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Resident raises enforcement questions as board outlines tree-canopy rules and timelines
Summary
A Lake Forest Park resident urged stricter enforcement of the city's canopy coverage goals; staff explained that canopy requirements apply at redevelopment, replanting specifications and enforcement are triggered by permits or unpermitted removals, and replacement trees must meet size and survival standards.
A local resident identified as William used the public-comment period to press the Lake Forest Park Tree Board on why many properties appear to fall short of the city’s canopy coverage goals and whether staff enforce those goals on private lots.
“Particularly, newer developments don’t very soon to be able to align with that,” William said, describing observations of neighborhoods with lots that appear not to meet the target canopy percentages. He asked whether the city’s civil fines or other enforcement tools are being used.
Sam Call, the city’s urban forest planner, responded that the canopy coverage goals remain in force for new development and for lots that undergo changes. "Even after lots are split up, they have to reach that goal," Call said, explaining that planting requirements are enforced at the time of permit review or when tree removal occurs without a permit.
Call and other board members clarified code details cited in the meeting: required tree-planting sizes are two-inch caliper for deciduous trees and six-foot height for conifers; replanted trees are expected to mature on a roughly 30-year horizon to contribute to canopy goals; and replacement-tree survival checks can trigger penalties if trees do not survive (five-year follow-up mentioned). Enforcement to reconcile a property with the canonical canopy goal is typically triggered when an owner seeks a permit, removes trees without a permit, or fails to meet an approved replacement plan.
Board members described the technical method used to value removed trees and calculate fines: an ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) standard is applied that factors size and health to arrive at a monetary value for enforcement purposes.
The board reiterated that current canopy figures are goals rather than retroactive violations. As Sam Call said, properties that are under canopy targets are not automatically fined; code requirements apply when owners alter development status or remove trees without permit documentation.
Ending: The board recommended that interested residents report suspected unpermitted removals to city staff so staff can trigger a review; the board also reiterated that education and incentives, in addition to enforcement, are a part of achieving long-term canopy targets.
