September 2021 SST Newsletter

www.saveshorelinetrees.com

1st ANNUAL SAVE SHORELINE TREES FUNDRAISER - ZOOM WITH US ON SEPTEMBER 16

Due to Covid health concerns we have canceled our in person event at Dunn Gardens. We are disappointed, however we are excited to have the same meeting with all of you with our featured speaker!

You are invited to our Zoom Meeting featuring Lynda V Mapes,
author of The Witness Tree and reporter for Seattle Times. Lynda Mapes will discuss her book and there
will be a Q & A time.

Click here to join the Zoom on Thursday, September 16 at 7 p.m.

For more information visit 1st Annual Save Shoreline Trees Fundraiser.

Our featured speaker, Lynda Mapes, will be speaking about her book WITNESS TREE - “How big old trees and older forest ecosystems fight climate warming, and how we can see climate change in the life and times of a single, century old oak I studied at the Harvard Forest”.

CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE FORUM

Environmental issues are the focus of
Shoreline Candidate Forum on October 5, 2021

The League of Women Voters of Seattle-King County and Save Shoreline Trees, a Washington state non-profit organization, are co-sponsoring an online forum with four candidates running for Shoreline City Council. The candidates are Laura Mork, Eben Pobee, John Ramsdell and Chris Roberts (incumbent). The forum’s focus will be environmental issues impacting the City of Shoreline.

This forum is set for Tuesday, October 5, 2021, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. It will be held as a Zoom webinar and will be conducted according to League of Women Voters guidelines. Audience questions on any subject may be submitted during the webinar via the Q&A Zoom function. The League of Women Voters moderator will ask all questions.

The League of Women Voters of Seattle-King County, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues and influences public policy through education and advocacy. If you would like to join us in our work, please contact us at 206.329.4848 or email info@lwvskc.org.

Save Shoreline Trees is a community coalition formed to bring neighborhoods together for a common cause: to preserve our tall conifer and native tree canopy, which provides health benefits and helps mitigate climate change. Save Shoreline Trees believes these trees belong to all of us and we have the right and responsibility to speak for the trees by raising concerns to the community, the City of Shoreline and elected officials. For more information email info@saveshorelinetrees.com.

For more information please contact:
Allison Feher, League of Women Voters
Kathleen Russell, Save Shoreline Trees

TREE OF THE MONTH

Western Redcedar Dieback

by Melody Fosmore

Several members of Save Shoreline Trees attended a webinar on August 24, 2021, to learn about Forest Health Watch and the current dieback of the western redcedar. This webinar, led by Joey Hulbert, was presented by Forterra in partnership with several Puget Sound organizations.

The western redcedar has deep cultural roots in the Pacific NW. Indigenous people used cedar bark for baskets, mats, medicines, and wood for their homes. Cedar was used in building Seattle; Ballard was known as Shingle Town; and, Tacoma had 8-10 mills running year-round. Native to the Pacific NW, western redcedars are found from British Columbia to northern California and also in Idaho and Montana. Throughout all of these areas, dieback of redcedars is occurring.

Two trees in Boeing Creek Park have been identified with this condition. Important to note at this time of year it is common to see redcedar trees shed their older needles. The tree may look sick but is healthy. Trees with dead tops or foliage that is thin and easy to see through are markers of the dieback.

Increases in dieback have been noted since 2015 when much of the region experienced a long and hot summer drought. Therefore, researchers suspect the dieback is linked to recent longer and hotter drought events, but more observations are needed to be certain and understand the effects of climate on more local scales.

This is disturbing news however we can be involved in working on a solution by gathering evidence. The first step is to identify how many existing trees in our area are being affected. Visit foresthealth.org and learn more about what is being done on a regional level. You can download an app, iNaturalist (iNaturalist.org), that allows you to photograph the tree and submit for the field team to verify. As a “community scientist” your efforts will contribute to the knowledge base that is critical to develop – why is this happening? Researchers are trying to figure out why these trees are vulnerable and how to help redcedar trees survive in our warmer climate.

More than 1000 trees have been assessed throughout the region, but only a few observations have been shared from the Shoreline area. Researchers need more community scientists in Shoreline to have a better understanding of the conditions and variation of the western redcedar trees in the area.
For more information email Joey Hulbert at hulbe@wsu.edu.

If you are lucky to have a western redcedar(s) in your yard, please water – they will thank you!

Note: the tallest tree on the left showing the top crown bare with loss of branches below shows thinning due to dieback.

CELEBRATING 95 TREES!

We’re celebrating the 95 significant trees that will continue to line Dayton Ave N and N 155th St!

Thank you to all of the neighbors and residents and tree supporters who wrote emails to WSDOT, the City of Shoreline, City Council, King County officials, and Governor Inslee in a dedicated effort to save these trees. This effort started in November of 2019 and continued until August 2021. In addition to the 250 letters written, tree supporters spoke at City Council meetings and rallied at the site to bring attention to the trees surrounding WSDOT. As of this date, all of the trees along N 155th will be retained except for two trees. An 8-foot-wide elevated sidewalk will be constructed along Dayton Ave N. to save those trees, except for three trees at the driveway entrance to WSDOT. Save Shoreline Trees appreciates the efforts by WSDOT in submitting several designs to the City to retain the trees along Dayton Ave N and N 155th. Tree supporters are saddened that we were not able to save the trees along N 160th where construction has begun. (See SST August newsletter).

Note: The red perforated fencing seen on the trees are a protective barrier for upcoming construction. There are three trees close to the entrance of WSDOT (Dayton Ave N) that have signs indicating removal (one of which is dead or dying).

THE “WESTMINSTER 6” WILL BE CUT DOWN

Six tall conifers along Westminster Way N, named the “Westminster 6” will be cut down by Pulte Homes because they are in the way of the row of townhouses to be built along the east side of Westminster Way N, north of 145th. Since this property is zoned as Neighborhood Business (NB), the developer can remove all of the trees and no tree replacements are required. Despite letters written by neighbors last April to Pulte Homes to save the Westminster 6, the trees will be removed.

N 198th ST AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ENDS

A 100-unit affordable housing complex will be built at the corner Aurora Ave N and 198th St. The property is owned by the City of Shoreline which is partnering with King County and Catholic Housing on this project. Part of the property is zoned Neighborhood Business (NB) which means none of the existing trees need be retained. One parcel is zoned R-48 and, according to the Shoreline Municipal Code, one tree is to be retained. Echo Lake neighborhood groups are involved and closely following the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) proceedings. SST supporters have submitted written comments supporting the Echo Lake groups. Public comment is now closed.

TREE FACTS

Planting one tree in an open pasture can increase bird biodiversity from almost zero to as high as 80. And, adding more trees adds more species, but less quickly, according to a Stanford University study in Costa Rica estimating biodiversity based on tree cover. As a stand of trees approaches 100 percent coverage, endangered and at-risk species, such as wildcats and deep-forest birds, begin to appear, the study showed.
The key to biodiversity? Trees.
(Source: news.Stanford.edu/2016/10/24/new-method-estimating-biodiversity-based-tree-cover/.)

Photo by Jon Ramberg

Not all trees are friendly. The manchineel tree in Florida (Hippomane mancinella), native to the Caribbean, is poisonous. It is a member of the Euphorbia family, which also include poinsettias. Every part of the manchineel tree—wood, sap, leaves and fruit—can cause serious medical complications, including painful blisters (from its sap), blindness (smoke from its burned wood) and throat constriction and death (from ingesting its fruit, which looks like a small apple).

On a positive note, the manchineel’s tree roots help stabilize sand and prevent beach erosion. And while it does not grow in the Pacific Northwest, the tree can be found in Mexico, Central American and northern South America. (Source: floridahikes.com/floridas-toxic-trees)

We are always looking for interesting facts about trees to share with readers. If you have an interesting tree fact to share, email saveshorelinetrees@gmail.com and include the source.

BRIEFS

Public Street Trees. According to City of Shoreline documents, in 2004 there were 14,000 public “right-of-way” street trees in Shoreline. In 2017, this count dropped to 12,000 trees, and in 2021 there are “between 11,000 and 12,000” as stated by City Management. Save Shoreline Trees has asked the City for the tree GIS data. (All of these counts are confirmed in City documents.)
A new 6’ wide sidewalk may be coming to your neighborhood. The New Sidewalk Program information has been updated on the City website. Here is the link to the map of sidewalks and year of construction.
Proposition 1, the Parks Bond will not be on the November General Election Ballot. The City Council will discuss the future of Proposition 1, the Parks Bond, on Monday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m.

Save Shoreline Trees appreciates your donations to spread the word about tree protection and preservation to Shoreline residents. We are a 501(c)(3) and all donations are tax deductible as allowed by the IRS. Donate by credit or debit card or mail your check to Save Shoreline Trees, c/o 16069 Dayton Ave N, Shoreline WA 98133.

Contributors to this newsletter:
Melody Fosmore, Kathleen Russell, Kathy Kaye, Susanne Tsoming.
Questions or comments may be emailed to info@saveshorelinetrees.com.