Lake Forest Park tree board approves recommended list of “exceptional trees” to send to council

The Lake Forest Park Tree Board voted April 3 to approve a recommended list of species and diameter thresholds the board will forward to City Council as its proposed definition of “exceptional trees.” The board agreed the list and thresholds will be packaged with other code housekeeping items for council review.

Why it matters: The exceptional-tree designation triggers the highest level of protection under the city’s tree code and can require a permit or hearing before a tree is removed. The board said its proposal is intended to preserve the largest, highest-value trees that provide outsized canopy, carbon and ecological benefits for the city.

Board members described the approach as pragmatic: protect a small percentage of the largest trees of particular species (for example, Douglas-fir, bigleaf maple and western red cedar) while adding a catchall for very large specimens of other species. “When you get very big, you’re simply talking about this is a big tree and has a lot of biomass,” a board member said during the discussion.

The measure defines species-specific diameter thresholds (for example, a 40-inch diameter threshold for Douglas-fir was discussed) and a higher threshold for “other species” to capture individual very large trees that are locally important even when they are not on an enumerated species list. The board said the thresholds were derived from the city’s tree-inventory samples and were chosen to protect roughly the largest 2–4% of trees of those species in the inventory.

Board members discussed public concerns about large trees close to houses and recommended pairing code changes with outreach and maintenance programs. “We should do more education around maintaining safe trees,” one member said, noting that residents sometimes propose hazardous pruning that can make trees less stable.

Outcome and next steps: The board moved and seconded the recommendation and approved it by voice vote; members indicated no objections. The board will finalize a submittal packet, including legal and technical justification, and transmit the recommendation to staff for placement on a future City Council agenda. Staff indicated some code housekeeping items will be included in the same package.

Context and background: Board members said the city’s existing list of protected trees was fragmentary and that the proposed list aligns the board’s work with commonly protected native species and the largest healthy nonnative specimens that supply community canopy benefits. Council liaison Larry Goldman said he saw no immediate red flags but advised the board to include explanatory materials to accompany its recommendation.

What the board recorded: The action was recorded as an approved board recommendation to the City Council. The board also discussed related outreach, tree-fund priorities and options for funding inspections or removal assistance for low-income homeowners.

Where this came from: The board’s recommendation is a product of inventory data, prior draft code work led by staff, and months of board discussion. The board expects staff to prepare the transmittal materials and suggested including educational material for homeowners alongside the code proposal.