Seattle Master Street Tree Plan

The City of Seattle Street Tree Master Plan is a comprehensive three-phase study that recommends priorities for tree plantings on Seattle's arterial streets, provides a list of trees for appropriate planting on arterial streets and explores new concepts for street tree plantings to connect existing open spaces and green areas in the City of Seattle. The Street Tree Master Plan serves as a mechanism to prioritize areas for tree plantings and identifies tree species for planting and removal.

Phase I of the Tree Master Plan inventories the location, type and condition of trees planted along all improved City streets. From 1990 to its completion in 1992, nearly 84,000 trees were assessed for a wide range of factors, including age, species, health, site features, planting strip width and relationship to power lines.

Phase II of the Street Tree Master Plan (1993-1994) developed criteria for deciding priorities for planting street trees, and designated arterial streets for tree planting. Phase II also quantified the planting and maintenance needs of Seattle's street trees and created a comprehensive list of old and diseased trees for removal.

Phase III (1994-1999) identifies goals for urban forestry growth for the City of Seattle and looks for new ideas to increase the quantity and quality of green spaces within the city limits. Phase III's goals include a 13% increase in Seattle's tree canopy, to a total of 40%. Fresh ideas and new partnerships are now being made among the public, private, commercial and non profit sectors to reach the goals of a green Seattle.

For more information, call the City Arborist's office at 206-684-TREE (8733).