During a Climate Action Framework update, staff noted that community survey results showed strong public support for funding trees and green spaces. Consequently, the city is prioritizing a 28% tree canopy goal and coordinating with the forestry and parks departments for tree plantings in vulnerable neighborhoods to build climate resilience. Although it was noted that expanding the urban forest has a minimal impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, staff emphasized its critical role in mitigating urban heat islands.
Forests_green_space
City Council Workshops · Aug 24, 2026 · 1:51:44–1:52:02 · Watch on CVTV ↗
Keywords: urban forest tree canopy forestry parks
What was said
1:50:44 resilience conversations into action. Thanks to our colleagues with the comprehensive plan we have a really strong foundation on some of those conversations with neighborhoods that are most impacted by impacts like urban heat islands localized flooding and some of some of the other community climate hazards. So we wanted to build on the ideas and priorities that residents had already expressed through those conversations rather than asking them to have the same conversations over again for the sake of our update. So in Fruit Valley one of the neighborhoods is most vulnerable to some of those impacts. We've been focusing on advancing neighborhood climate resilience priorities in tangible ways. That includes partnering with nature play designs local landscape and ecology firm to coordinate green scaping activities like volunteer tree plantings, tree canopy infills, depaving events and educational events
1:51:40 while bringing together teams across the city such as our equitable development teams, forestry, stormwater and parks to coordinate those efforts. The goal is really engagement through action taking what we heard from the community and working together to make it visible on the ground. The Commerce Grant has also enabled us to hire Washington Conservation Action a non-profit to help us with a few more in-depth conversations. They have convened the Climate Policy Advisors Group to provide some early guidance on policy questions around partnerships and funding and to review early drafts of the CAF with its updated actions and strategies. You can see a list of the participants in attachment B of the memo. This group is very engaged, very eager to explore the issues and eager to engage with council on issues of concern. So you may see testimony from this group over the next several months. WCA is also conducting a series of one-on-one
1:52:37 interviews with community leaders, elders and youth. Coming up tomorrow they are teaming up with the Southwest Equity Coalition for an event at La Casita Art Gallery and Cultural Center that will include breakout discussions on climate issues that are most relevant to youth age 16 to 19. Youth leads and SWEC staff will be facilitating conversations at each of the table.
Evidence (1 match)
direct keyword 1:51:44–1:52:02 urban forest, tree canopy, forestry, parks
local landscape and ecology firm to coordinate green scaping activities like volunteer tree plantings, tree canopy infills, depaving events and educational events while bringing together teams across the city such as our equitable development teams, forestry, stormwater and parks to coordinate those efforts. The goal is really engagement through action taking what we heard from the community and working together to make it visible on the ground. The Commerce Grant has also enabled us to hire Was