Tree Portal Home Page, Seattle reLeaf

New Urban Forestry Commission

Tree Planting and Care Information Now Available in 12 Languages

Read Seattle Urban Nature's new report on the city's conifers (1.2 MB, pdf)

picture of neighbors planting trees

download tree poster

Download the
"LOST" tree poster
(969 KB, PDF)

"A city grows great when people plant trees under which they know they will never sit." ~ proverb

Green Seattle Partnership Wins Silver Award From National League of Cities

Northgleen, CO Mayor Kathleen M. Novak, President of NLC, Seattle City Council President Richard Conlin, and Lee McIntire, President and CEO of CH2M HILL

The National League of Cities' Municipal Excellence Award is meant to identify and showcase outstanding city and town programs that improve the quality of life in America's communities. Seattle recevied the Silver Award this year for the Green Seattle Partnership, a collaboration between the City of Seattle, Cascade Land Conservancy and our residents to restore 2,500 acres of forested parkland by 2025. Learn more about the award here, or visit the Green Seattle Partnership's homepage to see how you can get involved!

Tree Fund Training Brings Seattle Residents Together to Plant Trees

The City of Seattle recently hosted a training on tree planting for recipients of free trees through the Tree Fund, a program which brings neighbors together to green residential streets. As part of the training, 9 new ginko and hedge maple trees were planted at Lincoln High School. Click here to download the power point presentation from the event. (pdf, 17 MB)

Have a Question about Trees? Ask Our Experts!

Q: What are Silva Cells and what's going on at 4th Ave and Virginia Street downtown?

Installation of Silva Cells at 4th and Virginia.

A: The City of Seattle Department of Transportation has taken a new direction in the effort to achieve the central Urban Forestry Management Plan goal to regain lost canopy cover lost to development. Under the direction of SDOT and product distributor DeepRoot, the Escala project at 4th Avenue and Virginia Street in downtown Seattle has undertaken the installation of Silva Cell, an integrated tree, soil and stormwater system designed by internationally renowned Landscape Architect, James Urban.

This first installation in the City of Seattle along the 4th Avenue frontage of this prominent project, required as a condition associated with an SDOT permit to allow tree removal, maximizes the value of limited space in the right of way. The system utilizes the same space to provide soil conditions optimally designed for the growth of street trees while providing full support for standard sidewalk construction. In addition to adding points for any project seeking LEED Green Building certification, the Silva Cell system is currently under evaluation by the Washington State Department of Ecology as a means to meet stormwater management requirements. The future looks "bright green" given applicability to a wide range of private development and public projects in the urban environment where trees and paved surfaces must coexist in a sustainable manner for the long term.

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In the News

MLS soccer players pitch in to plant trees, MLSnet.com, November 22, 2009

Volunteers help homeowners with fruit trees, Seattle Times, August 25, 2009

Ordinance passed by City Council, August 3, 2009

Resolution passed by City Council, August 3, 2009

Seattle's tree-cutting rules to get more strict, Seattle Times, August 4, 2009

City Council votes to save Seattle trees, Seattle PI, August 3, 2009

City Fruit Launches New Website

City Fruit, a Seattle-based organization dedicated to fruit trees, has recently launched a new website. The website includes resources on how to grow your own fruit in the city as well as information on how you can get help harvesting and sharing fruit from your tree. The website also features a community generated map of fruit trees in Seattle.

City Fruit works neighborhood by neighborhood to help residential tree owners grow healthy fruit, to harvest and use what they can, and to share what they don’t need. City Fruit collaborates with others involved in local food production, climate protection, horticulture, food security and community-building to protect and optimize urban fruit trees.

Cass Turnbull Receives ISA Gold Leaf Award

Seattle resident, arborist, and founder of Plant Amnesty Cass Turnbull recently received the Gold Lead Award from the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture for her work in organizing Seattle's first Festival of Trees, held in May 2009. The Festival of Trees was a two-day extravaganza that was well-attended by tree lovers all over the Seattle area. The first day included a fair complete with dancing horses, bucket rides, free trees, and tree care workshops. The second day was a conference for attendees to learn more about Seattle's urban forest.

Gold Leaf Awards are given to recognize outstanding Arbor Day events around the country. Cass was presented with the award, along with a crown of golden leaves, during a recent urban forest workshop.

Seattle's Updated Canopy Cover Analysis

The City of Seattle recently undertook a project to estimate canopy levels in 2002/03 and 2007 using more rigorous methods than were used previously. This new study finds Seattle to have about 23% canopy cover. The data from the recent study is exciting because it provides critical information about recent canopy changes across the city as well as within different land uses, neighborhoods, and watersheds. This information will allow the City to better plan and manage Seattle's urban forest.

Learn more about the project

Download the report (pdf, 2.2 MB)