Planning 2013-06-24 COMPLETE AGENDA PACKET

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TUKWILA COMPREHENSIVE PLAN The Natural Environment Climate change could cause risina sea levels which would affect the tidally-influenced,portions of the Green/Duwamish River raising vvater levels in the river and causinvidal waters to reach further up river and into streams. This, in turn, could impactflood control measures and fish and wildlife habitat, with particular detriment to salmon. Otbersossible effects of climate change could include new and increased insect infestations in the City's urban forestshanges in wildlife behavior and diversity: and, reduced availabilit of water su • • lies for drinking water _ irrigation of aardens, landscaped.areas, street trees, and parks. Tukwila's Urban Forest The "Cit of Tukwila Urban Tree Cano— Assessment," completed in 2012„oantifies existing urban tree canopy as well as impervious surfaces, surfacewateLgrasslands and_hare soi„ls„The assessment forms basis_ for several new coals and...policies related to the urban forest. Seethe assessment report appended to this chapter of the Comprehensive Plan. The results of the study show that Tukwilahas a current overallsity:wide_ averagoree canopycover of 25% and im_pervioussurface of 51%, The, residential zones range from 33% to 51670 canopy across 1,869 acrehile the industrial and commercial zones have tree cano ranain from 9% to 49% across 2 780 acres. The City is for ate to have remnant stands of second or third: growth native forests and hij h cano coverage in its single family resideiltiptareas, on undeveloped steep slopes, and_in„spme of its parks (for example, Cr_ystal Springs Park and Tukwila Park) tiowever,trees and understory vegetation in marty_of our parks sand natural areas are plagued with infestations of invasive pl t like blackberty_and ivy. Trees in undeveloped argas are threatened 12y tuture development. A in tr es in alread develo ed residential and commercial areas becorne hazardous and„rmaire removal are not always replaced with new trees. The City has street trees of varyint sieci s sizes, health and maturity pl. ted on City rights-of-way throughout Tukwila. They rangy from large canopy trees to small canopy or young trees that do notprovide many benefits. Street trees often do not get replaced the igielpf care otthe conditigus they need to thrive, Shade tes are.generally_lacking in most of the City's comrnercial parking lots and other landscaped areas. Trees in these areas are often improperly pruned or removed and not replaced. Trees December 201 ff: