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Tree Board readies revised tree list, exceptional‑tree code changes and seeks funding for canopy assessment
Summary
The Tree Board reported progress on proposed changes to the city’s tree protections — including lowering some diameter thresholds for ‘exceptional tree’ designation — and discussed grant offers for a parcel‑level canopy assessment and a larger tree‑plan gap analysis grant.
Members of Lake Forest Park’s Tree Board updated the joint meeting on three related initiatives: proposed amendments to the city’s exceptional‑tree provisions, a new master tree list (including a list of species that will not count as replacement trees), and grant opportunities for a parcel‑level canopy assessment and a broader tree‑plan gap analysis.
The Tree Board described draft code changes that would adjust the diameter thresholds that trigger the city’s “exceptional tree” protections. The board presented sampling‑based charts used to estimate the share of certain native species that would be protected under different thresholds. For example, the board proposed lowering the Douglas‑fir threshold from the current 42‑inch diameter to 40 inches to increase the number of protected specimens. The board also proposed adjusting thresholds for western red cedar and big‑leaf maple to better reflect local species distributions and conservation priorities.
“We made a recommendation to lower thresholds on some species so that more large, ecologically valuable trees qualify for additional protection,” said Doug (Tree Board member) while presenting the species‑by‑size data. The board said code language will also explicitly exclude certain invasive or unsuitable species from counting as replacement trees on development projects.
On canopy data, staff reported two funding developments: - King Conservation District (KCD) offered $4,000 to obtain 2023 canopy data and parcel‑level shapefiles through a Planet Geo product; that dataset includes parcel‑by‑parcel canopy coverage and comparators to earlier imagery and can help the city identify where canopy loss has been concentrated. - A separate grant (referred to in the meeting as an SFI grant) for a larger benchmarking and gap analysis of the city’s tree plan has been approved in concept; the award amount discussed was about $70,000 and would fund a consultant scope to assess the current plan and recommend updates. Staff said the $70,000 award requires a City Council acceptance and scoping discussion.
Tree Board members described an on‑the‑ground restoration opportunity in the city’s 5‑acre woods: a project area on the northeast quadrant that is overrun by invasive species (black locust, holly and others) and would require contractor removal of large invasive trees followed by replanting with native species. The board discussed potential funding partners, including the stewardship foundation and use of the city’s tree fund for plant materials.
Why this matters: changes to the exceptional‑tree criteria and a clarified master tree list will change which trees receive extra protection during development reviews and how replacement requirements are calculated; parcel‑level canopy data and a comprehensive gap analysis provide the empirical basis for policy choices.
What’s next: staff and board members will finalize edits requested by city legal staff and prepare the code amendments and tree list for Council consideration (target mid‑July); the board will also follow up on grant agreements for the canopy dataset and on scoping and Council acceptance of the larger $70,000 benchmarking grant.
