HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAP 2011-12-12 Item 2E - Grant Application - Urban ForestryCity of Tukwila
Jim Haggerton, Mayor
INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM
TO: Mayor Haggerton
Community Affairs and Parks Committee Members
FROM: Jack Pace, Director, Community Development Department
DATE: November 9, 2011
SUBJECT: Urban Forestry Grant Application Information Only Memo
ISSUE
As part of the City's update of the Comprehensive Plan, we will be adding a section addressing
urban forestry. Urban forestry is the careful care and management of urban forests, i.e., tree
populations in urban settings for the purpose of improving the urban environment. Prior to
developing policies and regulations on urban forestry, a survey needs to be conducted on how
much tree canopy exists in the City.
BACKGROUND
The City has applied for $10,000 grant funding from the Washington State Department of
Natural Resources to conduct a tree canopy survey of the City. If the funds are awarded to the
City, they will be used to hire a consulting firm, which will develop a baseline "geo- spatial tree
canopy assessment" i.e. an urban canopy survey, using existing aerial photographs and GIS
data (combination of City "leaf -on" photographs, GIS mapping, and other publicly available
data). The survey will be organized by land use areas (Urban Center, residential, parks and
public lands, commercial, industrial). The areas to be included in the assessment will be
prioritized in the event that the funding is not sufficient to include the entire City.
DISCUSSION
The urban tree canopy assessment will be the first step in development of an urban forestry
plan for Tukwila and will be used to:
1) educate elected officials, members of a newly formed urban forestry advisory
committee, City staff, and both the residential and business communities about the City's
current canopy cover and the importance of maintaining trees;
2) help Tukwila set goals for desired canopy coverage in the different areas of the City
as part of the Comprehensive Plan update;
3) assist in identifying gaps in existing regulations and programs that need to be
addressed to meet the desired goals;
4) inform the development of policies and plans (such as urban forestry plans for public
lands and street tree plans); and
5) provide a basis for comparison to future canopy surveys to assess the effectiveness
of policies and regulations.
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INFORMATIONAL MEMO
Page 2
November 9, 2011
All of these tasks are work program items in either the 2012 or will carry over to the 2013 -2014
work program.
The grant does not require a cash match from the City, however, DNR does consider City staff
time dedicated to carrying out the grant when reviewing the grant. The City will be spending a
little over $10,000 of staff time to implement the grant if it is awarded to Tukwila.
RECOMMENDATION
This memo is being provided for the Committee's information. If the City receives the grant,
further information will be provided to the Committee as the tree survey work proceeds.
ATTACHMENTS
Grant Application
Cover Letter
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WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF
Natural Resources
Peter Goldmark -Commissioner of Public Lands
2012 Community Forestry Assistance Grant Proposal
APPLICATION FORM
Project name (five words or less) Tukwila Urban Forest Canor)v Assessment
Location (City) City of Tukwila Tree City USA Y�Y N
Name of Applicant (Organization) Citv of Tukwila. Dept. of Communitv Development
Daytime Phone 206 431 -3670 Applicant's Federal I.D. Number 91- 6001519
Address of Applicant 6300 Southcenter Blvd. Suite 100.
City Tukwila State WA Zip 98166
Contact Person Carol Lumb Daytime Phone 206 431 -3661
(if different from above)
Fax 206 431 -3665 E -mail Address Carol.lumbe- tukwilawa.aov
Brief Description of Project and Objective: Conduct an assessment of the tree canopy in
Tukwila to provide a baseline to shape new urban forestry policies and plans, revise tree and
landscape regulations and help implement stormwater management regulations.
Is this project currently funded through another entity? Yes M No
Was this project previously funded through another entity? Yes �f
DNR funds requested
Applicant share provided
In -kind share
Cash donations
Total amount of project
from budget work sheet
10.000.00
from budget work sheet
from budget work sheet
10.139.00
from budget work sheet
from budget work sheet
20,139.00
By signing this grant proposal application form the undersigned agrees that all information is
accurate to the best of their knowledge.
Jim Haqqerton, Mayor 11/2/2011
Name a nd Title of Authorized Representative Date
S ure of ed Representative Date
M
2012 Community Forestry Assistance Grant Proposal
City of Tukwila Application
BUDGET WORKSHEET
Applicant
Citv of Tukwila. Department of Communitv Development
Project Name
Tukwila Urban Forest Canopv Survev
ITEM
Consultant for Urban
Canopy Assessment
City project
management, GIS
staff time
TOTAL
Grant Share
$10,000
$10,000.00 1$
CL 3of3
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Applicant I In -Kind
$10,139.00
TOTAL
$10,000.00
$10,139.00
I
1$10,139.00 1$20,139.00
11/01/20112:28 PM
City of Tukwila, Proposal for a Baseline Tree Canopy Assessment
A. Applicant Information
1. Project name and location:
Tukwila Baseline Tree Canopy Assessment
City of Tukwila
Department of Community Development
6200 Southcenter Blvd., Suite 100
Tukwila, WA 98188
2. Primary contact for the project:
Carol Lumb, Senior Planner
City of Tukwila
Department of Community Development
6300 Southcenter Blvd., Suite 100,
Tukwila, WA 98188
Telephone: 206 431 -3670, Fax: 206 -431 -3665 Phone: 206 431 -3661, Fax: 206 431 -3665
Federal tax ID number: 91- 6001519 E -mail: Carol.Lumb @Tukwilawa.gov
3. Proiect Summary and Obiective.
The objective of the project is to develop a baseline geo- spatial tree canopy assessment using
existing aerial photographs and GIS data (combination of City "leaf -on" photographs, GIS
mapping, and other publicly available data). The assessment will assist the City in developing
goals and policies for a new urban forestry section to be added to the Comprehensive Plan
and in updating the City's Tree Ordinance, Landscape Code, and Street Tree code and allow
for the creation of a street tree plan and an urban forestry plan for publicly -owned lands.
4. Budget Summary
The proposed budget for the project is for $10,000.00 to hire a consultant to conduct the study,
supported by an estimated $10,139.00 of staff time as in -kind City contribution. Staff time will
include project management (including RFQ preparation, consultant selection, consultant
supervision, review of reports), GIS staff support, and technical support.
B. Project Description
1. Obiectives
The project will provide Tukwila with a baseline tree canopy assessment of the city, organized
by land use areas (Urban Center, residential, parks and public lands, commercial, industrial).
The areas to be included in the assessment will be prioritized in the event that the funding is
not sufficient to include the entire City.
The assessment will be the first step in development of an urban forestry plan for Tukwila
and will be used to: 1) educate elected officials, members of a newly formed urban forestry
advisory committee, City staff, and both the residential and business communities about the
City's current canopy cover and the importance of maintaining trees; 2) help Tukwila set goals
for desired canopy coverage in the different areas of the City as part of the Comprehensive
Plan update; 3) assist in identifying gaps in existing regulations and programs that need to be
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addressed to meet the desired goals; 4) inform the development of policies and plans (such as
urban forestry plans for public lands and street tree plans); and 5) provide a basis for
comparison to future canopy surveys to assess the effectiveness of policies and regulations.
2. Proiect Activities
The City will hire a qualified consultant through a process that complies with State Law and
City policies to carry out the canopy assessment using GIS and remote sensing software to
quantify the extent of tree canopy and land cover information. The City will provide existing
GIS and aerial photography data (leaf -on aerial photos flown in 2009) and it is expected that
the consultant will also use other publicly available data and imagery. The City will provide in-
kind staff support for the project for project management, and GIS support.
The study will:
a. Acquire current aerial photo data set of the appropriate resolution or use the City's
existing available imagery;
b. Provide city -wide land cover class data;
c. Establish an overall baseline percentage of city -wide tree canopy,
d. Analyze tree canopy according to land use categories (prioritized in the event there is
insufficient funding for all categories);
e. Analyze tree canopy according to public (parks and right -of -way) property, private
property, and other institutional (agency, school and campus) properties;
f. Evaluate accuracy and carry out spot checks during data collection to ensure data
collected will be usable and accurate
g. Ensure the City can replicate the analysis with past or future aerial photo data sets for
comparable analysis of tree canopy;
h. Provide geospatial analysis data and a written analysis and synthesis of the study
results with maps,
i. Facilitate a workshop with the Urban Forestry Policy Committee, City staff and City
elected officials to explain the study process and results;
j. Optionally, provide an analysis of Tukwila's "possible urban tree canopy" using
methodology developed by the U.S. Forest Service Northern Research, to identify areas
where tree planting is possible from a biological perspective (depending on cost and
funds available);
k. Optionally, evaluate the composition, condition, and diversity of the size, type, and
distribution of the existing tree canopy (depending on cost and funds available);
I. Optionally, provide an analysis of the ecosystem services and values of the existing
canopy (depending on cost and funds available);
m. Optionally, conduct analysis and comparison of 2010 analysis with same or limited
analysis of tree canopy from 1995, 2000 or 2005 (depending on imagery available and
funds available);
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3. Deliverables
The consultant will provide a draft and final report that includes: a description of the methods
used in the study, GIS layers, maps and graphics for displaying results, and a discussion of the
results and analyses carried out (including a description of the limitations of the data and any
models used for analysis). The consultant will also prepare a Powerpoint slide presentation of
the results of the canopy assessment to be used for the workshop.
4. Schedule
The anticipated schedule for the project is shown in the following table:
Issue Request for Qualifications I April 2012
Consultant selection process April 2012
Issue Contract and Notice to Proceed May 2012 (after grant approval)
Conduct study and prepare draft report June —August 2012
Final deliverable September 2012
5. Budget for Citv Contribution
Deputy Director 20 $1,447.00
Urban Environmentalist 60 $3,540.00
Senior Planner 40 $2,552.00
GIS Staff 50 $2,600.00
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C. City's Commitment to Urban Forestry
1. Work Plan, Council Support
In 2010 the City Council approved the Department of Community Development's 2012 work
plan and budget to begin working on revisions to its tree ordinance. It also approved staff work
on revisions to the City's Comprehensive Plan, beginning in 2011. Prior to revising the tree
ordinance, the City has decided to take a broader approach to managing trees and plans to
develop an urban forestry plan. We see the revisions to the Comprehensive Plan as an
opportunity to create a new urban forestry component that establishes goals and policies for
urban forestry. We will recruit and establish an Urban Forestry Advisory Committee in 2012,
made up of citizens and representatives of the Planning Commission; Parks Board; local
businesses; urban forestry professionals, such as arborists and /or landscape architects; and
environmental interest groups. The tree canopy assessment will serve as a springboard to
start the committee's work, initially on the overall urban forestry goals and policies for the
Comp Plan and then to advise the City on:
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a. Revisions to the Tree Clearing Ordinance to make rules clear, improve
effectiveness, and implement the new policies of the Comp Plan (early 2013).
b. Update of the Landscape Code to implement the new policies of the Comprehensive
Plan to improve canopy cover in commercial and industrial areas as well as
improving long term maintenance of trees in these areas (late 2013). The City will
likely seek grant funding to hire a consultant or hire a landscape architecture intern
to prepare an evaluation of best practices, suitable trees for parking lots,
incorporation of stormwater management into tree planting requirements, and other
technical assistance.
c. In coordination with Public Works, update of street tree codes and development of a
street tree plan to implement the new policies (early 2014).
d. In coordination with Public Works, provision of data to assist that Department with its
work on implementing the new National Pollution Discharge Elimination System
permit and any new or revised regulations to implement this permit.
e. In coordination with Parks and Recreation and Public Works, development of an
Urban Forestry plan for increasing tree canopy and improving forest health on
publicly -owned properties (parks, rights -of -way, shoreline easements). The plan
would identify maintenance and restoration needs for existing urban forests and
mechanisms for increasing canopy coverage and ensuring ongoing stewardship of
the urban forests (2014).
Interwoven through all of the components of the Urban Forestry Plan, the City will conduct
public outreach and education about the value of trees, regulations regarding trees and tree
care through news articles, newsletters, open houses, workshops and mailed literature.
2. Prior Successful Urban Forestry Proiects
Tukwila has been a Tree City USA member since 2001 and has held tree planting events with
volunteers every year to celebrate Arbor Day. In addition, in May, 2002, Tukwila was the first
city in the state of Washington to be designated a Backyard Wildlife Sanctuary by the National
Wildlife Federation. The City holds an annual festival to celebrate backyard wildlife, provide
educational forums and displays to educate citizens on the importance of wildlife and how to
attract and provide sanctuary for them. Trees are an important element in this effort.
Tukwila has carried out several urban forest restoration projects on public lands and
easements in the City, involving volunteer efforts and collaboration with other organizations
and businesses to remove invasive plants and restore forested areas through planting of
native trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants. These project examples are cited below.
Tukwila Pond Wetland Buffer Enhancement Project. The City received a grant from King
County to enhance a buffer adjacent to a restored wetland in the urban center. The grant
funded materials (plants, fencing, interpretive signage, temporary irrigation) and all labor
was provided through volunteers and staff time (Public Works, Parks and Recreation,
Community Development). Blackberries were removed, and /or sheet mulched from an
approximately 75,000 square foot area, and native plants were installed and mulched with
arborist chips. Logs were also added to provide wildlife habitat features. Work began in
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the fall of 2008 and planting was completed in the fall of 2009. The project has been very
successful over 90% of the plants have not only survived but are thriving. Maintenance is
ongoing to keep blackberries from returning.
Duwamish Hill Preserve. The City acquired this 8.6 acre parcel in 2004 to preserve its
unique ecosystem and its Native American cultural significance. Since then, the City has
been collaborating with the Cascade Land Conservancy and numerous community
volunteer stewardship groups to restore and maintain the forest and rocky bald habitats on
the property. Work is ongoing to eliminate invasive vegetation and install native trees,
shrubs and herbaceous plants.
Green River Shoreline Re- vegetation Project. The City has been collaborating since early
2010 with the Boeing Employees Credit Union (BECU) to control invasive plants and to
plant native trees and shrubs along the BECU shoreline frontage of the Green River. The
effort is ongoing, with BECU providing the volunteer labor and the City providing native
plants, logistical support and technical assistance. To date, about 500 linear feet of
shoreline (about 10,000 sq. ft.) have been restored and maintained. Further efforts are
planned to reforest more of the BECU shoreline, as well as other areas along the Green
and Duwamish shoreline, where forest canopy is lacking and understory vegetation is
largely invasive plants (blackberry, knotweed, bamboo, clematis, ivy). The
Green /Duwamish River is a state -wide resource that meanders through13 miles of the City
and will greatly benefit from urban forestry restoration efforts.
Cottage Creek Stream Buffer Restoration. The City has a project underway to restore
riparian vegetation along a segment of this stream near City Hall. With a grant from King
County in 2010 we held a stewardship class for homeowners and purchased materials and
plants for the riparian buffer restoration. With the help of community volunteers, we have
been removing ivy and other invasive plants and planting native trees, shrubs, and
herbaceous plants in the stream buffer. Work will be completed in the spring of 2012. The
goal is to not only improve riparian habitat, but to provide a model for property owners
about how to care for streams and riparian zones and the importance of trees for shading,
providing nutrients, and providing habitat.
6. Conclusion
The Urban Forestry Canopy Assessment grant will provide the base line to assist the City's
efforts to establish strong urban forestry policies and improve the implementing regulations
over the long term. The project is timely given that the City is about to begin its update of the
Comprehensive Plan, and intends to include a new urban forestry element. The Canopy
Assessment is a critical component for setting goals and policies for urban forestry. In addition
to informing the Comprehensive Plan, the canopy assessment will have long range benefits to
help the City improve its urban forest through regulations, better management and
reforestation projects.
The City believes that the members of the Urban Forestry Advisory Committee, through their
participation in the development of policies and regulations, will also serve as catalysts to help
increase awareness of the importance of trees throughout the broader community.
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City of Tukwila
6200 Southcenter Boulevard Tukwila, Washington 98188 Jim Haggerton, Mayor
November 2, 2011
Ms. Nicki Eisfeldt
Washington State Department of Natural Resources
Urban Forestry Program
1111 Washington St. S.E.
MS 47037
Olympia, WA 98504 -7037
RE: Application for Communitv Forestry Assistance Grant
Dear Ms. Eisfeldt:
The City of Tukwila is pleased to submit the attached Grant Application and Proposal for a 2012
Community Forestry Assistance Grant to carry out a Canopy Cover Assessment.
Tukwila is in the process of updating its Comprehensive Plan to incorporate a new Urban
Forestry Element, which will establish goals for desired canopy cover for different areas of the
City and policies for: tree retention, replacement, and protection; installation and maintenance of
landscape trees; installation and maintenance of street trees; and goals related to urban forestry
on public lands. A canopy cover assessment will provide the City with a baseline (no canopy
assessment has ever been done in Tukwila) for planning and monitoring progress and will be a
tool for public outreach and education.
The City plans to appoint an Urban Forestry Advisory Committee in late 2012 that will help us
develop urban forestry goals and policy development for inclusion in the Comprehensive Plan.
The Committee will later assist with revisions to existing ordinances (Tree Ordinance,
Landscape Code, Street Tree regulations) and with developing new plans for urban forestry on
publicly owned lands and rights -of -way. We see this grant as an important first step in our urban
forestry planning efforts.
Sincerely,
im Hagge
Mayor
cc: Jack Pace, Director, Department of Community Development
Christy O'Flaherty, City Clerk
Phone. 206 433 -1800 City Hall Fax. 206 433 -1833 Website. www.cLtukwila.wa.us
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