Free trees! Deadline’s coming up for West Seattle applications

| Environment | West Seattle news

(Lincoln Park photo courtesy of Shannon)
Our tree-laden parks are great, but neighborhoods need trees too, which is why 4 short-on-trees West Seattle neighborhoods are among 6 citywide that are eligible for free trees from EarthCorps and the city. While we’ve reported the giveaway before, EarthCorps’ Lina Rose (a West Seattleite herself) wanted to send out one more reminder, with the deadline looming:

Local environmental restoration non-profit EarthCorps has teamed up with the City of Seattle to provide free trees to residents of the Beacon Hill, Georgetown and West Seattle Junction/Genesee Hill and Westwood/Roxhill neighborhoods. These communities have some of the lowest canopy cover on residential property in the city (19%, 17%, 19% and 17% respectively) and some of the highest planting potential.

Through the program, residents of the targeted neighborhoods can apply for free trees for their property and street planting strips. Trees will be available for residents to pick up in early December. A workshop on proper tree planting and care will be provided for tree recipients. Tree watering bags will be provided next spring to ensure the young trees thrive. Houses outside of the target areas listed above are not eligible for the program this year.

Seattle currently has 23% tree cover. In the 1970’s, Seattle had 40% tree cover. Seattle has set a goal to retain some of that tree cover – and the many benefits that go along with trees – by reaching 30% tree cover by 2037. But we can’t reach that goal without the help and support of Seattle’s residents! Over 85% of the land in the city is privately owned. This means that we cannot meet the goal by only planting in parks and along streets – we need residents to plant trees around their homes and businesses as well.

For more information on the program – if you’re in one of the target neighborhoods – contact: Lina Rose, EarthCorps Project Manager, lina@earthcorps.org , 206.793.2454. For more general information and to download an application, go here.

Deadline is November 16th.

Andrea October 25, 2009 (8:16 pm)

I just wanted to say to whoever does go for these free trees, could you please be considerate of your neighbor, and not plant them right smack dab in the middle of your neighbor’s mountain or city light view. They work just as effectively to clean the air planted in your back yard, as they do obstructing yours or your neighbors view. I love trees, but this free tree program has the potential to make people enemies, and it’s not because we don’t all want clean air to breathe or to help the ozone layer. It’s because people can be SO inconsiderate in where they plant them.

lina October 26, 2009 (10:22 am)

When individual residents in the target neighborhoods sign up to receive free trees through this particular program, the trees can only be put in their yard or parking strip in front of their house, not on someone else’s property. Hope this eases your concern Andrea-

This is a pilot program and differs from past programs through the City in that individual residents sign up to plant trees on just their property instead of groups of neighbors signing up together and putting trees throughout an area. Feedback is welcome as we hope to continue and expand the program in the future. I am the Project Manager at EarthCorps managing the program in collaboration with the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and Environment and folks with questions or concerns are welcome to contact me directly at lina@earthcorps.org.

Thanks and Happy planting season!

E October 26, 2009 (10:07 pm)

Lina I think you missed Andrea’s point, which is: please don’t plant trees in your parking strip if they are going to block your neighbors’ view. There are other placements that work.

andrea October 28, 2009 (11:32 am)

Yes Lina , E’s comment is what I meant… Planting the trees on your own property , or the parking strip in such a way that they block your neighbors view is SO inconsiderate and doesn’t further your cause.

Sorry, comment time is over.