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City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
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NEWS ADVISORY
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| SUBJECT: Mayor Orders City to Replace Trees Two-for-One
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
9/7/2005 12:00:00 PM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Alex Fryer (206) 684-8358
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Mayor Orders City to Replace Trees Two-for-One
Executive order ensures Seattle will remain The Emerald City
SEATTLE -- Mayor Greg Nickels issued an Executive Order today directing City
departments to replace every tree removed from city property with two new trees,
a step that will help ensure Seattle remains a truly “green” city.
“Trees are fundamental to the quality of our lives in the city,” Nickels
said. “They clean our air and water, cool our streets and homes, reduce
noise in our neighborhoods and enhance beauty and nature in our city.”
The Mayor’s proposed 2006 budget, which he will submit to the City Council
on Sept. 26, includes an additional $170,000 for tree plantings.
The City must occasionally remove trees for safety reasons or as part of public
projects and other developments. The mayor’s order requires replacement
within two years with appropriate trees at least two inches in caliper, and
as close to the removed tree as possible.
The new order will apply primarily to Seattle Parks and Recreation, which
manages 2,500 acres of forest and 1.2 million trees, and the Seattle Department
of Transportation, which manages the city’s 130,000 street trees.
Nickels also ordered City departments to develop or amend tree policies to
comply with the order, and to apply the policy to all contracts with private
vendors for development on city-owned land. The order applies to trees within
the city limits.
Today’s announcement follows the effort Nickels launched last year
with the Cascade Land Conservancy to restore Seattle's public forest and
stop the spread of ivy and other invasive species.
The Green Seattle Partnership will restore 2,500 acres of public forest by
2024.
With help from the Cascade Land Conservancy, the state's leading land conservation
organization, the program plans to save 150 acres of public forest per year.
That's 15 times the number of acres the city has restored in years past. In
addition, the Partnership will improve trails through greenbelts and natural
areas, provide youth training and employment opportunities, and increase public
stewardship of Seattle's forests.
Some of the advantages of trees:
- One acre of trees provides enough oxygen for 18 people and absorbs as
much carbon dioxide as a car produces in 26,000 miles;
- Trees reduce peak runoff of stormwater by 10 to 20 percent, and hold soil
in place to prevent erosion;
- Trees reduce noise pollution by acting as a buffer and absorbing noise;
- Trees attract many species of wild birds into urban areas;
- Trees shade and cool streams, improving conditions for fish and other
aquatic wildlife; and
- Trees add economic value by reducing energy use, attracting tourists,
and increasing property values.
Visit the mayor’s web site at www.seattle.gov/mayor. Get the mayor’s
inside view on initiatives to promote transportation, public safety, economic
opportunity and healthy communities by signing up for The Nickels Newsletter
at www.seattle.gov/mayor/newsletter_signup.htm
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Office of the Mayor
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