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Resident urges council to halt removal of mature trees tied to 2025 sidewalk repairs
Summary
A Lacey resident told the council she opposes removal of about 270 mature trees for the city’s 2025 sidewalk-repair project, arguing the trees provide ecological, soil and community services and that alternative sidewalk-repair methods used by larger cities should be considered.
During the public-comment portion of the Nov. 3 meeting, Elizabeth Burnett introduced herself as a Lacey resident and urged the council to stop removal of approximately 270 established trees planned for the 2025 sidewalk repairs project.
Burnett said mature trees ‘‘provide balance to our ecosystem’’ and protect soil, groundwater and wildlife habitat, and she argued that replacing mature trees with young specimens is not an equivalent exchange because new trees can take decades to deliver the same environmental and community benefits. She referenced Seattle’s approach, noting staff there use incremental "spot repairs" rather than wholesale tree removal, and urged the council to consider alternatives and reconsider the ongoing removals, which she said were only about halfway complete.
The council acknowledged the comment during the meeting. No formal motion or action on the tree removals was made at the Nov. 3 meeting; the comment was recorded as part of public comment for council consideration in future project discussions.
