Showing posts with label trees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label trees. Show all posts

Miyawaki Urban Forest History Project at the Shoreline Historical Museum

Monday, October 30, 2023

By Sally Yamasaki

For two years, community members from Lake Forest Park and Shoreline worked together to develop a plan to build a Museum Forest in a vacant field adjacent to the Shoreline Historical Museum. 

Instead of a brick-and-mortar building, they envisioned a Forest that would sequester carbon while they walked a pathway that would guide them through the natural and human history of that area.

On October 4, 2023, their vision of planting a forest became real. 

The Shoreline Historical Museum signed a contract with Ethan Bryson of Natural Urban Forests to help the Museum community plant their Miyawaki Urban Forest. 

Funding for the Forest portion of the project came from an anonymous donor through the SUGi Project.

The Forest Museum will cover 4800 square feet of space that is currently a vacant field adjacent to the museum which is located a few blocks off Aurora Ave N / SR 99 in Shoreline, Washington. 

The Forest will provide a respite for people as well as provide a natural habitat for birds and other wild animals.

Aerial shot shows the section to be planted
Photo courtesy Shoreline Historical Museum

Once the Forest is planted, it will have exhibits incorporating local, natural, and human history as well as ongoing educational programming with the intent to build community.

PLANTING DAY

The Museum’s Forest Planting Day is on Saturday, December 9, 2023, from 10:00am – 2:00pm.
  • At 10:00am there will be a Forest Dedication followed by community forest planting.
  • There will be refreshments, children’s activities as well as museum tours.
  • Those interested in Planting or Volunteering can email: Volunteer@shorelinehistoricalmuseum.org
For more information contact:

Kenneth Doutt (he/him)
Executive Director ǀ Shoreline Historical Museum
18501 Linden Ave N., Shoreline, WA 98155
Tue-Sat 10am-4pm
206-542-7111
shm@shorelinehistoricalmuseum.org

Other resources:
Funder and Landscape designer:

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Danger in the woods

Sunday, October 29, 2023

Photo by Gay Armsden in Hamlin Park

If you go down to the woods today
You'd better not go alone

It's lovely down in the woods today
But safer to stay at home

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Kenmore City Council will consider adopting new exceptional tree ordinance at Monday's meeting

Saturday, October 7, 2023

Sequoia photo by Melody Fosmire
(not the tree that was cut down in Kenmore)
After public outcry when the City of Kenmore issued a permit for a developer to cut down an enormous Sequoia at a new construction site on 68th Ave, the Kenmore City Council is expected to adopt an exceptional tree ordinance at its October 9, 2023 meeting.

The proposed ordinance protects extraordinary trees, defined as native trees and other very large trees that because of their unique combination of size and age are worthy of retention. 

Exceptional trees are exceedingly important to the local environment and community as they reduce soil erosion and pollution in streams and creeks, remove pollutant gases and airborne particles, lower temperatures, reduce noise pollution, and provide habitat for wildlife. 

Upon adoption of the ordinance, removal of any trees it protects as exceptional anywhere within the city will be punishable by fines up to $2,500 per inch in diameter at breast height with minimum a penalty of $10,000 and a maximum of $150,000. 


See our previous article on The Amazing Sequoia



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Forest Bathing at Boeing Creek Park through SCC Continuing Education class

Monday, October 2, 2023

Forest Bathing photo courtesy SCC

Forest Bathing will improve your well-being through immersion in nature. 

This guided slow meander walk for 12+ age students will teach you to use your senses to interact with the natural world to reduce stress, improve creativity, gain a sense of calm and stillness. 

Class will take place in Boeing Creek Park, Shoreline. 

Mileva Huljev is a certified guide through the Association for Nature and Forest Therapy, with specific training in supporting people to improve their wellbeing by engaging with the natural world.

Saturday October 21, 2023 from 3:30 -5:30pm
Fee: $49.00

Register here


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Sound Transit response to concerns of Lake Forest Park residents

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Sound Transit has released a detailed response to Lake Forest Park citizens and City Council, who gathered in the hundreds to let Sound Transit leadership know their concerns about the plan to create a Bus Rapid Transit lane on Bothell Way through almost the entire length of the city.

The lane will require cutting deep into the hillside, removing hundreds of trees and shoring up the hillside with a two story concrete retaining wall.

The report is thorough, responding to each major issue and listing every comment submitted and made in person at the meeting.

There are minor concessions, for example, the concrete wall will have cut-outs to allow planting of vines to grow up and cover the concrete.


Lake Forest Park has a webpage devoted to this issue. Access it here.

--Diane Hettrick


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Shoreline awarded $1 million to enhance its urban forestry efforts

Photo by Mike Remarcke
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service has awarded the City of Shoreline $1 million to enhance Shoreline’s urban forestry efforts. 

The grant is part of the $1 billion investment in the Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program.

The $1 million grant is in addition to $2.76 million in matching funds the City is putting forward for this work for a total of $3.76 million. 

Street trees on N 185th
Photo by Lee Lageschulte

Shoreline will use the funds to expand and enhance its urban forestry program over the next five years. 

We will:
  • expand efforts to actively track the progress and health of our urban forests and tree canopy and prioritize street-tree planting in low canopy neighborhoods
  • expand opportunities for the community to plant and maintain trees on private property
  • expand the Green Shoreline Partnership to provide urban forestry education, stewardship, and 
  • explore the creation of a workforce development initiative in partnership with local schools and community-based organizations, which will also include tree planting in areas with environmental health disparities.

“Maintaining and protecting our urban forest is essential to creating a healthy community,” stated Shoreline Mayor Keith Scully. 
“This money will allow us to make significant investments in our urban forestry program and help us to address Goal 2, Strategy 1 of our Climate Action Plan - Maintain and increase tree canopy and urban forest health.”

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LFP Emergency Road Closure for tree removal on NE 182nd Street – Wednesday, September 20

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

The City of Lake Forest Park has advised that NE 182nd Street, between 35th Avenue NE and 40th Avenue NE, will be closed for emergency tree work on Wednesday, September 20, 2023, between 10:30am and 4:00pm.

A detour will be in place, so please plan to use alternate routes. Local access will be accessible up to 3550 NE 182nd Street, where there will be a hard shut down.


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Shoreline council to respond to community concerns about removal of trees during sidewalk construction

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Citizen protest on 15th NE
Photo courtesy Peggy Williams
On September 11, the Shoreline City Council will discuss the tree impacts resulting from the 15th Avenue NE and 5th Avenue NE sidewalk rehabilitation projects and the N/NE 155th Street overlay project. 

All these projects involved repairing sidewalks, curbs, and gutters damaged by tree roots and required the removal of trees. 

The goal for repairing these sidewalks was to make them safe and accessible for people of all abilities.

In response to community concerns regarding tree impacts associated with these projects, staff will provide Council with more information regarding the projects, the impacts to trees, and the measures staff took to protect and/or replace trees. 

They will also discuss ways to improve communication with the public when tree removal is necessary as part of capital projects.

Shoreline City Council holds their meetings at City Hall and they begin at 7:00pm. Meetings are also live-streamed. Go to shorelinewa.gov/councilmeetings to find the link to watch the meeting.


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Apples for apple cider - and applesauce

Monday, August 28, 2023

Photo by Patrick Deagen
I have never seen an apple tree that produces as prodigiously as this old tree in Echo Lake Park at N 200th and Ashworth Ave N. 

The apples all fall to the ground every year and lie there until someone cleans them up. Birds, squirrels, and raccoons ignore them, which supports the idea that they are not very good eating apples.

However, I have been told that apples like this make very good apple cider. If you own a cider press or know where there's one you can use, help yourself. Windfalls are good for cider or you can pick the fruit from the tree.

--Diane Hettrick


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Update from Waterfront Seattle: Where roots find a home

Thursday, August 24, 2023

Here, you see us installing soil cells in preparation for plants and trees for the future boardwalk-like pedestrian path near Pier 58. Photo from WaterfrontSeattle.org

With more than 500 trees plus thousands of plants making their way to the waterfront - they'll need a safe and stable place to grow and that sounds like a perfect job for soil cells! 

Soil cells provide trees and plants with suitable conditions to grow healthy roots while also protecting urban infrastructure from tree root damage.

Progress on soil cell installation, soil has been placed, near University St.
Photo from WaterfrontSeattle.org

This infrastructure helps us bring all the amazing Washington green to the waterfront!

We’re rooting for soil cells—the underground heroes that keep trees healthy and help protect bike lanes and sidewalks!



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Humor from Margaret Hartley: Trees

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

 



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Local tree advocates join to protest removal of street trees for sidewalk project on 15th NE in Shoreline

Saturday, August 12, 2023

Signs posted on trees to be removed
Photo by Janet Way
By Diane Hettrick

On Friday morning, August 11, 2023 a cadre of representatives from four local Tree Advocates from three cities rallied on 15th Ave NE in Shoreline to raise objections to the tree cutting project for sidewalk repair which is currently underway.

According to Tree Advocate Janet Way, "People from Save Shoreline Trees, Tree Action Group (Luma the Cedar), TreePAC and CORE (from Lake Forest Park) marched, held signs and streamer poles to call attention to motorists. There was an enthusiastic and friendly response from most drivers."

Protesters tried to raise awareness as they stood under the leafy canopy
Photo by Janet Way

The street trees were planted in a massive King county bond issue from the late 1960s to create leafy boulevards along arterial streets. 

Crosscut reports that "King County’s Forward Thrust ballot initiatives in 1968 and 1970 didn’t get the region a rapid transit system, but they did pay for nearly 30,000 trees around the city, mostly on arterials."

Unfortunately they planted the wrong kind of trees, in locations that conflict with power lines.

Photo by Janet Way
Now decades later, the sidewalks have to be constantly repaired as the tree roots raise the pavement. 

The trees grow too tall, into the power lines. City Light is proud of the pruning they do which keeps the power on but cuts the middle out of the trees.

Shoreline citizens have called for sidewalks for years, and passed a levy to pay for new sidewalks and another levy to repair existing sidewalks. 

A citizen's committee worked for a year to prioritize locations for new and repaired sidewalks. It took another year for the work to actually start.

Photo by Peggy Williams Scott
Ironically, now that the projects are underway, we are all understanding the dangers of climate change and the benefit of trees. 

Just as a new heat dome is predicted this summer, we are cutting down a street-full of leafy trees.

Way says, "The group is emphasizing Environmental Justice because cutting these nearly 2 dozen big street trees will increase daytime temperatures and create a Heat Island Effect that can be danger to residents and pedestrians in this commercial district of middle-class homes and businesses in Ridgecrest and North City."

There was also emphasis on how many trees could have been saved if alternative sidewalk treatment techniques were utilized.

Tree advocates along 15th NE 

There was no specific plan for replacement trees. However, the city has a current program offering a tree to every Shoreline resident. (see article Free Trees for Shoreline residents). 

Separately the Sound Transit Trees for Rails program offers a free tree, shrubs, and ground cover plants to neighborhoods along the I-5 corridor, almost 2,400 properties in the Echo Lake, Ballinger, Meridian Park, North City, Parkwood, and Ridgecrest neighborhoods. (see previous article)

Unfortunately, only 181 properties have taken advantage of the offer.

The Tree groups plan to continue the efforts and communicate with City Council and City Administration.


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Only 118 property owners have taken advantage of the free Trees for Rail program

Monday, August 7, 2023

Trees For Rail is celebrating its third and final year helping Shoreline residents plant native trees. 

Since 2021, only 118 properties have participated in the program. 

The collaboration between Sound Transit, the City of Shoreline, and King Conservation District (KCD) works to re-green the Lynnwood Link light rail corridor with native trees and shrubs as it passes through the City of Shoreline.

KCD staff will be at Celebrate Shoreline August 19, 2023 to share information about the program and the importance of our urban tree canopy.

For more information, and to determine if your property qualifies, visit kingcd.org/TreesForRail.

This program is different from and in addition to the Free Trees for Shoreline program.



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Linden neighbors mourn loss of affordable living and big evergreens

Sunday, July 30, 2023

Demolition in progress for construction of a large apartment building
Photo by Corinne McKisson

By Diane Hettrick

Demolition has begun at 179th and Linden for a large apartment complex. The site held the low-income Garden Park Apartments.

Trees that were felled this week
Photo by Derek Blackwell

On the 17th of July, demolition of the site began, and this week the trees began to come down. Neighbors and Save Shoreline Trees held a vigil as the trees were felled.

The trees were felled this week
Photo by Corinne McKisson

When Shoreline revised its zoning codes, priority was given to concentrating development along Aurora and existing business corridors. Linden is one block west of Aurora.

Architect's drawing of the ModeraShoreline that will be constructed on the site

Neighbors are concerned about the loss of mature trees, the potential for heavy traffic on a narrow street, and the loss of affordable housing. See previous article about the ModeraShoreline.

A memorial page for the trees has been up since the plans for the site were made public.



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CORE urges attendance at rally prior to Sound Transit meeting on Wednesday, August 2, 2023 in Lake Forest Park

Saturday, July 29, 2023

Sound Transit proposes adding a bus lane with retaining walls
on Bothell Way (SR522) in Lake Forest Park

The LFP citizens' group CORE is urging LFP residents to attend the rally prior to the Sound Transit community meeting on Wednesday, August 2, 2023 at Lake Forest Park Elementary School, 18500 37th Ave NE.

The rally will start at 5:30pm. The meeting is at 6pm and both Sound Transit and CORE urge all LFP residents to attend.


CORE spokespeople say that "Attending this meeting is the way for citizens of Lake Forest Park to make their experience with Sound Transit, such as they are, known to the Staff and hopefully to the Sound Transit Board of Directors."

They continue: "This is a decisive moment for our community. Attending the meeting should be a priority, if not mandatory, for those who feel left out, marginalized, and seriously concerned about Sound Transit's plans or, for that matter, feel supportive of Sound Transit's plans for SR522/145th Bus Rapid Transit project."

CORE (Citizens Organized to Rethink Expansion of HWY 522 in Lake Forest Park) is an LFP-based citizen action organization. We are pro-mass transit and pro-Light Rail in Western Washington. We are a registered 501(c)(4) organization. Our goal is to educate the residents of Lake Forest Park that there is "a better way" for Sound Transit than building a devastating dedicated eastbound bus lane through the heart of our City, a design Sound Transit is using on 145th Ave that does not include any dedicated bus lanes.

Email CORE for more information: info@lfpcore.org


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Over 70 Shoreline citizens petition the city council to save a giant sequoia from development

Tuesday, July 25, 2023

72.8” diameter Giant Sequoia

More than 70 concerned citizens emailed the Shoreline City Council regarding the importance of retaining trees 70” in diameter and greater in Shoreline.

Of current concern is a 72.8” diameter Giant Sequoia located at 18525 Firlands Way N, previously saved by Barbara Monks in 1978.

Many of the emails can be seen on the July 24, 2023 city council agenda under Item 8 Study Items.

As stated at the July 24th City Council meeting, the City of Shoreline will review the tree code in 2025.


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Free trees for Shoreline residents

Sunday, July 23, 2023

Communi-trees: Free Trees for Shoreline Residents!

Shoreline residents can receive a FREE tree through Communi-trees! Communi-trees is the City’s newest program to grow and maintain trees for a healthy Shoreline! 

Trees provide a wide range of benefits. They clean our air, create shade, relieve stress, and make our community more beautiful.

When you sign up for Communi-trees, you receive: 
  • One free tree per household
  • Help picking the right tree for your space
  • A free watering bag and mulch for your tree
  • Training on tree planting and care
  • Planting assistance for individuals with disabilities *
  • Ongoing tree care reminders
*Subject to volunteer availability.

Full details on eligibility requirements, available tree species, and more can be found here


We are accepting sign-ups through August 15 at 11:59pm. It does not matter when you complete the sign-up form during this time period, so long as you do so no later than August 15.

If we receive more signups than we have trees available, we will choose sign-up requests at random. 

Some priority will be given to neighborhoods identified as having low-tree canopy or increased heat impacts from climate change. This method allows us to equitably distribute trees throughout the City and provide the greatest public benefit.

Questions? Contact Sarah Bruemmer at sbruemmer@shorelinewa.gov or 206-801-2452.


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A Tree does not grow at Post 227

Lawson cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana)

Story and photos by Doug Cerretti

The Starr Sutherland, Jr Post 227 of The American Legion occupied its current facility in 1992. The building was originally built in 1951 and soon after, a Lawson cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) was planted which grew to a very large beautiful two-trunked tree.

The dead half was removed, but the remaining half only lasted for another year

Lawson cypress or Port Orford cedar, as it is known in its native range and by foresters, is restricted in nature to a narrow strip of the Oregon-California coast and to the mountains of northern California. It was once an important timber tree for the region.

The entire tree had to be removed

The greatest concentration of cultivated Lawson cypress is in the maritime Pacific Northwest, in and around Seattle, Victoria, and Vancouver. Here, Lawsons were used during the housing boom following World War II, most planted as hedges or in the “buns-and-rockets” style of foundation planting common to residential front yards of the fifties and sixties.

Nothing could be done to save the tree from cypress root rot

As you can see from the picture, we had a severe problem with our Lawson cypress; half of it was dead. The culprit was a soil-borne disease called cypress root rot caused by a species of Phytophthora, a genus of common fungus-like organisms that are part of a larger group of plant pathogens known as water molds. Interestingly, this cypress root rot was first recorded on planting stocks of Lawson cypress in Seattle in 1923.

Half of our bifurcated tree was dying but an arborist suggested that the other half may last several years but it to would eventually succumb to the root rot. There was nothing we could do to save the tree.

Site for a flagpole

Thus, we removed the dead half last year. Unfortunately, we had only a year for the other half before the root rot took over and we had to remove the cypress completely. We would normally replace it with another tree but instead it is a perfect location for a much needed flag pole to display the American Flag.

Starr Sutherland, Jr Post 227

The Starr Sutherland, Jr Post 227 (14521 17th Ave NE, Shoreline, WA 98155) of The American Legion meets the first Tuesday of the month at 6:30pm. Veterans, members or not are welcome along with family, friends and the community.



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County Council opposes state timber sale over climate impacts

Friday, July 21, 2023

Wishbone forest. Photo from Center for Sustainable Economy 

A majority of the King County Council, including District 1 councilmember Rod Dembowski, on Thursday sent a letter to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Board of Natural Resources (BNR) requesting they defer auction of the Wishbone Timber Sale scheduled for July 25.

Located off Stossel Creek near Duvall, the proposed timber sale includes older dense forests that – due to their size – are powerful carbon captors that help bolster the county’s resilience to future climate impacts associated with heat waves, drought, fire, and flooding.

Initiated by a proposal from Council Chair Dave Upthegrove, the letter also requests that DNR work with King County to protect the mature legacy forests within this sale area and throughout King County for their climate and biodiversity benefits.

DNR has managed the state forest trust lands within King County to balance economic, environmental, and recreational interests for nearly 100 years. 

But the agency’s logging of older, carbon dense forests has sounded the alarm bells for many engaged with the state’s climate action agenda.

“In order to have a healthy sustainable economy, we need to keep our region a great place to live,” Upthegrove said. 
“That is why we want greater consideration of the carbon impacts of clearcutting the remaining mature legacy forests in King County. The harmful economic impacts of climate change require us to fundamentally revisit the old way of doing things.”

King County’s letter comes on the heels of lawsuit filed by the Center for Sustainable Economy (CSE), Legacy Forest Defense Coalition and Save the Olympic Peninsula against the Wishbone sale, citing DNR for its continuing failures to disclose the climate impacts of its mature legacy forest logging program under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). 

Last fall, plaintiffs won an identical case against two timber sales in Jefferson County.

“This is what real climate leadership looks like,” said Dr. John Talberth, CSE’s President and Senior Economist “We applaud the King County Council for its efforts to hold DNR accountable for the climate impacts of logging mature and old growth forests and its duties under SEPA.”

King County has clear climate goals, and its forests provide benefits to human health, salmon habitat, and water quality and quantity, in addition to the economic benefits of sustainable timber. 

There are substantial carbon and climate benefits to maintaining, protecting, restoring, and expanding the more than 811,000 acres of forest land in King County. A small portion of these forests – about 14,800 acres – are considered mature legacy forests, which due to their carbon capture potential and their risk of loss due to wildfire, insects, and disease rank them among the highest priority for protection in the county.

King County is interested in creating and implementing a vision for the future of state-owned forest lands, which produces world-class lumber and other forest products, while at the same time enhancing carbon storage, and providing a multitude of ecosystem services of value to the people of King County.

In addition to its opposition to the Wishbone sale, the King County Council expressed interest in collaborating with DNR on forest-management strategies that wholistically account for the economic and climate impacts of these decisions.

The Wishbone sale auction is currently scheduled for Tuesday, July 25, 2023.



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To Save a Majestic Tree

150 year old Western Red Cedar

Story and photos by Glen Milner

About three miles south of Lake Forest Park, in the Seattle Wedgewood area, is a scene many of us are familiar with— involving the clearing of substantial trees on a residential lot for new housing. As in our area, urban density and affordable housing concerns are pitted against ecologically sound tree management.

Over 200 people gathered at the construction site on July 18th

At a rally on July 18, 2023 over two hundred people met with organizers and participants who addressed their concerns at the construction site. 

Organizers did not blame the developers, arborists, and builders as much as Seattle city managers who have not done enough to protect large trees—in this case a 150 year-old Western Red Cedar.

Most remarkable is that as the residential lot was cleared for six new housing units—young activists decided that the time to act was now—to save the tree and to save ourselves.

Activists are living in the tree, while supporters place signs on the construction fence.

Please visit the site at 3849 NE 88th Street in Seattle. Go south on Lake City Way to 35th Ave NE and then south to NE 88th Street.

Activists are currently camped at about 40 feet above ground in the tree — halfway up the 80-foot tree. These activists, along with their ground support, are there 24 hours a day. 

Signs express demonstrators concerns

In a world where we are told that there is nothing we can do to make a difference—these people are.

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