City receives grant to study tree canopy

Published 1:44 pm Monday, July 26, 2010

The city of Bonney Lake recently received a $10,000 grant from the state Department of Natural Resources to study the city’s tree canopy.

According to city officials, the study will give the city a better indication of how many trees are in the city and an idea as to where they are located.

“It uses aerial photos and (geographic information systems) information to map what the current canopy is throughout the whole city,” said Community Services Director Gary Leaf.

According to Leaf, the city has in the past done an assessment of trees on city property, but the grant will allow staff to expand the study to include private lands as well.

“An urban tree canopy study looks at all property in the city,” he said. “The idea of the study is to get a benchmark of where we are now.”

The idea behind the grant is to assist the city with decision-making, especially regarding trees. According to Executive Assistant Brian Hartsell, who wrote the grant application for the city, one of the areas of policy that will be affected by the study is stormwater.

“Forested areas don’t need stormwater infrastructure,” he said. “Urban forest can play an important role in managing stormwater.”

Leaf said the study will also help in tree-planting policy. While Leaf said it is the goal of the city to encourage the planting of trees, “obviously we can only plant trees on public property.” But the study may reveal where the city can target regulations to keep or encourage the planting of additional trees.

Bonney Lake has a history of supporting urban forestry and has been named a “Tree City” by the Audobon Society for the past five years.

The study, which will go out for bid this summer, will include not only the city limits, but the city’s urban growth area, including the three annexation proposals.