The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is providing assistance to local governments starting in Clark, King, and Pierce counties that want to improve the health of their urban forests. Other cities or counties may apply for the same type of projects.
The Urban Forestry Restoration Project is an exciting opportunity to increase the health of urban forests in the Puget Sound Basin and southwest Washington areas. The project will help to enhance effectiveness of urban forests in managing stormwater and improving water quality.
DNR’s Urban and Community Forestry Program will provide crews from Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) and Puget SoundCorps to assist city and county governments with urban forestry activities that help restore urban forests.Projects will be developed collaboratively with Puget Sound Basin communities and will be ranked according to measurable benefits provided to water quality and Puget Sound restoration.
Activities may include:
— Controlling invasive plants.
— Planting native vegetation in natural areas or open spaces.
— Pruning young trees on developed sites for greater tree health and public safety.
— Other maintenance and management actions that benefit the health of urban trees.
The crews are funded through the state Jobs Bill, passed by the 2012 Legislature to create more than 22,000 jobs across the state. The Puget SoundCorps was created in 2011 to provide young people and veterans skill-building jobs while working to restore Puget Sound.
Local project partners must supply project-related materials and additional services required for project work:
· All permits necessary for the project work.
· Plants for revegetation or tree-planting.
· Herbicides for invasive plant control, if necessary.
· Disposal of plants and other materials removed during restoration activities.
· Other materials necessary for project completion.
Projects may be submitted for assistance through December 31, 2012. All projects must completed by June 30, 2013.
For more information, log onto Urban Forestry Restoration Project or contact Micki McNaughton at 360-902-1637 or email at micki.mcnaughton@dnr.wa.gov.
Puget SoundCorps
The Puget SoundCorps is part of the broader Washington Conservation Corps (WCC), administered by the Washington Department of Ecology. The Puget SoundCorps, which includes youth age 18-25 and military veterans, creates jobs while cleaning up Puget Sound and state lands across the 12-county area that makes up the Puget Sound basin. Working in partnership with Ecology and other agencies, DNR is helping to carry out the Puget Sound Action Agenda to restore the Sound’s health by 2020.
