Take Action

Amend Seattle’s Tree Ordinance
To Do: Write Letters to Mayor and City Council (Ongoing)

After 14 years of effort by urban tree advocates, the Seattle City Council finally updated the Seattle Tree Protection Ordinance (CB 120534) on May 24, 2023. While the new tree ordinance increases the protection of trees on private property not being developed this legislation decreases tree protection during development, and makes it easier for developers to remove large heritage (aka exceptional) trees from the building lot.

Without these safeguards, areas throughout our city, will see a significant decrease in tree canopy, increased adverse health impacts, a decrease in climate resiliency and increased heat island impacts. Areas currently with low canopy and environmental inequity, will only get worse as they will also lose trees during development.  While the new ordinance focuses tree re-planting in front-line communities, it will also promote inequitable and unsustainable building practices by allowing the removal of the few large trees left in these areas.

Seattle can do better.

Too keep updated on this issue, consider attending the Urban Forestry Commission (UFC) meetings which are held the 1st and 2nd Wednesday of month, 3 PM – 5 PM, via WebEx and in room 1872 of the Seattle Municipal Tower, Floor 18, 700 Fifth Avenue.  If you can’t make the meeting, please send emails and speak out about a the need to amend the recently passed tree ordinance. Be sure to thank the UFC for providing leadership in pushing to update the Tree Protection Ordinance over the last 14 years.

Also please see  Don’t Clearcut Seattle and Seattle Friends of Urban Forests to keep up to date with late breaking information. These folks are passionate and dedicated to this issue.

Mayor & City Council Contact Info

Mayor Bruce Harrell

Council Members include: Robert Kettle (District 7), Tanya Woo – (City-wide seat position 8), Sara Nelson (Council president, Citywide-Position 9), Tammy Morales (District 2),  Rob Saka (District 1), Maritza Rivera (District 4), Cathy Moore (District 5), Dan Strauss (District 6), and Joy Hollingsworth (District 3).

Seattle City Hall
600 Fourth Ave. 2nd Floor
Seattle, WA 98104
Phone: 206-684-8888
Fax: 206-684-8587

Mailing Address:
PO Box 34025
Seattle, WA 98124-4025

Protect Discovery Park from Development
To Do: Write Letters/Sign Petition

An organized group is lobbying to convert part of the Discovery Park into an arts campus. We oppose  this change to the park’s current use and purpose. Please sign and share the petition and/or by write the Interim Mayor or City Council to show your support for protecting Discovery Park and preserving its current use and purpose as a natural area park. Read our blog post to find out more…

Also it is important to watch additional proposals to develop housing in Fort Lawton. See this response from Friends of Discovery Park.

From Open Season on Public Spaces…

Sign the Petition
Friends of Discovery Park petition
Write Letters to Mayor Bruce Harrell
Seattle City Council – council@seattle.gov

Sword Fern Die Off in Seward Park
To Do: If you notice that your park is affected too, notify the group working on the issue

Read or watch a short video about the sword fern die off.

Send reports to: Paul Shannon

Camping in City Parks and Greenspaces
To Do : Write a letter / Attend City Council Meeting

UPDATE: After outpouring of public opposition to the proposal in its current form, City Council members working to modify proposals for allowing homeless encampments. Read about the latest proposals…

Send a letter with your concerns to the City Council.

Council Members include: Robert Kettle (District 7), Tanya Woo – (City-wide seat position 8), Sara Nelson (Council president, Citywide-Position 9), Tammy Morales (District 2),  Rob Saka (District 1), Maritza Rivera (District 4), Cathy Moore (District 5), Dan Strauss (District 6), and Joy Hollingsworth (District 3).

Background Info
Homelessness has become a heartbreaking reality in our city. You cannot walk downtown without encountering someone camped out on the sidewalk or taking shelter in a stairwell. Recently the Seattle City Council has introduced legislation that would create a right to camp on public property throughout the city including public parks and greenspaces. Clearly homelessness has reached a crisis point and the city should make finding  a sustainable solution a priority. However, pitting the homeless need for housing against preserving  the remaining natural spaces in our public parks is shortsighted. Nature – a healthy natural ecosystem- is essential to everyone’s health and well being. In addition it is contrary to the Parks Department commitment to  the Green Seattle Partnership volunteers who spend countless hours restoring these areas. See what happened in  Magnusen Park after only a few weeks of unauthorized camping.

Other cities are currently experimenting with allowing more camping in public places.  The City of Vancouver  has opened up camping in certain areas but restricted camping in public parks. Portland’s Mayor adopted a plan to open up camping in public spaces only to find himself reversing the decision approximately 6 months later, with much damage already done. 

Seattle City Council should focus their attention on permanent low income housing solutions. If they move forward to opening up camping as an interim solution, they should select defined areas that would be able to withstand high-impact use and where they would be able to centralize public health/safety services . City leaders should solve the housing crisis without damaging our urban forests.

Read Councilman Tim Burgess’ post about the ordinance and what’s at stake.

Myers Parcels – transform into park or public green space
To Do : Contact Seattle Green Spaces Coalition

For the past two plus years many groups throughout the city have worked to preserve Myers Parcels, the last large property in Seattle that could be preserved as a green space and potentially developed as a Park. After originally proposing to sell the land off to developers, we are happy to report that Seattle Mayor Ed Murray has reversed his decision to sell Myers Parcels. First reported by the West Seattle blog.

Read the press release from Seattle Green Spaces Coalition…

The Seattle Nature Alliance is very grateful that the Mayor had the courage to do the right thing and reverse his decision. Many thanks to everyone who signed the petition, wrote to the Mayor or to the City Council. Thanks for the individuals & organizations across the city who tirelessly worked on this issue, especially Cass Turnbull, Mary Fleck, Seattle Greenspaces Coalition and TreePac. A special thanks to Council member Lisa Herbold who took the time to really engage and listen to the community. Many thanks to great reporting by Crosscut and InvestigateWest, the Seattle Times, KUOW, KPLU, and of course, our own West Seattle Blog.

Original SNA blogpost here…

Although the land has been preserved, this is only a partial win. Seattle Green Spaces Coalition and other groups around the city remain  committed to work with community leaders to create a publicly accessible park for the Seattle community to enjoy.

If you want to help out in this effort, please contact: