Lakewood staff outlines consolidated natural environment and climate change program and plans for urban forestry launch

A city staff member identified in the meeting as Miss Spear told the Planning Commission the city is consolidating existing climate, tree canopy and resiliency efforts into a unified Natural Environment and Climate Change (NECC) program and plans to create a Climate Policy Advisory Team and an urban forestry program.

Why it matters: The consolidated program is intended to coordinate multiple legally required and council‑directed climate and tree initiatives — including compliance with Washington state House Bill 1181 — and to guide how the city spends near‑term funds and prepares for state grant cycles later in the decade.

Miss Spear said the NECC program is not new policy but a way to bring together adopted goals and actions from several sources into an implementation process. She noted Lakewood adopted an energy and climate chapter in the comprehensive plan in 2021 and a 15‑item prioritized action plan in 2022; of those 15 actions, nine are complete, four are ongoing and two have not yet started. She told commissioners that the state has directed local jurisdictions to update plan elements for climate change and resiliency by 2029 under what staff referred to as HB 1181 requirements.

On funding, Miss Spear said the city has $190,000 identified from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that must be spent by Dec. 1 next year and roughly $474,000 in a City Tree Fund (from developer fee‑in‑lieu and code enforcement fines) available with no spending deadline; staff plan to use ARPA first and Tree Fund dollars next while awaiting Commerce grant funding expected to be available in July 2027. Miss Spear said the Commerce funding timing means the city is focusing early work on forming the advisory team and launching the urban forestry program with available local funds.

Miss Spear described other inputs the NECC will draw on, including a 2024 forest assessment, a 2023 heat‑watch report produced with the health department, the city equity index map, and regional greenhouse gas goals from the Puget Sound Regional Council. She also said the Parks, Recreation, Communications, Legal and Police departments will be involved in implementation.

Commissioners and residents asked about private‑land engagement and incentives. Commissioner Wallace asked, “When do you anticipate having more details about the urban forestry program on private lands?” Miss Spear replied the initial urban forestry program will focus on public property and rights‑of‑way and that the advisory team will develop approaches to engage private property owners, volunteers and businesses. A resident who said she and her husband manage 4.5 acres offered to volunteer and suggested incentives for water and tax relief to encourage private‑land plantings; Miss Spear said public outreach will inform program design.

Miss Spear said the city will convene a Climate Policy Advisory Team composed of about 15 subject‑matter participants — for example, certified arborists, academic experts, property owners and other stakeholders — to prioritize remaining action items from past plans, guide urban forestry rollout and advise on greenhouse gas tracking. She said additional regulatory and plan updates required by HB 1181 will be addressed in 2027–2029 after the city secures state grant funding.

No formal commission action or vote was recorded on the NECC presentation. Staff asked the commission for feedback and noted more details will be shared as the advisory team is convened and outreach begins.