King County Officials Unveil 30-Year Forest Preservation Plan

KIRKLAND, WA — Lush forests remain a major part of the King County’s landscape and provide a host of benefits to the region’s environment in both urban and rural settings. But to protect these areas and ensure that area forests can continue to impact the area, officials have introduced a 30-year plan designed to keep those settings as vital as they have been in the past.

King County Executive Dow Constantine unveiled the plan on Tuesday as county officials have made increasing forest canopy and improving forest health a priority while also confronting climate change and keeping water in the region as clean as possible.

The 30-year plan was developed by county officials in partnership with environmental specialists and other experts to maximize the benefits the county’s forests provide, officials said. The forests contribute to the region’s stability by storing carbon, improving salmon habitat, providing quality timber while also lowering the heat levels in the county’s urban areas while also offering a myriad recreational opportunity for local residents, officials said.

Making sure those benefits continue for years to come makes the 30-year study a valuable tool moving forward, county officials said.

“The spectacular forests of King County have defined our landscape since time immemorial, contributing to the clean air and water, healthy habitat, and recreational opportunities that we enjoy today,” Constantine said in a news release issued Tuesday. “The 30-Year Forest Plan is our generation’s commitment to ensuring that all those who come after us experience those same benefits while honoring tribal rights and making access to forestland more equitable.”

Local officials worked with county tribal representatives, not-for-profit organizations, forestland managers and others to compile the report. The comprehensive plan focuses on seven priorities that officials believe is critical to maintaining in the health and sustainability of the region’s forests. Included in the report are plans to deal with climate, forest health, urban forest canopy, public human health, salmon habitat, water quality and quantity and sustainable timber.

The plan outlines critical steps for the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks to use moving forward. The report also provides guidance for local officials to organize specific plans for forests between 2020 and 2050 to ensure that shared priorities remain in focus as they relate to strategies for tree planting , forest restoration and protection and other key ideas, officials said Tuesday.

The development of the strategic plan began taking shape in 2015 when county officials created the Strategic Climate Action plan, which set out to plant 1 million trees — a goal that has been met and surpassed by county officials and their partners, the county said.

In addition to the tree-planting initiative, county officials also set out to meet forest protection goals and incorporate the need for work to improve forest condition – including increasing species diversity and removing invasive species, so that forests can provide a wider range of benefits.