’t speak English, but when they come here, they meet other people they can relate to and bond with, which also helps them improve their English. This program is very special to us because the community is underserved, and we think it’s important to share our cultures.” 

The program participants of EASC have adopted a morning routine that is full of life and neighborly connection. It is also a chance for them to tend to the garden’s many features, where plenty of plant species flourish. Michales shared that the seniors have access to “culturally responsible nutritious meals, culturally appropriate health and wellness education, agricultural activities, and social engagement alongside fitness activities.” 

“This is what they do when they come here in the morning: they stretch and do some exercise. Then they tend to the vegetable garden. At 12 p.m., we eat lunch and then when they go home, we give them food to bring. There is a ‘You-Pick’ garden and anyone who comes can pick what they need. We planted trees in the wetlands seven or eight years ago, and it’s now a habitat for insects and birds. We have orchards here, and bees. The garden across the way is for the seniors, where they plant things like corn and peaches. There are also greenhouses over there, where we can grow more food in the wintertime.” 

When the program first began, Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands was scarce of greenery. Today, it is lush. Tall, healthy trees stand among the various fruits and vegetables grown at the farm. Seniors are pictured here, planting more than a dozen trees. Michael explained that one of the trees is a crabapple tree, which the seniors lay a tarp under and shake to harvest. They make jam out of the fruit. 

People from numerous backgrounds visit the farms to feel a sense of tranquility, belonging, and happiness. Michael wishes for the seniors to walk away feeling as such, and the feedback from community members reflect his sentiments. Some participants realize that their mood has significantly improved. 

“I want them to feel great. They come here; they laugh. Because of a language barrier, most of them are isolated, and without this garden, there is no other place they could go. But they come here, they meet their friends, eat together, laugh together, work together, and learn about nature. We want them to have a community here. I’m a community builder. It is good to bring the program participants to a place of nature – trees, water, plants, flowers. Their mood positively changes. We’re planning to do a cultural event where everyone here can bring their loved ones and enjoy the outdoors. The other day I was speaking to someone who is physically ill – the program here has helped her mental health. She says she feels upbeat, loved; there’s people who speak her language. She feels better now. And that’s the impact we want to have on people’s lives. We want them to have a good time. It is a very kind and welcoming atmosphere.” 

As a result of the EJ Fund grant it received in 2020, EASC has expanded, from the number of participants to the assistive services available within the program. During my tour, children were watching live displays of food preparation and gathering around different program volunteers. It is important to note that the farm not only serves seniors, but also the youth who are learning about food sovereignty and what it means to have meals that are farm fresh – or as Michael put it, “from the farm to the table.” He recognizes these effects that the grant has had on the farm and those who come to enjoy their time in the wetlands. 

“The EJ Fund helped us a lot. The number of seniors is growing, and we now have a social worker from Sound Generation, as well as a social worker program coordinator. We give the seniors stipends to show appreciation for what they do and encourage the seniors to come and walk around with their kids and grandkids. This is a safe and beautiful place for community members, especially the elderly. You can hear the birds singing, and the community tells us the air here is fresh. The EJ Fund has given us a chance to help people intergenerationally. There are younger people coming and working. We have day camp for the children and they really enjoy the environment. Everything is done by the seniors – growing food and restoring the wetland – and they learn about the environment including the birds, insects, and trees that grow in the Northwestern United States. Growing food and harvesting is very inspiring for them.  

“We also learned a lot of things thanks to the grant. We have a deep knowledge now about different plants, birds, trees; we learned about pollinators and how they help the environment. There are trees that we can use to make our own necessities, like shampoo, conditioner – there were people who visited here to teach us these kinds of things. There was a guy that came here the other day and taught us about different birds here, which was very inspiring. He showed us which birds live in this wetland. It’s nice to see all the plants and I’m very proud to be a part of this program. Many years ago, there were no buildings here, nothing. We started working hard with planting and cleaning the wetlands. Now, we see the trees and it gives us hope, and inspires us. We have a trail that moves through the wetlands where we welcome everyone to bring their loved ones, and the children also love picking the blueberries that we grow here.” 

EASC’s partner at Building Bridges took the seniors on a nature walk and taught them about different plants and trees. Above, seniors draw different plants and trees, labelling their art in English, Amharic, or Tigrinya. Below, one of the seniors cares for the vegetable plants around the garden.

Find out more about the Environmental Justice Fund on our website and consider applying by September 16 at 4 p.m.!

About the Author

Carol Aragon is a Storytelling Intern for OSE through the Seattle Youth Employment Program, assisting in interviewing grantees of the Environmental Justice Fund. She is an incoming undergraduate at Washington State University.

If You Care About Climate Change, Weigh in on the One Seattle Comprehensive Plan

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By Edie Gilliss, Citywide Climate Initiatives Coordinator

Seattleites have a rare opportunity to help set the stage for climate action in Seattle: the One Seattle Plan, which will determine how the City accommodates housing and job growth over the next 20 years, covering policy areas ranging from zoning and infrastructure to transportation and resilience.

The One Seattle Plan is required under state law to address growth – a particularly relevant concern given that the City’s population grew by more than 20% over the 2010s. As we prepare to welcome new neighbors, it is time to consider how best we can plan to accommodate necessary housing, jobs, utilities, while making Seattle a more affordable, resilient City. The Office of Planning and Community Development is currently gathering initial public feedback online, with the expectation of finalizing and adopting the plan in fall 2024.

This planning process has been structured to take climate and environmental concerns into consideration. Last month the City Council and Mayor passed a resolution “stating the City’s intent to address climate change and improve resiliency” in the One Seattle Plan and the Office of Sustainability and Environment and the Office of Planning and Community Development will be working to ensure that the climate elements of the plan are strong.

Linkages between land use and the environment

There is a strong relationship between how land is used, and our impact on the climate. Where people live, how far they have to commute, the efficiency of our transit system, how efficiently goods and services can be moved through the city, and how efficient our buildings are all play a part in the story told by our climate emissions.  The plan is a great opportunity to make progress on our goals of emissions reduction, resilience against climate change, and environmental justice. You can do your part to make sure the City takes advantage of this opportunity by providing your input.

Racial equity is also a key driver of the plan. Some Seattle neighborhoods, which have long been targets of disinvestment, are home to many communities of color and have significantly lower life expectancy rates and higher rates of childhood asthma. Building a plan, and the future investments that are driven by it, should ensure that the neighborhood someone lives in should not be a factor in their ability to thrive in this City.

Seattle is growing in population, staying the same in terms of physical size, and seeking to reduce carbon emissions. This means that the city will have to become more densely populated while decreasing each person’s carbon footprint, in order to meet our ambitious goals. Fortunately, this is not as hard as intuition might have us think, because density is good for the climate.

That’s right: denser neighborhoods with more closely located amenities tend to have lower carbon footprints. When people must travel longer distances in gas-powered vehicles to commute to work, run errands, drop off kids at school, or engage in leisure activities, this leads to more emissions. Planning for a city where people don’t have to travel as much by car is a huge opportunity for emissions reduction, given that transportation accounts for more than half of Seattle’s greenhouse gas emissions.*

*Another part of this equation is making sure the transportation options that people have at their disposal are better for the environment. In a future post, we’ll discuss how the Seattle Transportation Plan, on which SDOT is currently soliciting public input, is crucial to meeting our climate goals.

How you can weigh in

Our colleagues at the City’s Office of Planning and Community Development have created a Community Engagement Hub where you can voice your opinion. This site contains a lot more information about the details of the plan, as well as forums where people can provide comments and can view and respond to what others have said. Some of the categories include:

OSE encourages you to check it out, think about our climate, and voice your opinion. As the old saying goes, an ounce of civic engagement is worth a ton of carbon emissions!

This year’s Environmental Justice Fund application is open! 

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Apply for a grant of up to $75,000 by 4 p.m. Friday, September 16.

The Office of Sustainability and Environment is now accepting applications for grants from the City’s Environmental Justice Fund. Established in 2017, this fund supports projects whose beneficiaries or leadership include those most impacted by environmental and climate inequities, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, immigrants, refugees, people with low incomes, young people, and the elderly. This year, a total of $750,000 is available, and grant amounts will range from $25,000 to $75,000. We’re seeking applications from nonprofit organizations and community groups working to advance environmental justice and respond to the impacts of climate change. 

The deadline is 4 p.m. on Friday, September 16. The application link and more information can be found on our website here.

For those with further questions or in need of assistance, we’re offering several ways to get in touch. Prospective applicants can: 

Interpretation is available upon request. 

To show off some examples of what the Environmental Justice Fund has helped Seattleites accomplish, we’ll be featuring past grant recipients here on our blog and on our social media throughout the application period. Stay tuned for more! 

Summer interns working for the Delridge Neighborhood Development Association – a 2019 Environmental Justice Fund grant recipient – transplant native vegetation into planters they built themselves. 

This week’s heat wave, and what we’re doing about it

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Seattle is in the midst of a record-setting heat wave, with high temperatures forecast to reach the low 90s each day through Saturday. (You can see the National Weather Service’s latest forecast for downtown here.) Evenings will not offer much respite from the heat. As our climate changes, extreme weather events like this one and last year’s unprecedented heat dome are happening more often and with greater intensity. 

While this might be normal summer weather for other parts of the country, here we are not as accustomed to such extreme heat – and neither are our homes and infrastructure. As of 2019, just 44.3% of Seattle households had air conditioning, and that percentage is lower for households who rent rather than own. Without air conditioning, this heat can be dangerous and even lethal. 

Please visit AlertSeattle for advice on heat safety, a list of air-conditioned cooling centers, resources for the homeless, and more information on the City’s response to the extreme heat. 

Planning for the future 

The extreme heat we’re all experiencing this week is a reminder of the immenseness of the climate crisis and the importance of combating it. OSE is working to address the causes of these extreme weather events and help Seattleites endure their consequences. 

We’re cutting down on the City’s contributions to climate change by transitioning our buildings and transportation away from fossil fuels. By assessing and supporting tree canopy cover, we’re helping to cool down neighborhoods and counter the urban “heat island” effect. We are especially concerned with making sure that frontline communities – those that face especially harsh impacts from climate change, and are often already disadvantaged in other ways – receive their fair share of support from the City. This has motivated efforts including our Equity & Environment Initiative and the Duwamish Valley Program. 

We encourage Seattle residents to take full advantage of our environmental policies by: 

King Conservation District Seattle Community Partnership Programs Awards $761,000 to 13 Organizations

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King Conservation District (KCD) and OSE are continuing their longstanding collaboration to invest in natural resource improvements that are led by or in deep partnership with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities.

KCD received 35 applications from amazing community organizations requesting over $2.4 million dollars in funding. The program had $761,000 available to award this year and selected 13 organizations. Proposed projects represented a range of activities and ideas including community education and empowerment, green career pathways, youth leadership, food justice, habitat conservation, composting and soil health, urban forest restoration, watershed health, and many more.

The focus of this funding opportunity and the 2022 awards continues to be investments in natural resource improvements that are co-created, led by, or in deep partnership with communities disproportionately impacted by environmental injustice, climate change, and systematic racism: Black, Indigenous, People of Color, immigrants, refugees, people with low incomes, youth and elders.

This year, King Conservation District and the City of Seattle are thrilled to announce awards to the following community organizations:

2022 King Conservation District (KCD)-Seattle Community Partnership Grant Program Awardees

AmountOrganizationProject Details
$25,000Hip Hop is GreenCherry Street Farm and Lab: Youth Excellence Program (Y.E.P) Phase II
$70,000InterIm CDADanny Woo Community Garden and Cooking Project
$70,000iUrban TeenResilience, Innovation and Sustainability in a Changing World
$25,000Khmer Community of Seattle King CountyIntergenerational Khmer Land Ethic Internship
$50,000Na’ah Illahee FundContinuation of Daybreak Star Restoration for Sovereign Futures
$70,000Nurturing RootsUrban – Rural Food Connection
$70,000Plant Based Food SharePlant Based Food Share Project
$70,000Restaurant 2 GardenRestaurant 2 Garden Project
$70,000Somali Family Safety Task ForceSomali Community Growing Together
$58,000Sustainable SeattleRiparian Caretakers
$70,000Villa ComunitariaSalsa De La Vida
$70,000Windz of Change AllianceRestoring Native Stewardship in Urban Ecology
$43,000YouthCareYouthGrow Project
$761,000Total funds awarded for 2022

Overcoming Challenges & Building Opportunities Together

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2021 Duwamish Valley Program Update & Progress Report 

By Alberto J. Rodríguez (OSE) & David W. Goldberg (OPCD) 

It is no secret the last couple of years have been extremely challenging. But, due to the incredible grit, perseverance, and community leadership, we have overcome many challenges and built opportunities — together. In this update we describe some the Duwamish Valley Program’s highlights from 2021.

Throughout the years, the South Park and Georgetown communities have identified priorities and developed plans in collaboration with volunteers, universities, non-profits, philanthropic entities, and government agencies, many of which are led by communities of color and low-income communities and thus ensure that racial and social justice are front and center. None of these efforts would be successful without the many community members who contributed countless hours of volunteer time and labor to improve their neighborhoods and help deliver projects and programs. To all of you, THANK YOU! 

Since 2016, the City of Seattle’s Duwamish Valley Program and Duwamish Valley Action Team (DAT) have worked to create positive change in the Duwamish Valley and build a more just and equitable city. Despite encountering many obstacles and delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the DAT continued to work collaboratively to break silos, use an intersectional approach, and build partnerships with community, other agencies, and philanthropic organizations to deliver on the actions included in the  Duwamish Valley Action Plan.

We would like to share some highlights from 2021:  

2022 Duwamish Valley Package of Investments: 

The City’s 2022 budget included one of the largest packages of investments since the release of the Action Plan in 2018 (approximately $9 million). These investments will expand youth leadership and capacity building, fund essential improvements to community gathering spaces, improve mobility and access to greenspace and the Duwamish River, improve air and environmental quality, and support local businesses and workforce development. Many of these were supported by and will be aligned with Seattle’s Green New Deal.

COVID-19 Relief & Response: 

Photo Credit: Rosario-Maria Medina

The Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE) supported 12 women- and BIPOC-owned small businesses in Georgetown and South Park with technical assistance and/or four rounds of protective supplies and gear. Additionally, in partnership with community-based organizations, we supported more than 100 South Park and Georgetown families and individuals with rental assistance, utility payments, emergency grocery vouchers, and healthcare costs. 

Reconnect West Seattle:

The unexpected closure of the West Seattle Bridge dramatically impacted the Duwamish Valley communities. In 2021, Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) and Department of Neighborhoods (DON) worked with South Park and Georgetown community members to identify, design, and implement traffic calming and pedestrian safety projects to mitigate for the bridge closure. Among other things, together we planted 100 street trees each in South Park and Georgetown; established Home Zones in both neighborhoods; built a new sidewalk and finished the Duwamish Longhouse & Cultural Center interim crossing signal to provide safer access to those visiting the Longhouse and people walking and biking on the Duwamish Trail; and many other things.  

Duwamish Valley Resilience District:  

OSE, the Office of Planning & Community Development (OPCD), and Seattle Public Utilities (SPU), launched, paused, and re-launched our efforts to establish a Resilience District in the Duwamish Valley. While delayed, we made progress last year, including hiring Equitable Future to lead community engagement efforts and Environmental Works as the landscape architecture firm to support the design and implementation of two pilot projects (i.e., Unity Electric site planning in South Park and improvements to 8th Ave. S in Georgetown). In the next few weeks, we will begin broad community engagement. Stay tuned for more information.   

And there’s even more!

We also want to celebrate progress on all seven priority areas in the Action Plan, including:  

Healthy Environment:

Photo Credit: Hannah Letinich

Parks & Open Spaces:

  • Duwamish Waterway Park. Seattle Parks & Recreation (SPR) has been making improvements to the park. Construction is nearing completion and work is underway with the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) to define final environmental remediation actions. 
  • South Park Community Center. SPR finalized design, is currently working on corrections, and anticipates bidding this summer with construction starting in the fall of 2022. 
  • South Park Plaza. SPR has been leading this work. The project is nearing completion of construction documents and permits have been submitted to King County for their review and approval.  
  • Unity Electric. SPR purchased a 1-acre site on the Duwamish River (Unity Electric site), next to Duwamish Waterway Park to support community interests in open space, increasing access to the river, habitat restoration, and developing community-supportive nonprofit spaces. 
  • Georgetown Flume Off-Leash Area. SCL transferred part of the property SPR to develop a new off-leash area and pedestrian thoroughfare in the Georgetown neighborhood. After meeting with Ecology, SPR learned that the project is now required to submit an Interim Action Work Plan (IAWP) that Ecology must approve. Consequently, construction must be delayed until summer of 2023, contingent upon Ecology’s approval of the IAWP. 
  • 8th Ave. S and Gateway Park North. SDOT continues working with community, SPR, and the Port of Seattle on plans to improve the 8th Ave. S Street End/Gateway Park North in Georgetown, and to develop an environmental testing and remediation strategy.  

Community Capacity:

Seattle Human Services Department and OSE supported the Duwamish Valley Youth Corps and Georgetown Youth Council; OPCD and Finance & Administrative Services continued supporting tenants with developing long-term plans for managing and improving the South Park Neighborhood Center; DON, OSE, and OPCD funded community-based organizations  via the Food Equity Fund, the Duwamish River Opportunity Fund, the Environmental Justice Fund, and the Equitable Development Implementation Fund; and OPCD and SPR launched community engagement for site planning for the Unity Electric property. 

Mobility & Transportation:

SDOT secured funding for the construction of the Georgetown to South Park Connection/Trail (including the intersection at 16th Ave. S and E Marginal Way S) and SPU and SDOT began a project to improve chronic flooding and drainage issues in South Park. 

Economic Opportunity & Jobs:

Several departments increased local access to contracting and jobs and the Office of Economic Development and OSE provided support to small businesses via COVID-19 relief funds and Neighborhood Recovery Funds.   

Affordable Housing:

The Office of Housing entered into a purchase and sale agreement on two adjacent properties in South Park. They expect to complete the acquisition in the first half of 2022. 

Public Safety:

SDOT implemented pedestrian safety and traffic calming projects as part of Reconnect West Seattle and supported improvements to the Duwamish Bikeway/8th Ave. S Trail in South Park 

In 2022 and 2023, many of these projects will go from planning and design to construction, so you will be seeing on-the-ground improvements.  

We look forward to continuing working with you to advance environmental justice, equitable development, and climate and community resilience in the Duwamish Valley. 

Thanks for your ongoing support! 

Alberto & David  

Join the Green New Deal Oversight Board’s Online Listening Session on Monday, April 18

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Seattle’s Green New Deal is moving our city toward becoming climate pollution-free while creating jobs and advancing an equitable transition to renewable energy by prioritizing investments in communities most harmed by economic, racial, and environmental injustices.

Seattle’s Green New Deal Oversight Board (GNDOB), established through legislation, connects frontline community-led voices and the Seattle city government in support of developing policy, programs and investments that advance Seattle’s Green New Deal. The GNDOB is developing recommendations for the Mayor and City Council on how to spend a percentage of money raised by the City’s new payroll tax.

To inform their budget recommendations, the Board would like to invite you to a virtual listening session on Monday, April 18 at 5pm to hear about your and your community’s priorities to address climate change. Please register here to receive the meeting link.