The Evergreen State’s largest city, Seattle takes its trees seriously and its city council is in the middle of a sprawling legislative process to create new and better protections for its urban canopy.

The council’s Land Use Committee heard updates on the process Wednesday to finalize legislation with a major set of new tree protections. Officials say the draft bill would create incentives and code flexibility to better protect trees, include more trees in the regulations, plant or replace more trees, and establish a payment in-lieu program to provide flexibility for tree replacement and address racial inequities and environmental justice disparities, amongst other changes.

The new protections would also create regulations protecting designated “heritage trees” that can’t be removed unless deemed hazardous or in an emergency.

Officials say the proposed rules would help ensure new and better trees selected for pest and disease resistance are planted when canopy is removed for new development.

“This tree legislation will help address climate change and provide for healthy outcomes for the urban forest. At the same time there is a critical need for more housing across the City. Positive environmental and housing outcomes can be mutually supportive,” the Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections director’s report on the proposal reads. “This proposal is intended to balance the needs of the urban forest with housing in a way that affords a high quality of life for all Seattle residents.”

The full council committee presentation on the proposed legislation is below. A vote on the final legislation is expected in May.

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