Friends of Urban Forests

Image Description: Photo features a Red-breasted Nuthatch, a small bird with a gray back and a rusty colored front, hanging down from a branch and looking at the photographer. Background of the image is blue.

Like other nuthatches, Red-breasted Nuthatches use their strong legs and claws to walk up, down, and sideways on tree trunks, probing in the bark crevices for food. They readily come to seed and suet feeders and will cache food in crevices to return to later.

Learn more on our guide, birdweb.org.

My entry for #WoodpeckerWednesday is this Pileated Woodpecker in my yard a few years ago in #Tacoma. #Birds #Nature #Photography

Building healthy cities and communities means incorporating trees and nature as a critical component. We are part of nature and need it where we live everyday, not just something to see on a vacation once a year. Urban forests help clean our air and water, reduce urban heat islands and much more.

An apple tree branch shows off its small collection of blue green lichen (a branched Usnea species, a flat branch hugging common shield lichen, a fruticose oakmoss) and a couple of twigs of vibrant green moss (cats tail?)

It's that time of year when the leaves are gone and the lichen and mosses growing on the tree branches take center stage
#Photography #SeattleWashington #SeattleAutumn #OurNeighborhood #Lichen #Mosses

Yes nature is good for kids and also adults. Let's keep nature and trees in our cities as we add more needed housing. We can do both with good planning.

And Trump and his GOP MAGA Cult following are proposing burning more coal and oil as the impacts of climate change increases.

Autumn color of fallen leaves can be dramatic and delight our eyes.

Autumn fallen leaves can be dramatic and a delight to our eyes.

"According to the US Forest Service, urban forests have an economic impact in the billions of dollars: $5.4 billion in air pollution removal, $5.4 billion in reduced energy costs, and $2.7 billion in avoided emissions. Beyond economics, trees safeguard environmental health ...humans included."

Momentum builds for new leadership!

And it goes on and on as GOP MAGA Cult is afraid to do anything that upset the WannaBe Dictator.

Mayor Harrell Signs Executive Order to Preserve More Trees on Private Property, Protecting Critical Urban Tree Canopy  - Office of the Mayor Seattle – Today, Mayor Bruce Harrell signed a new Executive Order to increase tree preservation on private property, building on efforts over the last three years to protect and grow Seattle’s urban f...

An example of action being taken in Seattle to save more trees as the city increase efforts to build more needed housing. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell signs a new Executive Order to increase protection for existing trees.

Fall colors on display at the Seattle Arboretum.

S6E3: The Tree Is the New Sewer System with Erwin van Herwijnen of New Urban Standard Why most city trees die young, why soils matter more than species, how stormwater makes or breaks survival, and how spreadsheets can save urban forests — with Erwin van Herwijnen.

“Eighty to ninety percent of issues urban trees face,” Erwin told me, “come from problems in the growing place.”

$100K now earmarked to develop a tree ordinance for unincorporated King County | Westside Seattle

An example of how King County in Washington State responded to the need to address clearcutting of lots in unincorporated areas. A final tree protection ordinance has not been adopted yet but 2 studies of what cities are doing and what the county is not doing have been done.

"Street trees provide a wide range of environmental, social, aesthetic and economic benefits. They improve air quality, conserve energy, reduce stormwater impacts, increase property values, provide habitat for local wildlife, and enhance the appearance and character of neighborhoods."

Sunset at Golden Gardens Park in Seattle, Washington. Across Puget Sound you can see the Olympic Peninsula in the background.

Wise words to think about and act on.

Bellingham "Despite its beauty, Samish Crest Open Space faces threats from a growing population. I have spent much time contemplating how to balance protecting wildlife corridors, trails, and scenic views with the need for more housing. ... I believe it is possible to achieve both objectives."

Op-Ed: Bellevue’s New Tree Protections Are a Needed Step Forward » The Urbanist # Bellevue recently enacted a bevvy of protections intended to stem the tide of tree canopy loss in suburban residential neighborhoods. It's an important step toward achieving the goal of exceeding 40...

Bellevue, WA - a Northwest Urban city striving for 40% tree canopy cover. See more details here.

Urban Trees Could Reduce Summer Heat Deaths by 40 Percent New research published in The Lancet has found that increasing tree cover in European cities to 30 percent could have reduced premature deaths from urban heat islands by 40 percent. Currently, the …

"...research published in The Lancet has found that increasing tree cover in European cities to 30 percent could have reduced premature deaths from urban heat islands by 40 percent."

Make it One Seattle, full of trees, in Comprehensive Plan | Editorial A street tree study shows planting in the right of way won't get Seattle to its goal of 30% tree canopy. The city must protect trees in the Comprehensive Plan.

"When developers look to clear-cut residential lots to put in more housing, they often point to street trees as a viable alternative to keeping the city green.
But Seattle can’t accomplish its own tree canopy goals without preserving and protecting existing trees on private properties."

YouTube video by TreesCharlotte Reducing Urban Heat with Trees

TreesCharlotte simple on the ground temperature test shows an 11 F degree temperature difference between open ground space with no tree cover and under trees. Why trees in neighborhoods where people live can have multiple health benefits.

A "basic tree protection area" that can not be modified during development is what is killing trees. It is contrary to guidelines issued by the International Society of Arboriculture. One inch tree diameter equals 1 foot of radius of basic tree protection area is a made loophole by Master Builders.

The State Legislature has passed HB 1110 and requires cities over 75,000 to allow 4 plexes & 6 plexes on all residential lots. So that is no longer an issue. The question is how you do that. TreePAC supports incentives for stacked flats (build up) on all lots as well as common walls on row houses.

This was a post from 2016 and is no longer the policy of TreePAC. A different Chair headed up TreePAC at that time and the board had a different membership composition. Tree PAC currently supports building needed housing and protecting trees. Build up & consolidate, not spread out in separate units.

People had only one minute to speak and there are over 100 possible amendments. Speakers prioritize one or two issues. The legislature already with HB 1110 requires large cities like Seattle to allow building a minimum of 4 housing units and up to 6 per lot in residential zones. That's decided.

And how would it accelerate tree loss? The basic tree protection area loophole allows most trees, particularly large ones, to be removed by developers & not how the International Society of Arboriculture describes tree protection areas as being able to be modified for tree species & site conditions.

TreePAC and Friends of Seattle's Urban Forest have repeatedly supported both meeting increased housing needs and also saving and planting trees. We are opposed to clearcutting lots when we can build stacked flats on all size lots and building with common walls like Oregon allows and save trees.

Amendment 102 is not poorly written but removes the Master Builder's loophole they got in the 2023 Tree Protection Ordinance update that says "the basic tree protection area can not be reduced" during development which lets almost all trees be removed on lots.

Urban Trees Could Reduce Summer Heat Deaths by 40 Percent New research published in The Lancet has found that increasing tree cover in European cities to 30 percent could have reduced premature deaths from urban heat islands by 40 percent. Currently, the …

Article in Lancet on value of urban trees. - “planting urban trees offers an important opportunity to mitigate high temperatures and, compared with other strategies, is relatively simple and cost-effective to implement.”