At the Green Seattle Partnership, we believe in building a more resilient urban forest across Seattle. That’s why we are so excited to share about our role in the Foresting Seattle Initiative, a 5-year project that aims to restore our urban forests, cultivate neighborhood leadership, and create opportunities for green jobs for youth. Supported with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and led by City of Seattle’s Office of Sustainability and Environment, this effort is a major investment into the health, resilience, and green infrastructure of Seattle.
East Duwamish greenbelt has seen some prior work, including tree planting in 2016 (left) that is growing up to be new canopy on Beacon Hill (right).
GSP’s Role: Partnership Within a Partnership
Green Seattle Partnership is bringing what we do best to Foresting Seattle. We are excited to coordinate across departments, partner organizations, and with community members to implement quality restoration at Seattle Parks and Recreation sites.
As part of Foresting Seattle, Green Seattle Partnership will be expanding work in Beacon Hill natural areas such as Cheasty Greenspace, Cheasty Boulevard, the East Duwamish Greenbelt, Dearborn Park, and Maple School Ravine. GSP is contracting with professional crews to perform restoration work on 25 acres annually within the Beacon Hill neighborhood, installing 3,200 trees over a five-year span. We’ll be transforming areas, season-to-season, into a new generation of forest canopy alongside a lush understory of plants like red flowering currant, thimbleberry, and gooseberry.
GSP partners ECOSS and Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust will be carrying on the spirit of the Partnership by engaging with forest restoration projects on lands managed by Seattle Housing Authority at Rainier Vista and Seattle Public Schools at Rising Star Elementary School, promoting ecological best management practices and furthering community cooperation.
GSP will also support career exposure opportunities for neighborhood youth through Seattle Parks and Recreation’s Youth Green Corps. Stay tuned for upcoming training employment opportunities!
The Green Seattle Partnership is proud to be part of a continued push towards multi-departmental, collaborative efforts in the pursuit of environmental equity. Increased canopy cover is known to have an expansive range of social and ecological benefits, from boosting moods to reducing the risk of heat exhaustion in the long summer days.
Learn more about the Foresting Seattle Initiative at: https://www.seattle.gov/environment/seattle-trees/foresting-seattle