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Tree board approves $4,000 King Conservation District canopy analysis, adds zoning layer for $500
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Summary
The Lake Forest Park Tree Board authorized a King Conservation District (KCD) canopy analysis using KCD's standard geographies and two custom layers (parcel and wetlands); members added zoning as an extra custom layer for an additional $500 and agreed to fund the $4,000 contract from the city's KCD account.
The Lake Forest Park Tree Board voted to move forward with a King Conservation District (KCD) canopy analysis priced at $4,000, and to include two custom geographies (parcels and wetlands). The board later approved adding city zoning as an additional custom layer for an incremental $500.
Board members said the standard KCD package includes five default geographies (for example, hexagonal cells, census blocks and watershed groupings) and that the city could supply two custom polygon layers at no extra cost; the board selected parcels and wetlands for those two free custom layers and later agreed zoning would be an additional paid layer. Board members discussed where KCD would get parcel and park data and confirmed King County GIS can supply the parcel layer if needed.
Why it matters: members said the analysis will produce high-resolution canopy cover and change data (2017 vs. 2023) that can be used to identify neighborhoods with canopy loss, prioritize plantings, analyze equity across the city and help the board and city staff track canopy goals. The board said the KCD product would be inexpensive compared with bespoke parcel-level studies and would deliver usable maps and a public viewer.
Funding and approvals: the contract would be paid from the city's King Conservation District jurisdictional account (the board reports that Lake Forest Park has about $135,000 in that account). The board discussed whether the mayor can execute the contract because the amount is small; they concluded the mayor likely has signature authority for contracts at this level but would verify with city staff and legal counsel.
Board action: the motion to request the KCD analysis with KCD defaults plus parcels and wetlands passed by voice vote; a second motion to add the zoning layer for an additional $500 also passed. Board members asked staff to coordinate with KCD and the city's GIS resources and to route any required legal review to the city attorney.
