This Tuesday afternoon at 2 PM, the Seattle City Council ‘s Environment, Emergency Management and Utilities will be discussing and considering passing a resolution on clarifying the existing rules on protecting trees in Seattle “to include groves or groups of trees or other vegetation that are determined to have substantial ecological, educational or economic value”
Resolution 31065 is sponsored by Council President Richard Conlin and Sally Clark. You can read their press release here. They expect the Committee to vote on the issue June 24 and the full council to vote on June 30, 2008.
It does not appear that the public will get much chance to comment on the resolution because the Committee is only allowing 10 minutes of public comment for a jam packed meeting that also includes discussion of a 20 cent per bag green fee on disposable shopping bags and another discussion on prohibiting polystyrene containers for food and shifting to compostable and recyclable alternatives.
The best bet for those that want to help protect existing groves of trees from being destroyed in Seattle is to call or e-mail Seattle City Council members urging their support for added strengthening tree protection. Certainly come to the meeting to show your support as well. The Seattle City Council members can be contacted by going to the Seattle City Council website.
The two current battles over threatened destruction of trees includes a grove of 130 old Douglas fir and western red cedar and madrone trees at Ingraham High School in north Seattle and another grove of mostly Douglas fir in the Maple Leaf area in Seattle called the Waldo Woods.
Recent articles on the proposed tree ordinance:
“Seattle council members want groves of trees protected” Seattle Times 3/29/2008
“Call to Protect grove of trees is sent to Nickels” Seattle PI 3/29/2008
“Seattle Treescape: A bigger canopy” Seattle PI editorial 6/11, 2008
“Neighbors Urge Seattle School Board to Redesign Ingraham HS Project”, MajorityRulesBlog 4/15/2008
A growing contradiction at Ingraham high, Seattle PI 3/28/2008
“Maple Leaf appeals decision on letting developer cut down trees” Seattle Times 5/28/2008
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2 Responses to Seattle City Council to Act on Saving Tree Groves
Recently posted on the NPI Advocate- Washington’s Senate approves marriage equality legislation after long debate
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- Happy seventh birthday, Pacific NW Portal!
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The official line is that the proposal is to add groves to the 2001 policy that currently protects trees.
Actually, this 2001 rule is gutless, because the fine print says these trees are exceptional, and shouldn’t be cut down, UNLESS it interferes with development!
This bogus, watered down rule needs to define significant trees as having a trunk diameter of 6 inches or more. It needs to say that a tree protection plan must be written and followed when a building permit allows excavation to occur on the site.
The best bet for those that want to help protect existing groves of trees from being destroyed in Seattle is to call or e-mail Seattle City Council members urging their support for added strengthening tree protection. Certainly come to the meeting to show your support as well.
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