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Resident urges Tacoma to address birch tree beetle infestation; Planning Commission chair offers coordination
Summary
A Tacoma resident told the committee birch trees across the city are dying from an invasive beetle and asked the city to invest in investigating and reporting back; the Planning Commission chair offered to coordinate on upcoming tree policy work and a council member said staff were already aware.
A Tacoma resident called into the Sept. 10 Infrastructure Planning and Sustainability Committee to report widespread birch-tree decline he said is caused by an invasive beetle and asked the committee to investigate and provide a public update.
"The city of Tacoma has these birch trees on their approved tree list," Jake Johnson said during the public-comment period. He told the committee that birch trees across Tacoma are infested, that the urban-forestry team is aware of the problem and that he is seeing "massive trees are dying or dead currently." He asked the committee to make an investment in studying the issue and to provide an update.
Rob Kraybel, chair of the Planning Commission, called in to introduce himself in his new role and said the Planning Commission plans to take up tree-related conversations and invited coordination between bodies. "My hope is in that role to be attending these committee meetings more often," Kraybel said.
Council Member Hyde acknowledged prior constituent contact on the issue and said staff, including Mike Carey, had been notified; Hyde offered to follow up with the resident with information learned from staff. An environmental-services director noted the comment and staff requested the resident email details so staff could follow up.
Ending
The committee logged the public comments and staff noted they would follow up with the resident and consider the matter alongside planned tree policy work at the Planning Commission; no committee action was recorded.
