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Board hears Tree City USA application, tree spending rose in 2024
Summary
Parks coordinator reported the city resubmitted its Tree City USA application to the state; federal approval is pending. The city spent $12.31 per capita on tree work in 2024, up from $5.12 the prior year.
The Fife Parks Advisory Board on Jan. 8 heard a tree-program update and learned the city reapplied for Tree City USA recognition.
Kelsey Spears, the department’s parks coordinator, told the board she submitted the Tree City USA application for 2025 and that Washington State has approved it; federal approval was still pending. Spears said, “we spent $12.31 per capita on tree pruning, maintenance, care, planting, removal and even leaf pickup” in 2024, up from $5.12 per capita the prior year.
Spears attributed much of the increased tree work to Northwest Youth Corps and a jobs program that performed a high volume of planting and maintenance. She also said December crews cleared overgrowth by the Brookville bridge and that public-works crews removed a large tree that fell on Valley during a Dec. 18 power outage; the city has a fresh pile of wood chips from that work.
No formal action was taken at the meeting on tree policy; staff said they would report back as federal confirmation of the Tree City USA status arrives.
