Category Archives: urban forest management

Take Action – Urge Washington Legislators to Pass HB 1216 to Increase Protection for Urban and Community Forests

Posted on by

 

 

Take Action – Urge Washington Legislators to Pass HB 1216
to Increase Protection for Urban and Community Forests

 

 

We need your help to increase protection for urban and community trees and forests in Washington State. HB 1216 has been introduced by Rep. Ramos and 8 other sponsors in the Washington State Legislature. It is a high priority bill to pass this session.

HB 1216 would direct the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to assist Washington cities and towns and counties in our state conducting tree inventories and canopy analysis, developing Urban Forestry Management Plans and drafting local Tree Ordinances.

This bill was requested by the Department of Natural Resources and is supported By Governor Jay Inslee. Governor Inslee has earmarked $2.1 million dollars in his proposed State Budget to support DNR’s efforts to increase protection for trees and urban forests. HB 1216 would help the state meet its goals of increasing climate resilience, protecting human health and addressing environmental equity.

HB 1216 had a hearing on Tuesday, Jan 26, 2021 at 10 AM in the House Rural Development, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. To stay alive in the session, HB 1216 has to be voted out of the committee by Feb 15, 2021. It is currently scheduled for executive session on Wed, Feb 3rd, 2021 at 10 AM.  Once voted out of committee it will go to the House Appropriations Committee. It must be voted out of the Appropriations Committee by Feb. 22, 2021.

The quickest and easiest way to let House Rural Development, Agriculture and Natural Resources committee members know you support this bill is to send them an e-mail via Action Network. We have written a short e-mail draft supporting the bill to which you can add your own comments to personalize the message. With one click it will be sent to all the Committee members as well as the bill sponsors.

Submit Public Comment Now!

Thanks for your help.

Steve Zemke – Chair – Tree PAC
stevezemke@TreePAC.org

Bill information – HB 1216 – Go to this legislative page to see the proposed text of HB 1216, to see the sponsors of the bill, the House Bill analysis, the history of the bill, to indicate your support for the bill, to send an e-mail of support to your own Legislative District Legislators and to sign up to get e-mail notifications of any changes in the bill’s status.

Save this 100 year old Tree in Madrona!

Posted on by

ACTION ALERT! –QUICK DEADLINE

Action needed now – call or email today  – Tue. Oct 6, 2020 deadline at the latest!

SAVE THIS 100-YEAR OLD TREE

A two-week notice has been posted for an application to remove this tree. Help save this exceptional big leaf maple tree!

Located at 35th Ave and Spring  1 block east of Madrona Park

 The Heart of Madrona in Seattle

TREE 59973 is a 48” diameter big leaf maple, well over the criteria for an “exceptional tree”.  

It is adjacent to a playground, on a key pedestrian route to Lake Washington, storing lots of carbon, cleaning the air  and fighting global warming.  David Kirske, Chief Financial Officer of CTI Biopharma Corp. seeks to cut down this gem to build a better driveway and sidewalk. (Yes, seriously).  And he refuses to talk to the community about collaborative approaches to save the tree.

Contact Nolan Rundquist, head of SDOT’s Urban Forestry Division to help save this tree.     

call (206) 684-TREE (8733).   

email at  Seattle.Trees@Seattle.gov     

Reference # SDOTTREE0000252 (tree removal permit number) 

Message:  FIX THE SIDEWALK; DON’T KILL THE TREE!   BIG TREES ARE CRITICAL TO OUR COMMUNITIES AND ENVIRONMENT. 

E-mails should also be cc’ed  to Jenny.Durkan@Seattle.gov and Council@Seattle.gov

Thanks for your help.

 

Tree PAC urges Seattle City Council to Update Seattle’s 2035 Comprehensive Plan

Posted on by
To Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee Members – Seattle City Council
Dan Strauss – Chair
My name is Steve Zemke. I am speaking as the Chair of Tree PAC in support of Council Resolution 31970.
Tree PAC supports amending Seattle’s 2035 Comprehensive Plan to “identify opportunities to better support the urban tree canopy”
We also support the provision to consider “impact fee amendments to public owned parks, open space and recreation facilities and school facilities”
In addition to considering amendments proposed by 5(C) and 5(I) –
We also ask that the provision of “no net loss of tree canopy” in the previous Comprehensive Plan be added back to the current Plan. The Seattle Urban Forestry Commission in 2018 urged that this be added back as part of Seattle’s Tree Regulations.
Another provision to add is  “maximizing the retention of existing trees” during development as in the Land Use Code SMC 23 to help stop unnecessary clearcutting of lots and a significant loss of existing tree canopy.
 To help meet race and social justice goals and climate crisis impacts and help implement the Green New Deal step up the 30% tree canopy goal in the Comprehensive Plan from 2037 to 2030.
And please make the Seattle Urban Forestry Commission part of the process by adding that OPCD  submit to the UFC any draft language they propose on tree canopy opportunities and ask for the UFC’s comments and these comments also be submitted to the Seattle City Council.

Public Comments Needed Now to Increase Seattle’s Protection of Trees

Posted on by

Action Needed Now to Protect Seattle’s Trees!

Public Comments are needed now supporting draft SDCI Director’s Rule 13-2020 for Increased Tree Protection – Deadline August 17th

Your help is needed now to ensure that stronger tree protection in Seattle moves forward. The Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections has released a draft update to its 2008 Director’s Rule on Exceptional Trees. Director’s Rule 13-2020 will be used to give updated guidance to developers and property owners on tree protection in Seattle.
Public comment in support of this update is needed by
Monday August 17, 2020

  SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENT NOW  

The update was mandated by Mayor Burgess’s Executive Order 2017-11 – Tree Protection and by the 2019 Seattle City Council Resolution 31902 after strong citizen outrage over continued tree loss in the city.
The draft Director’s Rules would give greater protection to large trees, tree groves, Heritage Trees, and all trees over 6 inches in diameter at standard height (DSH). It would require Tree Care Providers to register with the city of Seattle and comply with city tree regulations. It would also finally require developers who remove exceptional trees and trees over 24 inches DSH to replace them on site or elsewhere in the city. This requirement has been in the current Tree Protection Ordinance since 2001 but was never enforced.
Adoption of the Director’s Rule as drafted is not guaranteed but can be changed or delayed due to public pressure. We would like to see stronger protection. The King County Master Builders, meanwhile, are urging their members to also submit public comments, including urging the update be delayed for 18 months.
The draft updated Director’s Rule is long overdue. Citizens have been urging updated tree protection for 11 years. Enough is enough.
The draft is a strong step toward adding more tree protection now while an updated city Tree Protection Ordinance is being considered.
You can help. We have put together a pre-written letter of support that includes amendments proposed by the Seattle Urban Forestry Commission in their public comments to the city.
Our pre-written letter highlights the main areas of support in the proposed Director’s Rule and our suggestions on how the Director’s Rule can be strengthened.
 

All you need to do is click on TAKE ACTION to get started.

You will be asked to let the city know who you are and where you live, so the city knows who is commenting. You can add your personal comments to the draft, and with one click, send it to the city to add your support. Thanks for your help.
When the updated Director’s Rule is finally adopted, it will be a big step forward in increasing protection for trees and draft Director’s Rule 13-2020Seattle’s Urban Forest ban forest.
Please share this e-mail with others to seek additional public input. Thanks!

TreePAC Recommends Shoreline Study Alternative Sidewalk Designs to Save Trees

Posted on by

Dear Shoreline City Council and Shoreline Manager,

We are respectfully proposing that the Shoreline City Council strongly consider asking the Parks/Tree Board to appoint a special committee to study Alternative Sidewalk Designs. Potential losses of large numbers of mature trees such as that proposed on Dayton Ave N with the WSDOT project are of great concern.

The special committee  would deal with considering ways to resolve existing  conflicts that naturally occur when new sidewalks are proposed, and large trees are impacted or slated to be removed. These conflicts are likely to continue and escalate if this issue is not more proactively dealt with. Shoreline needs to  work to  alleviate the problems with creative solutions instead of relying on exceptions. Maintaining existing  trees and the urban forest has to be a high priority for Shoreline as the city grows and becomes more dense.

Shoreline has already deployed such designs in many cases over the last decade for the purpose of more sustainability and practicality. For instance, at Southwoods Park a sidewalk was required when the new park was created. It included a 3 ft ADA path, winding through the trees along NE 150th Street, alongside a natural drainage swale planted with natives. The path had 3 different treatment, including 1/3 of it being permeable pavement. There are many other examples that Shoreline has utilized as well around town. There are also many other examples deployed in Seattle and other neighboring cities.

This committee at Parks would be best if it included several Parks Board members and some members of the community. It could devote a few months to come up with a portfolio of potential alternative solutions for the Council to consider as amendments to the Development Code and Engineering Code.

We hope you will seriously consider this suggestion offered in good faith as a solution to some inevitable tree loss conflicts which are likely to persist otherwise.

TreePAC is an all volunteer organization that works to promote protection of Trees and  Urban Forests and promote quality of life for all cities in the Seattle Area.

Sincerely,

Steve Zemke – TreePAC Chair

stevezemke@TreePAC.org

2131 N 132nd St

Seattle, WA 98133

Letter and recommendation adopted Feb 26, 2020 by Tree PAC Board.

Seattle City Council Passes Legislation to Remove SEPA Appeals

Posted on by

The Seattle City Council just passed legislation to limit SEPA appeals by Seattle citizens on upzones for housing.

It took them only 3 months to pass this legislation giving more authority to the Departmental of Construction and Inspections to fast track developer projects. Meanwhile  they have not updated the Tree Protection Ordinance in 10 years. The Council first passed a Resolution to update the Tree Protection Ordinance in 2009 and passed two similar resolutions this year, including one in Sept saying they needed more time to study the issue. Right.

In 2017 they studied the issue in a report entitled “Tree Regulations Research Project” that they kept hidden from the public and only released after a public records request. Their findings included:

“Current code is not supporting tree protection.”

“We are losing exceptional trees (and groves) in general”

“We are losing exceptional trees (and groves) in general” “Conifers and large tree species are coming out with deciduous and dwarf species are coming in.”

“Landscaping Standards final inspection is not consistently applied.”

“Design Review and code-required tree protection are being avoided.”

And then publicly they continue to say, as they did in the introduction to this ordinance, “The Mayor and City Council find that the City’s codes have evolved in recent decades such that there is generally less need to employ SEPA, because other City codes and requirements effectively mitigate environmental impacts.”

The Seattle Urban Forestry Commission in June provided the Council and the Mayor with a draft “Tree and Urban Forest Protection Ordinance”  which the city has put on the back burner while they consider the issues. They have put the issue off until 2020 saying they need more public input.

Citizens can support this draft by going to www.DontClearcutSeattle.org and urging the city pass this legislation.

TreePAC Endorsements for the Nov. 7, 2017 General Election Ballot

Posted on by

TreePAC endorses candidates
for 2017 General Election

POSITION         Link to Candidate Websites

Seattle Mayor – Jenny Durkan and Cary Moon

Seattle City Attorney – Pete Holmes

Seattle City Council Position #8 – Jon Grant

Seattle City Council Position #8 – Teresa Mosqueda

Seattle City Council Position #9- Pat Marakami

Seattle Port Commission Position #1 – John Creighton

Seattle Port Commission Position Position #3 – Stephanie Bowman

Seattle Port Commission Position #4 – Peter Steinbrueck

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE TREEPAC CANIDIDATE FORUM VIDEOS

CLICK HERE TO SEE 2017 GENERAL ELECTION SEATTLE CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRES RECEIVED

Seattle Mayor Tim Burgess Signs Executive Order to Increase Tree Protection

Posted on by

From This Week in the Mayor’s Office – Oct 13, 2017

 Protecting Seattle’s Tree Canopy

Mayor Burgess signed an Executive Order focused on strengthening Seattle’s protections for trees on private property today. The order directs the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections to better implement existing tree regulations through:

• Strengthening the existing regulations through new and updated Director’s Rules;

• Increasing penalties for illegal tree cutting; and

• Developing a fee-in-lieu program to mitigate tree loss

Further, the order asks City staff to explore how Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) policies could support Seattle’s urban forestry goals.

“Seattle’s tree canopy is a treasure that provides critical health and economic benefits to our city,” said Mayor Burgess. “It must be protected, nurtured, and expanded. As we grow as a city, we must also grow our commitment to be good stewards of our urban forest.”

———————————————————————————————-

TreePAC recommendation – Thank Mayor Burgess for his action and urge the Seattle City Council to strengthen this effort by updating the interim Tree Ordinance passed in 2009  which is still awaiting action by the City Council. They need to hear from concerned citizens.