[Shadow_Group] Protest to Support the Urban Forest at City Hall Wed Nov 17 Noon (fwd)

[shadowgroup-l at lists.resist.ca]

)





PRESS RELEASE:

A PROTEST TO SUPPORT THE URBAN FOREST

"We're at risk of becoming 'the city formerly known as emerald,'" Mayor
Nickels said.

When: Wed Nov. 17th Noon. Where: In front of City Hall (5th Ave between
Cherry + James)

Why: City Arborists Office Budget cuts, No Protection for Trees in
Development,

No Citizens on Tree Advisory Board, Stonewalled Street Tree Ordinance, +
More!

Who: Tree Costumes Galore and Pickets will be in attendance.

    Sponsored by: Plant Amnesty and Save Seattle's Trees!

plantamnesty.org saveseattlestrees.org

Contacts: Cass Turnbull, 206-783-9093, Founder of Plant Amnesty
cassturnbull at comcast.net<mailto:cassturnbull at comcast.net>

Richard Ellison, 206-632-3980, Founder of Save Seattle's Trees
climbwall at msn.com<mailto:climbwall at msn.com>

If you can't make the protest please contact your favorite City
Councilmember at:

http://www.cityofseattle.net/council/councilcontact.htm<http://www.cityofseattle.net/council/councilcontact.htm>

Seattle and Trees

* How can only 2 maintenance people for all of Seattle's 100,000 street
trees safely protect the City from accidents and lawsuits? In the 1994
Seattle Street Tree Survey, 30,000 trees were dying or in poor condition.

* There is no protection for trees on private property, and developers
are cutting them down. Where are the incentives for developers to save
trees?

* There is not enough open space or park space for most neighborhoods.
Street trees are all that people have left of nature in too many Seattle
neighborhoods.

* Invasive vines are killing our trees and the City does little to
educate its citizens to stop it.

* Native birds live in trees and cutting and letting trees die is not
helping reverse their decline.

The Budget

The budget proposes to eliminate 2 of 3 "Arboriculturist" positions at
the SDOT Arborist's Office. Last year, the City also gutted the Utility
Line Clearance budget and axed the Tree Steward program.

Currently City Arborist Rundquist has 3 arboriculturists, compared to
Milwaukee with 50 arboriculturists.

Legal Issues: Driver sues the City of Seattle.

On Jan. 3, 2003 the City was sued when a truck driver was injured in an
accident with a tree branch that did not meet clearance requirements.
".causing Plaintiff Obie Rouise to suffer permanent, severe and serious
injuries as hereinafter alleged." This case has not been settled yet
according to the City Attorney's Office.

Who is responsible? How much will legal and settlement costs be? The City
Attorney's Office says legal cases against the City are usually settled
out of court. And the City does not sort their records by the type of
cause, ie. Trees, so it is impossible to know how many similar cases
there have been.

Unpruned trees also drop branches during storms that threaten electric
and cable wires, and perhaps a car parked underneath. How much does will
delayed maintanance costs add up in the end? More than a few arborists.

When we cut 1000's of trees for Light Rail and the Monorail, will
restoration fail? Who will care for the trees planted when we are unable
to manage current new plantings? How can you commit to a mitigation plan
when you are failing to maintain the 30,000 newly planted street trees?
You are destroying the infrastructure and expertise to deal with the
restoration.

What is the Arborist's Office responsibility? As part of the SDOT, it is
"responsible for street trees and right of ways.(and) maintains trees
that are planted by the City" for power lines, streets, sidewalks, and
public safety. According to the Seattle Office of Sustainability and
Environment, Seattle has almost 100,000 street trees.

There is a backlog of over 100 jobs. At best this crew can chase
emergencies, and maintenance pruning is severely delayed. Consider that
in the 1994 Seattle Street Tree Survey, 42% were found either dying or in
poor condition.

The 19 year pruning cycle of street trees is already twice that of 14
comparable cities.

While it is good news that Seattle planted over 30,000 new trees since
1999, newly planted street trees have a low survivorship, estimated at 22
years or less. Who will care for these 30,000 young trees, or the 70,000
others that in 1994 were already half dead?

The arboriculturists also oversee all maintenance calls and the 2.5 year
old collision damage program, which netted $80,000 last year for the
Street Tree Fund. Mandated to respond to all calls within 24 hrs, they
typically have 15 new calls/day. Two years ago the Street Tree Fund was
cut, and the monies earned from insurance claims is the ONLY money
available currently for new street trees.

Trees don't take care of themselves. And a shrinking Arborist's Office
cannot adequately watchdog street trees from those who seek to
deliberately damage or illegally remove them.

The City is failing its Comprehensive Plan goals for Environmental
Stewardship, 1 of its 4 Core Values. It also calls for Seattle to be a
"Leader in Environmental Stewardship." In times of a shrinking urban
forest and growing population numbers, it is irresponsible for the City
to abandon its stewardship.

A survey of Seattle residents in 2000 found over 80% consider Seattle "a
green city." It is a fragile green infrastructure. How many citizens want
Seattle to invest in staying green?

What else can you do? Stop Stonewalling the Street Tree Ordinance. It has
been almost 10 years being "reworked." Find ways to save more trees in
private development. The Director's Rule is failing its goal to save
quality trees in development.

One acre of trees absorbs as much carbon dioxide as a car in 26,000
miles. Trees also remove sulfur dioxide and nitric oxides from the air.
Trees, especially mature trees, play crucial roles in stabilizing sleep
slopes. And hey, many native birds call trees home. And both native bird
numbers and species diversity are in decline.

Is this budget the Mayor's new "Seattle Green Initiative"?



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