Date (xx/xx/xxxx) Department Name Page Number
11/16/2022
11/16/2022
Seattle: Many Voices Make for
a Healthy Urban Forest
Seattle Urban Forestry

Date (xx/xx/xxxx) Department Name Page Number
11/16/2022
Overview
Urban Forestry in Seattle
• Geography and history of Seattle
• Citywide urban forest strategy
• The future of Seattle’s forest
Featured program partners
• Na’ah Illahee Fund and the
Yahowt Indigenous Food Program

Date (xx/xx/xxxx) Department Name Page Number
11/16/2022

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11/16/2022
Our urban
forest faces
increasing
challenges…
made all the
worse by
climate change
Climate
change:
hotter, drier
summers and
new pests
Competing uses
in right of way
and private
property
Trees removed for
infrastructure
projects and
development
Budget cuts
and rising
maintenance
costs
Our urban
forest is aging

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11/16/2022
How Seattle Cares for and Manages the Urban Forest
Recommendations
Community: Stakeholders with an interest in
health and management of the UF
UF Commission: Advise Mayor and City Council
UF Management Team: Executive staff responsible for
UF practitioners from 7 core departments.
UF IDT: Departmental field staff from all 9 UF
departments.
UF Core Team: Staff from 7 core departments
Mayor’s Office
City Council
Collaboration
Communication
Staff
Teams

Date (xx/xx/xxxx) Department Name Page Number
11/16/2022
Working toward a
more equitable,
community-centered
approach to increase
climate resilience
and achieve at least
30 percent canopy
coverage.
The Future of Seattle’s Urban Forest
Census Block Groups – Existing
Tree Canopy %
2021 Citywide canopy
cover = 28.1%
•Health
disparities
•Air quality •Heat island
effects
Inequities in our tree canopy follow
other patterns of inequity

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11/16/2022
Near Term Aims
Improve access to jobs and job training in urban forestry
Focus tree planting and tree care in frontline communities with low canopy
Inventory, protect and maintain existing trees to promote canopy growth
Assess tree canopy cover and climate vulnerability
Engage residents and business owners on tree planting and care to foster and
sustain trees on private land

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11/16/2022
Some Current Actions
• Conducting the next canopy cover assessment using 2021 data
• Prioritizing tree planting and care in frontline communities
• Updating tree protection ordinance
• Working with:
• Residents to plant and care for trees on private property
• Industrial properties on ways to increase vegetation on their properties
• Partner organizations to provide paid participation and learning
opportunities in urban tree care

Date (xx/xx/xxxx) Department Name Page Number
11/16/2022
And now, Na’ah
Illahee Fund
and Yahowt
Indigenous
Food Program

Na’ah Illahee Fund
Yahowt Indigenous Food Program

Who we are…
Shameka Gagnier
Shanoa Pinkham
Yahowt Food & Land
Restoration Program
Coordinator
Land Restoration Coordinator
Shelly Vendiola
Indigenous Ecology Program Manager

Did you know…?
Where do you think more Native people live, cities or Reservations?
Cities
How many Federally Recognized Tribes are there in the United States?
574
Reservations
634 167 226

Did you know…?
What year did Native people become American Citizens?
What year were Native Americans legally able to vote in every state?
What year did the year did Native people gain religious freedoms?
1978
1965 1920
1953
1924 1948
1870
1938
1924
1962 1930
1940

Seattle and Place…

Fishing Wars…

History of Daybreak Star Cultural Center

Urban Native Communities

Youth Trails &
Restoration Cohort
● Indigenous youth job training
program (ages 13-25)
● 2022 Cohort was 17 youth!
● Utilized GONA (Gathering of
Native Americans) & Plant
Teachings for Growing Social-
Emotional Skills curriculum
● Youth learn traditional
teachings of reciprocity and
land stewardship

Indigenous Advisory Council
“The main goal of this
committee is to identify
long-term actions to
increase Indigenous
access to parklands and
to center Indigenous
ecological knowledge in
the park land
management efforts”

Community Planting
Parties
● Food Sovereignty vision at
Daybreak Star Cultural Center
● 2021 - Youth Trails Cohort &
families welcomed Camas bulbs!
● 2021-2022 received and planted
5,000!
● 2022 receiving 4,000 plants

Important Questions:
Do I know where the nearest Federally Recognized
Tribe is? Do I know if there are any State
Recognized Tribes in my area? Do I know who’s
ceded territories I’m on?
Do I know of any non-profit organizations that serve
Native, Indigenous and BIPOC communities that I could
partner with?
Scan this code for the Native Land App!

More important questions:
Do I know laws and policies (both federal and local) have created barriers for Native people to have access to
traditional foods in usual and accustomed places?
How do I support Sovereignty and Indigenous Leadership in my positionality?
How can Traditional Ecological Knowledge help our future through Climate Crisis? How can Parks, Public
Land, and National Forest work in solidarity with Native Communities to protect water, land for future
generations?

Kw’aɬá nuu sha mash!
Thank you!