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Washington Launches Statewide Partnership for Tree Equity, Aiming to Expand Canopy Cover and Promote Healthier Communities 

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OSE Director Jessyn Farrell helps mulch trees at Roxhill Park. 
 

On Thursday, April 13, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and OSE Director Jessyn Farrell joined the Department of Natural Resources and American Forests at Roxhill Park to launch the Washington Tree Equity Collaborative, a statewide partnership to achieve Tree Equity across Washington State by expanding and fortifying neighborhood tree canopy cover.  

The Washington Tree Equity Collaborative aims to enhance urban forestry programs over the next three years, with a focus on increasing tree canopy equity and engaging cities, community organizations, and stakeholders. The collaborative supports projects that boost tree canopy and urban forest health in currently low-canopy neighborhoods, benefiting communities by providing cooling during heatwaves and promoting better human health outcomes. The Collaborative comes after the final 2021 Tree Canopy Assessment revealed the city lost 255 acres of tree canopy since 2016 (an absolute decrease of .5% and 1.7% relative decline), an amount roughly equal to the size of Green Lake. 

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell and OSE Director Jessyn Farrell at the Tree Equity Collaborative event.

Local urban and community forestry advocates gathered to hear statements from Mayor Harrell and Director Farrell, along with American Forest President and CEO Jad Daley, Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz, and Duwamish Alive Coalition Community Engagement Team Member Willard Brown. 

“Trees are critical to our health, climate and quality of life in Seattle, and our most recent Tree Canopy Cover Assessment shows that we have more work to do to protect and grow our tree canopy,” Mayor Harrell said. “Following the data and leading with equity, we’re advancing efforts to reverse this decline and address inequities in canopy distribution impacting frontline communities. Growing canopy cover takes time, but our urgency today reflects a healthier, greener Emerald City tomorrow, which is why I am proud to partner with the Department of Natural Resources, American Forests and leadership from other cities to support our urban forests.” 

Seattle is among the first Washington cities to join the collaborative, and Mayor Harrell signed a pledge that will commit the city to: 

  • Over the next five years, plant 8,000 trees on both public and private properties; plant 40,000 trees in parks and natural areas; and perform maintenance on 40,000 trees. 
  • By the end of 2023, implement a policy to require three trees to be planted for every healthy, site-appropriate tree removed from city property. The same policy will require two trees to be planted for every tree that dies or is deemed hazardous or invasive. 
  • By the end of 2024, develop a Tree Canopy Equity and Resilience Plan for achieving Seattle’s tree canopy goals. 
Washington State Tree Equity. Learn more at treeequityscore.org 

Under the agreement, the DNR will look to American Forests’ Tree Equity Score tool to coordinate and enhance urban and community forestry in an equitable way in Washington. The tool reveals that nearly 85% of urbanized neighborhoods in the state lack sufficient tree cover, leaving over 2 million residents with less than half the required tree canopy for their neighborhoods. 

Watch: Digging in to the Tree Canopy Cover Assessment

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The City of Seattle released the final 2021 Tree Canopy Assessment showing Seattle’s 2021 tree canopy cover is 28.1%, down from 28.6% in 2016. Seattle’s goal is to achieve 30 percent citywide canopy cover by 2037, distributed equitably, as well as to improve tree health and resilience to climate change.

Watch this video interview between OSE Director Jessyn Farrell and Urban Forestry Patti Bakker as they talk key findings and recommendations from the report, and what they mean for maintaining a healthy and robust urban forest in Seattle.

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

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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

City of Seattle Releases Newly Updated Urban Forest Management Plan

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Trees are fundamental to the character of Seattle and to our quality of life. In our rapidly changing climate, Seattle’s urban forest is an increasingly important asset, playing a critical role in mitigating climate change impacts, including heat island effects, as well as supporting Seattle’s public health, providing habitat for wildlife, creating spaces for exploration and enjoyment, cleaning our air and water, and reducing the quantity of stormwater runoff, further helping water quality.

This year’s extreme heat events have had devastating impacts, especially in low income and Black, Indigenous, People of Color communities. Trees are an effective tool to reduce the impacts of heat events, reducing temperatures in and around homes. The role of trees in mitigating this significant and increasing impact to our community underscores how important it is to ensure the urban forest is effectively managed.

Updated Urban Forest Management Plan Provides a Roadmap to a Healthy Urban Forest

Seattle’s newly updated Urban Forest Management Plan provides a framework for policy and action that guides City government decision-making to help Seattle maintain, preserve, enhance, and restore its urban forest.

The core of the plan is a set of outcomes, strategies, actions, and indicators that will guide department staff in supporting a healthy and sustainable urban forest across Seattle’s publicly and privately owned lands.

The suite of actions included in the plan support and protect the urban forest through its full range of growth and development, from on-the-ground tree maintenance and stewardship to promote the health and longevity of the existing canopy; to focusing City tree planting and maintenance in communities that are harmed first and worst by the effects of extreme heat and other inequities; to planning for an urban forest that can withstand the next several centuries in a changing climate by identifying tree species resilient to climate change and pests; to investing in restoration of forested natural areas that provide a welcome respite from summer weather and an in-city forest refuge for our communities and wildlife; to incentivizing tree planting and stewardship on private land through providing trees, education, and resources; to actions aimed at protecting the urban forest, such as updating tree protection regulations. The plan also includes actions to enhance coordination and communication and to further build relationships with BIPOC and low-income communities so that they realize all the benefits of Seattle’s trees and green spaces.

The guiding principles of the Plan are a diverse, comprehensive set of outcomes developed by the multi-departmental Urban Forestry Core Team through a robust, inclusive engagement process:

  1. Racial and social equity. Urban forestry benefits and responsibilities are shared fairly across communities, community trust is built, and decisions are guided by diverse perspectives, including those of environmental justice priority communities.
  2. Ecosystems and human health. The urban forest improves air quality, human well-being, public health and water quality; provides beauty, environmental and economic benefits, fish and wildlife habitat, food, outdoor fun; and helps store rainwater.
  3. Human safety and property protection. In implementing the work, urban forestry teams use up-to-date practices to protect the safety of the public and staff.
  4. Climate change. Urban forestry work helps people, and urban trees and vegetation adapt to, recover from, and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
  5. Community care. The Seattle community, including all people, organizations, institutions, and businesses, works together to appreciate and care for the urban forest and to understand tree protection regulations.
  6. Balance competing priorities. City government will work to grow, maintain, preserve, enhance, and restore Seattle’s urban forest as it meets other priorities. Urban forestry practices and policies work with and support other City and community goals including access to spaces, climate action, culturally appropriate resource provision, economic development, environmental protection, social justice, food and medicine production, housing, balancing tree shade with light, public safety, recreation, transportation, and utility provision.

In order to achieve these outcomes, the Plan includes seven overarching strategies that represent a comprehensive approach to mobilizing informed and effective action. A prioritized set of actions, including the actions described above as well as others, form the action agenda through which the Plan will be implemented and through which the urban forest is managed.

An Integrated Approach to Urban Forest Management

Seattle’s urban forestry functions are organized in an integrated approach, where the responsibilities for the work are housed in nine departments that conduct urban forestry work. These departments worked together to develop this plan and will lead implementation to ensure effective management of this citywide resource across the departments.

The City’s first Urban Forest Management Plan was created in 2007; this is the second update of the Plan.

The City’s Urban Forestry Core Team members worked with their department leadership and staff teams throughout the plan development process. It was also important to hear from community in preparing this update, so an inclusive engagement plan was created to reach out to historically underrepresented communities as the plan was developed.

A Robust, Inclusive Engagement Process

That public engagement plan was carried out in two phases, with initial outreach focusing on BIPOC communities, as well as other key stakeholders, in 2018-19 prior to putting pen to paper. The first draft of the plan was created with that initial input.

The second phase included engagement with and feedback from the Urban Forestry Commission as well as sharing the draft plan with the community and other key stakeholders. Listening session participants and the Community Based Organizations that supported BIPOC engagement in Phase I were also re-engaged in order to make sure we incorporated their input into the goals, strategies, and actions.

All of this input was summarized and considered, and appropriate changes incorporated into the Plan. The team then conducted the SEPA process, which resulted in a Determination of Non-Significance which was not appealed. With the SEPA process finalized, the plan moved to final production and is now published.

The City’s Urban Forestry teams look forward to working together and with community partners to implement the action agenda and continue ensuring the health of this important resource today and for many generations to come. More information on the plan and the City’s Urban Forestry work is available on the Trees for Seattle website.

Seattle’s Urban Forestry Commission Position Opening

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Reading under a fall treeThe City of Seattle is looking for a new Urban Forestry Commission (UFC) member to fill Position #4. This position is for a hydrologist or similar professional, preferably with expertise in the study of natural drainage, climate or air quality, or a combination. This position is appointed by the Mayor, and confirmed by City Council, for a renewable, three-year term starting December 1, 2014 and extending through December 1, 2017. Applications are due Monday, November 10, 2014.

To be considered, please email a letter of interest and resume to Sandra Pinto de Bader. To send a paper submittal, address it to: Sandra Pinto de Bader, Urban Forestry Commission Liaison, Office of Sustainability and Environment, City of Seattle, 700 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1868. PO Box 94729, Seattle, WA 98124-4729.

The nine-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; and an economist, financial analyst, or Washington State licensed real estate broker.

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 Stewardship Plan (UFSP) is a comprehensive strategy for increasing Seattle’s tree canopy cover to meet the 30 percent target. The UFSP lays out goals 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. The Urban Forestry Commission was established in 2009 by Ordinance 123052 to advise the Mayor and City Council on 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 Wednesdays from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Commission members generally must commit approximately 10 hours per month to Commission business and serve without compensation.

For more information, please contact Sandra Pinto de Bader, Urban Forestry Commission Liaison, at (206) 684-3194 or via email at Sandra.Pinto_de_Bader@seattle.gov