Note:This article by members of the Urban Forest Task Force first appeared in the April, 2006 Town Crier.

“Forest” is Our Middle Name

How do you celebrate National Arbor Day?

You can't take a tree to lunch, but you can find out about what a newly created community task force is doing to protect and enhance one of the attributes that sets our City apart: a distinctly forested environment, just 12 miles from downtown Seattle, the largest metropolitan area in four states.

The Urban Forest Task Force, headed by LFP Environmental Quality Commissioner Mark Phillips, is focusing on three major areas: 1. research (benefits of trees and what other communities are doing to maintain a healthy urban forest); 2. regulatory (using “best available science” to improve our Tree Ordinance as needed); and 3. public information and input.

Members of the working task force: Steve Plusch, Brian Highberger, David Hepp, Beth Hale, and Tyson Greer.

• Trees work hard— 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

You might say they never take a breather, but actually, “breathing” and “drinking” are ways that our urban forests enhance our quality of life. Drawing on research done by the National Arbor Foundation, University of Washington, and other sources, here are just two of the benefits of our hard-working trees:

• Trees Improve Air Quality

Each tree “sequesters” or traps carbon dioxide in its trunk, branches, leaves, and roots. In addition, each tree “exhales” oxygen into the air around them.

Trees also remove other air-borne pollutants by absorbing them through their leaf (or needle) surface. Trees help remove pollutants from vehicle traffic and other sources, such as sulfur dioxide, ozone, nitrogen oxides, particulates, and other harmful chemicals from the air in our City. For example, one good-sized maple along a roadway removes 60 mg. cadmium, 140 mg. chromium, 820 mg. nickel, and 520 mg. lead in one growing season.

• Trees Reduce Storm Water Surges and Protect our Waters

One of the water quality problems identified in Lake Forest Park has to do with the deleterious effects of storm water runoff on our streams, which flow into Lake Washington. Excess storm water runoff scours out and silts up potential salmon habitats.

Our natural canopy helps to mitigate the effects of heavy or sustained rainfall— not an unusual occurrence in the Northwest! The leaves, the stems, and the roots— all work together to slow water runoff. Every 5% of tree cover added to a community reduces storm water runoff by 2%.

Besides helping to reduce harmful erosion, hold banks, and slow storm water surges, trees act as natural water pollution filters. Their canopies, trunks, and roots help filter polluted particulate matter as well as the unfortunate by products of urban lawn and garden practices (such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium).

The Urban Forest Task Force Tackles Tough Issues

The Urban Forest Task Force met regularly in 2006 and 2007. Their schedule and location are available through City Hall. The group welcomes citizen inquiries and comments about project activities in person at the beginning of meetings, as well as individual conversations with task force members, or via email at forest @ cityoflfp.com.

Click to go to a resource page with links to helpful information and organizations

This article by members of the Urban Forest Task Force first appeared in the April, 2006 Town Crier.

The Mayor established the urban tree task force to look at the existing tree preservation ordinance and make recommendations to changes to the City's Municipal Code if necessary.  The task force, assisted by a consultant, hosted a focus group and held two public meetings to get input into the proposed changes. 

The Urban Forest Task Force has finalized its proposed revisions to the municipal tree ordinance.  The draft ordinance will now go to the Planning Commission for review.  The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the draft ordinance and then forward it onto the City Council with a recommendation.  

Click here for the Urban Tree Task Force Final Report

Click here for Proposed revisions to chapter 16.14: Tree Protection and Replacement (final draft)

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