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CONTACT THE ENTERPRISE Jocelyn Robinson, News editor jrobinson@heraldnet.com

Trees necessary for a healthy city

By Boni Biery

People in Shoreline want to save mature trees. They voted to tax themselves in order to save the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden and the South Woods.

Mature trees serve many functions from which the public benefits: they are a major factor in preventing storm water runoff, reduce the threat of global warming, provide habitats for wildlife and enrich the quality of our lives. To learn more, visit www.treebenefits.com/calculator.

Many trees in Shoreline have been lost to development and homeowners who have not recognized the value of trees. Lake Forest Park and other cities in King County have adopted tree codes aimed at preserving the trees they have left. Shoreline needs to follow suit.

In Shoreline, anyone can cut six significant trees in a three-year period without a permit -- no replacements required. Lake Forest Park requires a permit to cut any tree over six inches in diameter and replacement is required. But even if trees are replaced, the function of a mature tree will not be restored until the new tree itself is mature. We need a stronger tree code in Shoreline, one that will contain the spiraling costs of stormwater control by retaining more mature trees and requiring that all significant trees removed be replaced.

Current Shoreline Code requires that only 20 percent of significant trees be retained. A significant tree in Shoreline has a minimum diameter of eight inches at breast height (DBH) for a conifer tree and 12 inches for everything else. Lake Forest Park and other cities define a significant tree as one that is at least six inches DBH. These other cities also require a much higher percentage of trees be retained or they use a unit system, giving greater protection to mature trees.

Recently, a contest was held to identify the largest trees in Shoreline parks. Three of those trees, called Champion Trees, are in the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden. Imagine what could have happened if the Kruckeberg family had sold this garden for development. All three of the Champions could have been cut down. All of the trees that are not considered significant could have been lost; including any dogwood or madrona with a diameter of less than 12 inches. Sadly, dogwoods rarely grow that big, so they would mostly likely be eliminated; and madronas do not transplant well, so replacing them would difficult if not impossible.

A code to preserve these living assets is needed.


Boni Biery is the team coordinator for Shoreline's Community Wildlife Habitat project.