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Poulsbo Tree Board reviews DNR-funded tree-canopy assessment, agrees to compile recommendations for city plan
Summary
At its April 14 meeting the Poulsbo Tree Board reviewed a draft final tree-canopy assessment produced under a Washington DNR grant, set a timeline to finalize recommended changes to the city's urban-forest management guidance and agreed to prepare materials for public and council briefings in May.
The Poulsbo Tree Board on April 14 reviewed a draft final tree-canopy assessment produced under a Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) grant and agreed to compile written recommendations to inform the city's urban-forest management and maintenance plan.
Board members discussed the study's deliverables — GIS canopy maps, field inventory data and temperature-logger analysis — and set a timeline to finalize a recommendation package to meet DNR deliverables due in mid-May. Board members said the recommendations will be submitted as a single document to the city and used to shape public outreach and a short presentation for council or planning bodies.
Why it matters: the study links tree cover to local heat patterns and highlights census-tract differences across the city. Board members framed the work as the basis for policy recommendations the city can use to prioritize plantings, revise development standards and target outreach to communities most affected by heat.
Board members agreed to draft recommendations in a shared document and to use that draft both as the DNR final deliverable and as the basis for public meetings. The board also discussed scheduling a brief presentation to the city council and said it will submit written comments on the city's comprehensive-plan update if needed before the April 25 public-comment deadline.
Policy implications drew sustained discussion. Members flagged a possible conflict between the state's recent Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) building-code guidance and local tree protections, saying the WUI changes could make it easier for private property owners to remove trees near homes. The board discussed options raised in the meeting, including: recommending changes to the city's tree code; creating a five-year planting plan for city parks; and exploring incentives such as a tree-fund or voucher program used by other jurisdictions.
Board members also asked for higher-resolution figures and clearer attachments from the consultant so the analysis can be shared with the public and with the planning commission. The group agreed to work asynchronously on a single shared file of recommendations and to bring a consolidated draft to the May meeting so the city can finalize the DNR deliverables.
No formal vote was required; members described the outcome as a work plan and assignment of next steps.
