Here is the questionnaire for Seattle Mayoral and City Council Candidates to fill out.
TreePAC is a political action committee to support the Urban Forest in King County and Seattle. Please take a moment to fill out the following questionnaire and return it to us. Thank you for your time and attention.
TreePAC Questions for City of Seattle Candidates:
1. Seattle currently has a 23% tree canopy cover. Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan targets a 30% canopy goal by 2037. To help reach this goal do you support strengthening tree protection by requiring permits to remove large trees on private property which Portland, Oregon; Redmond,WA; Lake Forest Park, WA; and Vancouver, BC currently do and as the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT ) now requires for street trees?
Y ______ N______
2. Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan also states a goal of no net loss of canopy. Do you support requiring large trees being removed on public and private property to be replaced either on site or off site and proportional in size, over time, to the canopy being lost as as cities like Portland, OR and Redmond, WA currently do?
Y________ N_______
3. Seattle’s interim tree ordinance protects existing groves of trees from being removed. The Department of Planning and Development has proposed removing this protection. Do you support continuing the policy of protecting tree groves to conserve habitat and canopy?
Y ________ N______
4. The City Auditor in 2009 stated that the “City’s current approach to tree issues lacks top leadership.” Unifying “all City Departments behind a single vision through clear and demonstrated leadership of the Office of Sustainability and the Environment” has been recommended. Would you support a true City Arborist’s Office located in OSE with oversight and coordination of all urban forest issues in parks, streets, critical areas, private property and utilities?
Y________ N________
5. Larger trees provide significantly more ecological value to Seattle’s green infrastructure, including reducing storm water runoff, cleaning pollutants from the air and providing animal habitat. Do you support giving greater protection to large trees like Heritage Trees and exceptional trees? (by requiring a larger permit fee and greater numbers of trees being planted if they are removed or by prohibiting removal unless shown to be hazardous)
Y ______ N_________
6. TreePAC believes that deferred maintenance results in the costly replacement of trees and landscapes. Will you fight to fund the maintenance of public greenspaces, including increased funding for the Green Seattle Partnership so that the goals to restore our parklands, greenbelts, and critical areas can be met?
Y ________ N _________
7. Are you willing to meet briefly with representatives from TreePAC, at a time and place that is mutually convenient?
Y _________ N ________
8. Any clarifications or comments you would like to convey to us regarding the questions above, or on protecting trees and the urban forest in general. ____________________________________________________
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Thank you for your participation,
Cass Turnbull – TreePAC Founder/President
Name _______________________________________________
Contact info ___________________________________________
Office and position running for _______________________________
Please return this completed questionnaire to
TreePAC, 906 NW 87th St. Seattle, WA 98117
Questions? Call Cass Turnbull at 206-783-9093 or
email cassturnbull (at) comcast.net
www.TreePAC.org