Planning 2013-06-27 COMPLETE AGENDA PACKET

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TUKWILA COMPREHENSIVE PLAN The Natural Environment Climate change could cause risinc sea levels which would affect the tidally-influencedportions of the Green/Duwamish River raising water 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. Othersossible 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 _ irrigatjqpf aardens, landscaped_areas, street trees, and parks. Tukwila's Urban Forest The "Cit of Tukwila Urban Tree Cano Assessment," completed in 2012,_quantifies existing urban tree canopy as well as impervious surfaces, surfacewateLgrasslands. and_bare soils,The assessment forrnsthe basis_ for several new pals 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_ averageyee canopy_cover of 25% and im_pervioussurface of 51%, The, residential zones range from 33% to 51670 canopy across 1,869 acrek_while the industrial and commercial zones have tree cano ranain from 9% to 49% across 2 780 acres. The City is fortunate to have remnant st. ds of second or third: growth native forests and hi. h cano coverage in its single family_ residential_areas, on undeveloped steep slopes, and in some, of its parks (for example, Crystal Springs Park and Tukwila Park) tiowevei trees and understory veggtation in many of our parks and natural areas are plagued with infestations of invasive pl. ts like blackberry_and ivy. Trees in undeveloped areas are threatened 12y tuture development. A in7 tr es in alread develo ed residential and commercial areas become hazardous and reyire 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 range from large c. opy trees to small canopy or young trees that do not_provide many benefits. Street trees often do not gel replaced the igielof care otthe conditigns they need to thrive, Shade h. ,es are.generally_lacking in most of the City's commercial parking lots and other landscaped areas. Trees in these areas are often improperly pruned or removed and not replaced. Trees December 201 10 ff: