Tall evergreens attract birds like Western Tanager, Cooper’s Hawk and Pileated Woodpecker
Seattle is regarded as a progressive, tolerant place, but there is one category of living things that we do not tolerate well: trees. Whenever a tree annoys someone for any reason, it seems that the tree comes down.
Despite its green reputation, Seattle is not faring so well with respect to trees. The average coverage for U.S. cities is 27%. However, according to a City Urban Forest Management Plan, in 2007 Seattle only had 18% coverage; down from 40% coverage in 1972. The plan calls for planting 600,000 trees by 2037 to restore Seattle’s canopy to 30%. Portland already has a 30% tree canopy in a city once nicknamed “Stumptown.” Atlanta, with 36% coverage is the top-ranked major U.S. city.
We need more not fewer trees. Trees provide beauty, habitat for birds and wildlife, shade, wind and erosion protection, clean air and mitigate for climate change. According to a new report by the Green Cities Research Alliance, Seattle’s trees “save the city about $23 million annually in carbon storage, pollution removal and residential energy savings and that it would cost the city $4.9 billion to replace its trees.”
Here are five reasons I’ve heard for felling trees, along with my comments which I hope you consider as you make decisions on your property:
- “Its messy “– yes, all trees are messy to varying degrees. Damn the fact that we have to rake those gorgeous fall leaves; even though we need the exercise and fresh air which trees help create!
- “It might fall on my house someday” – this is often an exaggerated fear that an arborist can address. Determine the prevailing wind direction and assess the tree’s health before opting to axe it. Instead of destroying trees, they can be pruned or converted to wildlife habitat trees or snags to remove the hazard element while providing habitat values.
https://conservationcatalyst.org/woodysblog/blog1.php/2010/10/06/stumpscaping
- “It’s the wrong tree for this area” – translated, this means planting ornamental, ”toy” trees, instead of our local native trees like Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar and Western Hemlock. These native trees when not too close to houses or utility lines, are actually the RIGHT trees for our area, specifically adapted to our soils and climate. As Seattle Re-Leaf points out: “Large trees often become treasured neighborhood assets. Research has shown that they provide higher quality habitat for birds and other wildlife, and they have larger root systems to help stabilize hillsides and prevent erosion. Large trees do more to buffer weather conditions, providing shade on hot days to reduce the need for air conditioning, and blocking winter winds to help save on heating bills.”
- “It blocks my view “– Trees don’t block views, they ARE views! Through trimming, you can retain or open up views beyond the trees. Views framed by trees are more beautiful than stark views with no vegetation in the foreground. Just ask nature photographers.
- “It blocks the sun “– This could be a blessing in disguise. Shade keeps your house cool which will become increasingly important as the climate continues to warm.
What happens when you clear-cut an entire neighborhood? This happened in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. Many of our Scandinavian settlers liked their trees horizontal. Plus they made money that way, and as one of Seattle’s flatter areas, Ballard was easy pickings for timber harvesting. Removing so many of Ballard’s trees created a stark, barren urban landscape.
Since the 1990s there has been a vigorous effort to “Re-Tree Ballard” where trees are being restored one household planting strip at a time. The City provides saplings to these residents at a substantially reduced rate. Hundreds of households are participating and many trees are being planted. Ballard has become a more desirable place.
If you don’t have the opportunity to plant a tree in your yard, consider the Seattle Parks Foundation tree program http://seattleparksfoundation.org/current-projects-donate-a-tree/where you can make a donation in honor of a loved one, and a tree will be planted in their honor. We planted a tree in my mother’s honor in Ravenna Park through this program.
Trees have been winning a few battles, but losing a war of attrition. All cities benefit when their trees and snags remain standing. Let’s keep our trees vertical. They are invaluable, not expendable natural assets.
Sources: Seattle Times, April 2012 Turn Ballard Green, Plant a Tree; Seattle Urban Forest Management Plan; Seattle re-Leaf website http://www.seattle.gov/trees/; Deep Root – Green Infrastructure for Your Community April 2010 Tree Cover % – How Does Your City Measure Up?; Green Cities Alliance Tree Report, Sept 2012 http://www.forterra.org/press_releases/seattletreereport
