Residents urge stricter protection for Lakewood's Garry oaks, raise questions about permitting and mitigation

At the Aug. 4 Lakewood City Council meeting, Christina Manetti and representatives of a local nonprofit raised alarms about the loss and damage of mature Garry oaks and urged the city to take stronger action to protect the trees.

Manetti told council she recently discovered a large Garry oak had been cut next to St. John's Lutheran Church and that four other oaks on the property had been damaged. "These trees grow extremely slowly. They are living beings, hundreds of years older than any of us," she said, and asked what the city was doing to publicize protections for the species.

Manetti cited Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) management recommendations in urging more persistent enforcement and public education. She said the WDFW guidance discourages cutting large Garry oaks west of the Cascades except for limited stand-enhancement, and that, where removal is permitted, WDFW suggests high replacement ratios — she cited, as an example, replacement ratios up to 200-to-1 for very large trees.

She also told council the city's permit portal was not accessible for the public at present, creating delays in confirming whether a cutting was authorized and under what terms. "If this was permitted and we can't check this because the permit portal doesn't work for the public," Manetti said, "we have to ask the city staff to give us the information, which, of course, isn't immediate."

Manetti requested details that the city would need to provide if permits allowed tree removal: what conversations staff had with the developer or property owner, what mitigation was required, where mitigation plantings would be sited and who would monitor their long-term protection. She also asked the council to consider revisiting the tree code and the public education requirements the code includes.

Outcome and next steps: The council acknowledged the public comment. Staff did not offer an immediate permit-specific response during the public comment period; Manetti asked staff to provide information about the permit and mitigation if one was issued. The city clerk and planning staff indicated they would supply records upon request, though Manetti noted online access remained limited.

Discussion-only points: The comment combined scientific references (WDFW guidance cited by the speaker) and requests for improved city outreach, permit transparency and mitigation oversight.

Actions: No formal council action was taken at the meeting on tree-code changes; the item entered the public record as public comment.