Clark County and Vancouver outline tree-canopy baseline, target planting after new county assessment

Clark County and the city of Vancouver presented a first coordinated picture of urban tree canopy and related stormwater benefits at a joint meeting on July 16, 2025, after the county completed an urban tree-canopy assessment of its urban growth areas.

The county's assessment found 28% tree canopy across the studied urban growth areas, approximately 9,866 acres, and identified plantable opportunities where an additional 33% of currently unplanted land could support trees. The study estimated an annual ecosystem-service value of about $6,900,000 from the existing canopy. As part of a DNR-funded pilot, county and partners implemented 850 new plantings in the Minnehaha neighborhood and gave away more than 200 yard trees and 30 right-of-way trees.

Why this matters: officials said better tree canopy helps reduce stormwater runoff, cool neighborhoods and provide habitat, and the new data will feed code updates, stormwater permit compliance and targeted planting. The county's Clean Water Division also framed tree canopy as a stormwater asset as it expands capital and maintenance programs for aging infrastructure.

The presentations and subsequent discussion laid out both near-term implementation steps and policy questions. Charles Ray, urban forester with the city of Vancouver, summarized the city program: "Urban forestry is the management of of the trees, the shrubs, the soils that those, plants are living in throughout our community." Ray described Vancouver's goals and programs, including a…