TreePAC

An independent Political Action Committee in defense of the urban forest

TreePAC

What is attacking PNW Maples?

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From the Kitsap Sun – subscription required:
A white, powdery fungus attacking the northwest’s maple trees has spread across Kitsap

From Dept. of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington:
Bigleaf Maple Decline in Western Washington (research study results at link to left)

Primary Goal: Examine the association between biotic and abiotic factors, and bigleaf maple decline.
Outcome: Determining cause of the decline will guide potential mitigation and management options.

Bigleaf maple decline continues to be a scientific mystery
Forest pathologists in Washington have been investigating the decline of bigleaf maple (Acer macrophyllum) in the Pacific Northwest since it emerged in 2010. Recently, Dave Shaw, OSU Extension forest health specialist, has noticed the maple’s decline in Oregon has intensified and hypothesized that it may be attributed to something other than drought, winter weather, canker diseases, squirrel damage or other common culprits. Bigleaf maple decline has been reported throughout the tree’s entire geographic range, including in California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia……(more at link above)

The edges of the leaves in the upper crown of this bigleaf maple are chlorotic and very distinct.

These leaves from the crown of a bigleaf maple are small, leathery and have chlorotic edges.

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Big trees and more housing – we can and should have more.

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Sandy Shettler – Comment on EIS Scoping process for updating One Seattle Comprehensive Plan

We need every option in the One Seattle survey to include protection and support for urban trees. Countless studies have clearly established that urban trees give us cleaner air, cooler summers, and better outcomes on every measurable public health metric. Neighborhoods that lack trees can feel dystopian regardless of density. Conversely, neighborhoods with big trees create a sense of place, serenity and community even if extremely dense. Cohesive, canopied communities like these encourage people to put down roots in urban neighborhoods. People choosing to stay long-term in livable neighborhoods will help Seattle meet regional goals on growth management and transportation emissions.

We can create these rooted neighborhoods by thoughtfully developing around existing big trees. Big trees are valuable because their sheer size enables them to provide the ecosystem and public health benefits we need right now. Developers know how to preserve large trees through creative design and partnering with arborists to ensure trees remain healthy through the construction process. Local government can help with financial incentives to preserve and care for trees (“treebates”) as well as design flexibility for incorporating trees. Together with a stronger tree protection ordinance, programs like these would help remove incentives for developers to clearcut lots, and make tree retention the norm.

We also need to invest in our future urban forest by planting trees now. Seattle’s historically lax tree protection has stripped trees from all parts of the city, but especially in lower-income communities where people can’t afford AC needed to mitigate heat. Our comprehensive plan should right this historical wrong and plan for a future where everyone can live among big trees and enjoy the health and connection to nature they provide.

TreePAC and Seattle Win Master Builders Appeal!

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TreePAC and Seattle Win Hearing Examiner Appeal By Master Builders opposing updating Seattle’s Tree Protection Ordinance

TreePAC joined forces with Seattle to stop what could have been a one to two year added delay in updating Seattle’s Tree Protection Ordinance. TreePAC  hired respected environmental Attorney Claudia Newman of Bricklin and Newman to intervene in the Hearing Examiner Appeal by the Master Builders.

In a strongly worded decision, the Seattle Hearing Examiner denied the appeal by the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties from a Determination of Non-Significance  issued by the Seattle Department of Constructions and Inspections (SDCI). The appeal was regarding the potential environmental impacts of a draft update by SDCI of Seattle’s Tree Protection Ordinance.The decision by Seattle Hearing Examiner Ryan Vancil stated, “The Director’s decision to issue a Determination of Non significance for the proposed ordinance is not clearly erroneous and is AFFIRMED and the Appellants’ appeal is DENIED..”The Hearing Examiner did not equivocate but soundly dismissed the MBAKS arguments and witnesses’ statements as speculation and not backed up by any actual data.Seattle  Hearing Examiner Ryan Vancil stated “The record indicates that in developing the proposal, the Department considered the City’s goals and policies and developed a set of recommendations that struck a balance between the City’s housing goals related to housing and future development patterns and the City’s goals to maintain a healthy urban forest that provides sizable tree canopy coverage.”You can read the full Hearing Examiner’s decision and detailed response here.

Having an experienced expert Attorney was critical in our winning this appeal. Fighting the Master Builders  unfortunately lasted longer and cost more than planned as they dragged the hearing process out. The decision by the Hearing Examiner strongly supported the city in protecting Seattle’s trees and gives us momentum to get the tree Protection Ordinance updated in the coming months. 

TreePAC needs your help to pay our additional  legal bills for this successful effort as well as our continuing campaigns to update Seattle’s Tree Protection Ordinance.

  Please send a contribution today to help us retire our debt.  We still have work to do to get the ordinance update passed by the City Council. Thanks.

 

Housing Shortage; Build but also retain trees

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Housing shortage: Build, but also retain trees

Re: “More regulations on housing push us further from the goal of meeting demand” [Aug. 7, Opinion]:

This Op-Ed perpetuates the false narrative that we can only house new neighbors by cutting down Seattle’s trees. We can and should grow our housing stock and our urban forest at the same time.

The science has long been in that urban trees give us cleaner air, cooler summers and better outcomes on every measurable public health metric. Our current building code puts protection of trees in new developments on a separate “tree review” track, which complicates the process.

What if each development started with a look at the existing trees and how new homes could be built while retaining them? Seattle would retain the ecological benefits of our established urban forest, and the residents of the future homes would enjoy the health benefits of living close to big trees.

Sandy Shettler, Seattle

Seattle Hearing Examiner Denies Master Builders Appeal on draft SDCI Tree Protection Ordinance

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News Release
 Steve Zemke – Chair TreePAC
stevezemke@TreePAC.org
For Immediate release
Friday August 12, 2022

Seattle Hearing Examiner Denies Master Builders Appeal, Allows Tree Protection Ordinance Update to Proceed

SEATTLE – TreePAC, a citizen’s group advocating updating Seattle Tree Protection Ordinance, joined as an Intervenor with the city of Seattle in opposing a Hearing Examiner appeal by the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish County.  The decision allows Seattle to now move forward with updating Seattle’s Tree Protection Ordinance, a process that citizen groups and others have been urging the city to do for 13 years.
In a strongly worded decision, the Seattle Hearing Examiner dismissed an appeal by the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS) from a Determination of Non-Significance (DNS) issued by the Seattle Department of Constructions and Inspections (SDCI). The appeal was regarding the potential environmental impacts of a draft update by SDCI of Seattle’s Tree Protection Ordinance.
The decision by Seattle Hearing Examiner Ryan Vancil stated, “The Director’s decision to issue a Determination of Nonsignificance for the proposed ordinance is not clearly erroneous and is AFFIRMED and the Appellants’ appeal is DENIED .”
The Hearing Examiner did not equivocate but soundly dismissed the MBAKS arguments and witnesses’ statements as speculation and not backed up by any actual data.
You can read the Hearing Examiner’s decision and detailed response here.
Quotes
Steve Zemke, Chair of TreePAC  “We appreciate the Hearing Examiner’s reasoned and detailed decision. Trees are critical to maintaining the health and vitality of Seattle’s communities and its citizens.  TreePAC supports the efforts of the city to both increase needed housing and protect our green infrastructure. It is not an either/or situation but a priority of the city to address both as mandated in Seattle’s current Comprehensive Plan.”
Seattle  Hearing Examiner Ryan Vancil in his decision “The record indicates that in developing the proposal, the Department considered the City’s goals and policies and developed a set of recommendations that struck a balance between the City’s housing goals related to housing and future development patterns and the City’s goals to maintain a healthy urban forest that provides sizable tree canopy coverage.”
Steve Zemke, Chair TreePAC  “Trees are critical to dealing with urban heat island impacts and stormwater runoff as the climate crisis continues. That requires protecting as many existing trees as possible and planting more trees in marginalized areas for tree equity and social justice. The proposed draft ordinance update helps the city to do that.”
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Save the Aurora Ave N Sweetgum Trees

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Please send an e-mail to Seattle City officials to help save the Aurora Ave N Sweetgum street trees  from being cut down..
Click on the link below to do it quickly through Action Network. Thanks.
https://actionnetwork.org/letters/aurora-ave-n-trees?source=direct_link&
Don’t Clearcut Seattle is a project of TreePAC. They maintain the action network website.
Donations to TreePAC are needed to support their work  protecting existing urban trees and efforts to plant more trees to increase our urban canopy. Please donate today. Thanks.
Contribute to TreePAC

 

Tree protest in North Seattle, 5-29-22

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TreePAC and The Last 6,000 prevented (for now) a pair of exceptional Doug Firs from being cut down this weekend. Ideally this will force a permit from the landowner at minimum (and potential fines) but watch this space for more.

From KIRO 7, on the scene today:

Seattle Audubon tree petition!

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Our friends at Seattle Audubon have put up a great tree petition – please take action and sign the petition!

Protect trees for a climate-resilient city.

The heatwave our region experienced at the end of June 2021 made clear that the deadly impacts of climate change are here. We must act now to improve our resilience and prepare for the future. An equitably distributed and protected urban forest is one of our best hopes for becoming a climate-resilient city. Join us in urging Seattle city leaders to improve urban forest protections today.

New TreePAC newsletter on the site!

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The latest Spring 2022 TreePAC newsletter is now on the site – click here to check it out! Highlights include the recent Seattle City Council passing legislation to require Tree Service Provider registration, some great news from Save Shoreline Trees and Trees4Livability in Bellevue , and the usual digest of local and worldwide tree news. Enjoy!

kevin orme
TreePAC

TreePAC Intervention approved in MBAKS Hearing Examiner Appeal

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As this is public record now, here’s the official filing of our Motion to Intervene in the recent Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Hearing Examiner appeal of the Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections’ draft Tree Protection Ordinance Determination of Non-Significance after their SEPA evaluation.  – you can read their original SEPA appeal here.. The hearing Examiner has approved TreePAC’s intervention.