Our URBAN forests need help

This message was shared with Mayor Durkan and the City Council

I just attended the UW Urban Forest conference and learnt how we desperately need to increase Seattle's tree canopy to at least 40 % as fast as possible to prevent the temperatures steadily rising in the City as development is not absorbing the heat. 

Study 2019: 
Scale-dependent interactions between tree canopy cover and impervious surfaces reduce daytime urban heat during summer
https://www.pnas.org/content/116/15/7575

This makes temperatures going up about 3-4 degrees Celsius which gives our existing trees a very hard time with many dying off in the recent months. Carbon sequestering as well as heat absorption are too critical elements of keeping our city healthy for everyone.

I'm working as a Volunteer Forest Steward for Seattle Parks, Green Seattle Partnership/Forterra and want to make sure you are aware of this major problem.

Also, please make the current tree ordinance stricter, so big backyard trees will not be cut down without expert approval and there are incentives or rules to plant as many trees as possible for new developments and private properties.

There are companies walking door to door telling citizens their trees are a danger and failing, even if they are perfectly healthy, and recommend removal. We need to make this illegal.

We need every tree in the city to keep the existing ones alive and Seattle livable in the midth of Climate Change.