Friends of Seattle’s Urban Forest

Amendments are Needed to Increase Tree Retention and Planting as We Build Needed New Housing in our Neighborhood Residential Zone 

The Seattle City Council is working to adopt its CB 120985 – Comprehensive Plan and Council Bill 120993 to implement WA State HB 1110 allowing 4 to 6 plexes in Seattle’s Neighborhood Residential zones. Council Bill 120993 needs amendments to protect and plant more trees where people live if Seattle wants to reach its 30% canopy goal, address urban heat island impacts, reduce air pollution and stormwater runoff, and keep our neighborhoods healthy where people live.

Please use the suggested comments below to send an e-mail to the Seattle City Council and Mayor Harrell. You can cut and paste the comments below, pick and choose from the comments, and add your own thoughts.

The Seattle City Council has set a deadline for Council members to submit proposed amendments this Thursday, June 26, 2025.

Here are the amendments we are asking Councilmembers to support:

• Remove the “basic tree protection area” loophole in SMC 25.11.070 that lets developers remove large (Tier 2) trees. Use the tree protection area criteria in SMC 25.11.060 to give SDCI final authority on tree removals, not developers.
• Give SDCI authority to decide on removal of Tier 3 and Tier 4 trees, not the developers as is currently done. Urban forests need to have trees of all ages to be sustainable and healthy.
• Require lots have designated tree retention and planting areas.
• Require a tree inventory and landscape plan be done at the beginning of the development process before approval of any building site plan is submitted.
• The point system for planting trees on a lot allows all trees to be removed and replaced with saplings. Require that plans maximize the retention of existing healthy trees.
• Require all trees removed over 6” DSH pay an in lieu mitigation fee for environmental services lost to the city, as well as replanting the removed trees either on site or pay for off site planting to sustain our urban forest benefits to the city and its inhabitants.
• Set up a Tree Replacement and Preservation Fund independent from SDCI’s budget to collect in lieu mitigation fees and for public donations and grants to help maintain and plant more trees .
• Require all new development projects, not just principal housing units, to have street trees. This includes ADU’s and building additions over 250 square feet.
• Allow stacked flats to be built on all lots in the neighborhood residential zone, not just those over 6,000 square feet.  Stacked flats would allow more open space to retain and plant trees.
• Give incentives to build housing units with common shared walls to increase open space on lots for retaining and planting trees for environmental equity, climate resilience, reducing air pollution and storm water runoff.
• Consolidate urban forest oversight and maintenance in a Dept. of Climate and Environment with an Urban Forestry Division independent from SDCI and other city Departments. Our urban forest needs its own advocates
• Amend canopy cover assessment in next Tree Canopy Study to include not just canopy area but also canopy volume.Neither the proposed Comprehensive Plan or CB 120993 give adequate oversight or protection for maintaining a thriving healthy urban forest over the long term. The current Tree Protection Ordinance was adopted prior to the current proposed Comprehensive Plan, WA state HB 1110  and new zoning proposed in CB120993. SMC 25.11 – the Tree Protection Ordinance needs to be reviewed and amended to address the increased loss of trees and urban forest ecosystem services under the current changes proposed.

 Send comments to Council@Seattle.gov and Bruce.Harrell@Seattle.gov

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