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County staff present tree-canopy assessment showing 61% rural canopy, maps highlight prairie–forest trade-offs
Summary
County staff previewed a draft tree canopy assessment for rural Thurston County, reporting roughly 250,000 acres of canopy (61% of rural county), restoration-potential maps, and areas where forest encroachment threatens prairie and Oregon white oak habitat. Commissioners and public asked how maps will inform regulations and restoration programs.
County staff presented highlights from a draft tree canopy assessment at the April 16 Planning Commission meeting, showing about 250,000 acres of tree canopy across rural Thurston County and mapping areas with high potential for canopy restoration and areas where forest encroachment threatens prairie soils and Oregon white oak habitat.
Claire (county staff) said the analysis uses LiDAR collected by the University of Vermont, reported at an accuracy of about 97 percent, and aggregates data into 250-acre hexagons so maps show landscape patterns rather than site-specific property lines. Staff reported three headline findings: 61 percent of the rural county is tree canopy, 68 percent of that canopy is on private land, and 48…
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