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Garry Oak Society urges stronger canopy protection; cites 620 plantings and recent canopy loss
Summary
A representative of the Oak Harbor Garry Oak Society asked the commission to preserve the Gary Oak Protection Ordinance and urged a new tree canopy protection code after reporting 620 Garry oaks planted by the group and roughly 100 acres of recent canopy loss.
Laura Benninger of the Oak Harbor Garry Oak Society addressed the commission March 10 to mark the society’s tenth anniversary and to press for stronger tree‑canopy protections in Oak Harbor.
Benninger described the society’s local planting work and outreach. "The number of oak trees planted by us or supplied by us within city limits in parks, schools, Navy properties, Swinomish burial grounds, and other Oak Harbor locations, excluding private land in the last decade, is 620," she said. She described an informal 2015 survey that found a low percentage of juvenile oaks and outlined efforts to close gaps in habitat corridors through targeted plantings and an oak-mapping tool, SoundOaks.org.
Benninger said developers recently removed roughly 100 acres of tree canopy and recommended the city consider a new tree-canopy protection code tied to clearing, grading and new development. She pointed to Oak Bay, B.C., which she said requires at least 30% of tree canopy retention during new development, as a model. Benninger urged the commission and council to focus on canopy retention rather than changes to the existing Garry Oak Tree Protection Ordinance.
Commissioners and staff acknowledged the society’s outreach and thanked contributors including Bob Bailey, the city arborist, for assistance with protecting seedlings. The item was delivered as public comment; no formal action was taken by the commission at the meeting.
