Coordinator’s Corner—February

We’re dedicating the February Coordinator’s Corner to update you on some bills currently being debated by our state legislature, which, if passed, will be consequential for many of our urban forestry constituents. To learn more about any bills mentioned here, visit http://www.leg.wa.gov, click on “Bills” under the “Find” subheading in the right sidebar. Then enter …

Recap: Urban Forestry Today Meeting

Our month started out with Urban Forestry Today: 2021 Statewide Meeting on Monday, February 1st. We’d like to thank the nearly 90 participants who joined the DNR Urban and Community Forestry Program and our special guests, the Washington Community Forestry Council, the City of Snoqualmie and the Keystone Concept. Your attendance made us feel more …

Snoqualmie Project Shows Stormwater Benefit of Publicly Managed Urban Forest

This article is reposted as it originally appeared on King Conservation District’s Website on January 28, 2021. Click here for the original version. Written by Mike Lasecki. Image and figures excerpt from City of Snoqualmie, Natural Infrastructure Assessment, 2020 What’s the value of a city’s urban forest? An actual dollar amount answer to this question can …

Growth rings: What would a tree say about the last year?

You might remember from studying trees in elementary school science (or more recently if you are one of our arborist or forester readers) that you can tell how old a tree is by counting the annular growth rings. These growth rings, alternating bands of light and dark, tell stories about periods of abundant rainfall and …

American Forests Announces Seattle’s Tree Equity Score Using New Tool

This past fall, American Forests launched a new tool for determining the Tree Equity Score for urban neighborhoods. Tree Equity Score is a metric that aims to help cities assess how well they are delivering equitable tree canopy cover to all residents. The score combines measures of tree canopy cover need and priority for trees …

Coordinator’s Corner – January

“You can't really know where you are going until you know where you have been”. ~ Maya Angelou At the dawn of this New Year, I want to reflect on the history of DNR’s Urban Forestry Program so that all of you can better understand where we are headed. DNR’s Urban & Community Forestry program …

Urban Forestry Today: 2021 Statewide Meeting

Join the Washington DNR's Urban and Community Program and our special guests: Washington Community Forestry Council, the City of Snoqualmie and the Keystone Concept for a statewide urban forestry meeting to be held on Monday, February 1, 2021 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (Pacific Time).   This meeting is open to all, but our …

Update: Evergreen Communities Act

Background: The Evergreen Communities Act (ECA) is landmark legislation for urban forestry in Washington that was passed in 2008, thanks to support from the Washington Community Forestry Council and coalition of stakeholders from across the state. The intent is to provide funding for communities to perform tree inventories, canopy analyses and develop urban forest management …

Pest Highlight: Mediterranean Oak Borer

A recent infestation of the Mediterranean Oak Borer has been discovered in suburbs near Sacramento. The Mediterranean oak borer (MOB), Xyleborus monographus, is an invasive ambrosia beetle that primarily attacks oak tree species. Mediterranean Oak Borer. Source: University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources What is it?The pest is found in a variety of climates …

Become a Certified Urban & Community Tree Steward

For the second year, WSU Extension program is offering an online course geared towards furthering knowledge of urban forestry and community tree stewardship. The online WSU Urban & Community Tree Stewardship Certification training will empower landscape professionals, Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, members of local community tree boards and committees, students and others to become knowledgeable …

Coordinator’s Corner — December

First and foremost, our program is announcing a statewide Zoom meeting for urban forestry stakeholders to be held on Monday, February 1, 2021 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. An official agenda will be advertised in the next edition of Tree Link; in the meantime, note this event will be dedicated to the following: A …