Green Tukwila 20-Year Stewardship Plan Acknowledgments Tie Green - PDF document

Green Tukwila 20-Year Stewardship Plan

Acknowledgments Tie Green City Partnerships program started in 2004, comprises a network of public-private ventures between Forterra, local government agencies, businesses, organizations, and citizens. Tiis efgort set the stage for engaging the public in ongoing stewardship of urban forests and natural areas and was expanded into cities throughout the Puget Sound Region with the formation of new partnerships. We developed the Green Tukwila Partnership based on these efgorts, creating a plan to address the needs of the Tukwila community. Tiis important work was funded, in part, by a generous grant from Boeing’s Healthy Communities Initiative. city of tukwila elected offjcials Mayor: Allen Ekberg City Council: Joe Duffje, Council President Dennis Robertson Vema Seal Kathy Hougardy De’Sean Quinn Kate Kruller Tiomas McLeod Park Commission: Mike Martin, Chair Don Scanlon Sean Albert Heidi Watters Matt Mega tukwila stafg Advisory group Robert Eaton, Parks and Recreation Manager Carol Lumb, Senior Planner, Department of Community Development Andrea Cummins, Urban Environmentalist, Department of Community Development Mike Perfetti, Habitat Project Manager, Public Works Department Forterra Norah Kates, Green Cities Project Manager Kimberly Frappier, Restoration Ecologist Matt Mega, Green Cities Project Manager Joanna Nelson de Flores, Green Cities Director Nicole Marcotte, Green Cities Project Associate Christopher Walter, GIS Director American Forestry management, Inc. Data Collection Jesse Saunders, Inventory Forester Ted Hitzroth, GIS Manager Green Tukwila 20-Year Stewardship Plan 1

llustrations Andrea Mojzak Photography Nicole Marcotte Photography by McRob (www.mcrobphoto.com) Billy Hustace (hustacephotogrpahy.com) Nick Krittawat Uncredited photos were taken by Forterra or Tukwila Parks and Recreation Editing Diane Sepanski 2

Table of ConTenTS Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................................................1 Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................................................6 I. Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................................................8 Tie Need for a Green Tukwila Partnership ......................................................................................................................9 Investing in Tukwila’s Urban Forest: Public Health, Economic and Ecosystem Benefjts...................................................9 II. Tie Challenge: Tireatened Forests and Natural Areas .........................................................................................................15 Challenges and Tireats to Sustainability .......................................................................................................................16 Fragmentation ........................................................................................................................................................16 Declining Habitat Quality ......................................................................................................................................16 Invasive Species: Plants ...........................................................................................................................................17 Invasive Species: Insects ..........................................................................................................................................18 Native Vegetation Struggling to Regenerate ............................................................................................................19 Illegal Activity .........................................................................................................................................................19 Climate Change ......................................................................................................................................................19 Resource Limitations on Forest and Natural Area Restoration and Maintenance .....................................................20 III. Meeting the Challenge ......................................................................................................................................................21 Tie Mission and Vision ................................................................................................................................................21 Outcomes .....................................................................................................................................................................22 Goals ............................................................................................................................................................................22 Partnership Roles and Responsibilities ..........................................................................................................................23 City of Tukwila .......................................................................................................................................................23 Seattle City Light ....................................................................................................................................................24 King County Parks .................................................................................................................................................24 Tukwila School Distrcit............................................................................................................................................24 Highline School District .........................................................................................................................................24 Washington Department of Transportation .............................................................................................................24 Washington Department of Natural Resources .......................................................................................................24 Nonprofjt Organizations .........................................................................................................................................25 Volunteers and the Community at Large ................................................................................................................26 Commercial and Nonprofjt Field Crews .................................................................................................................26 Funders, Donors and Sponsors ...............................................................................................................................26 Private Landowners .................................................................................................................................................27 IV. Forest and Natural Areas Assessment .................................................................................................................................29 Methods .......................................................................................................................................................................29 Tree-iage and Forest Landscape Assessment Tool (FLAT) ........................................................................................29 Tree-iage Categoroes ...............................................................................................................................................30 Results ..........................................................................................................................................................................33 Tree-iage Matrix ......................................................................................................................................................33 Overstory Species ....................................................................................................................................................34 Regenerating Overstory Species ..............................................................................................................................34 Native Overstory Species ........................................................................................................................................34 Green Tukwila 20-Year Stewardship Plan 3