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Issaquah staff outline 2026 climate action plan update, propose 10‑year timeline and new tree‑equity target
Summary
Sustainability staff presented a substantive update to the 2021 Issaquah Climate Action Plan proposing a shift to a 10‑year timeframe, a revised canopy target (53% by 2050 tied to planting acreage), new tree‑equity metrics, water reduction goals and a set of policy‑level actions that will require further council review.
Issaquah sustainability staff presented a draft update to the city’s 2021 climate action plan at the Committee of the Whole on May 11, describing a yearlong public and inter‑board process that produced a more policy‑focused, measurement‑oriented 2026 plan.
Sustainability Manager Stacy Van McKinstry and Sustainability Coordinator David Reedy said the update reworks targets and actions to improve alignment between measurable outcomes and city priorities. Among the changes staff highlighted was a proposed shift from a five‑year update cadence to a 10‑year planning horizon with periodic checkpoints, a revised tree‑canopy goal reframed as planting acreage (aiming to plant roughly 150 net new acres to help reach a 53% canopy by 2050), and new targets for tree‑equity across census blocks. "We wanted to make targets measurable and the actions more flexible so we can pick the most impactful approaches at the time of implementation," Van McKinstry said.
Staff said they formed multiple working groups over the past year — including committees focused on natural systems and on land use/transportation, a metrics committee, and outreach with Gibson‑named high school students — and worked iteratively with boards and commissions to revise actions and measures. The update adds a water reduction target aligned to the city’s water system plan, proposes new workforce‑development and funding‑stability actions, and expands implementation guidance that identifies likely lead departments and approximate costs or timelines.
Several council members thanked staff and said they wanted additional time to review particular policy‑level items. Council and public commenters asked for clearer links between actions and how the city will achieve reductions in buildings and commercial emissions, with commenters urging stronger actions on small commercial building standards and an expanded public‑engagement effort. Public commenter Anne Fletcher said building‑sector transitions require stronger, enforceable actions beyond voluntary programs.
Staff said the environmental board will provide a formal recommendation at its June 10 meeting and that the administration hopes to bring a full formatted draft to the council for approval in July so the plan can inform the 2027–28 budget request. The presentation was informational; no action was taken on May 11.
What happens next: staff expect to return with a full draft in early June, an environmental board recommendation on June 10, and a council approval target in July to align budget planning.
