Fortunately, Yes! But not the majority of Seattle City Council or our Mayor. Only Councilmember Alex Pedersen spoke out about the proposed removal of “Luma” – an exceptional Western Red Cedar in Seattle’s Wedgwood neighborhood: “The chopping down of such exceptional trees is additional evidence that city hall is failing to protect our dwindling tree canopy.”
This proposed cutting of one of our city’s “last 6,000” majestic trees, comes just two months after the City passed a heavily-compromised revised tree ordinance, which the Seattle Times referred to as: “the equivalent of a chain saw.”
https://www.seattletimes.com/opinion/editorials/seattles-proposed-tree-ordinance-is-the-legislative-equivalent-of-a-chain-saw/
Plans to cut this exceptional tree show that developers got the message: Our city’s weak new tree ordinance is an invitation to continue cutting trees with impunity — even the biggest and best remaining trees in the entire city.
Most Seattleites disagree with this destructive approach to managing our urban forest; they want to save it. A recent poll showed that nearly 80 percent of Seattleites favor stronger tree protections https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2021/09/seattle-voters-overwhelmingly-favor-policies-to-protect-and-expand-the-citys-tree-canopy.html.
There is a huge disconnect between what Seattleites want and what elected (and bought) officials favor.
Sandy Shettler, tree advocate and board member of The Last 6,000 and Tree Pac said it clearly: “This (tree removal) is definitely for developer convenience.” And I would add, so are many others. It’s no wonder we are behind in our efforts to reach a modest 30% tree canopy by 2030. To put this into perspective, other major cities like Atlanta, Tampa, New York and Portland have already surpassed 30% tree canopy, and are now pushing for 40% or higher canopy coverage. Seattle at 28% canopy and shrinking is no longer progressive; it is falling far behind the times with respect to trees and climate resilience.
The ecological benefits of the Western Red Cedar on the chopping block are considerable. As the rest of the country chokes on smoke from climate-change aided fires in Canada, we should be protecting trees like this one, not cutting them down. As Jim Davis of The Last 6,000 said “a tree the size of this cedar absorbs about 6,000 gallons of stormwater each year, as well as roughly 300 pounds of carbon dioxide.” In addition it, along with other trees, provides shade, wildlife habitat and aesthetic benefits. Climate change is roaring ahead. What would be the dumbest possible thing to do at a time like this? Cut down our trees — especially the biggest and oldest ones.
On the plus side, people are fighting to save this tree. There have been several tree gratitude events (right). Tree-affirming signage lines the construction site, 
a tree sitter (left) has occupied Luma for six days. Now The Duwamish and Snoqualmie Tribes are involved.
As of this writing, the Snoqualmie Tribe has declared Luma to be a
culturally modified tree (CMT) and has submitted paperwork to declare the CMT and the area
surrounding it as an archaeological site under Tribal and Washington State law. Momentum is building for saving this and other Seattle trees.
Will saving Luma mark a turning point in Seattle’s dysfunctional relationship with trees? I certainly hope so and so do many other Seattleites who like their trees in the vertical position.
* “Exceptional tree” means a tree or group of trees that because of its unique historical, ecological, or aesthetic value constitutes an important community resource.” – Seattle Municipal Code (SMC) Chapter 25.11, Tree Protection.
