Well known for its wealth of forests and beautiful natural landscape, the city of Seattle is taking important steps to preserve its urban forests and ensure that they continue to thrive. They have created the Urban Forest Management Plan, which strives to maintain, improve and re-establish the urban population of trees in Seattle.

This is a complicated issue, but Arborwell Professional Tree Management believes it’s one that can and will be solved. Seattle’s urban forest progress has focused on planting and maintaining trees, as well as restoring parklands.

Why are tree so important?

Trees and forests play a very important role in our ecosystems. They absorb carbon dioxide and can store the carbon, while releasing the oxygen back into the air. This is a great way to combat the growing climate change issue. As well as providing clean air, a healthy forest can also offer habitat for wildlife, is more resistant to forest fires, reduce flooding and provide clean water, and fight back against disease and pest infestations more effectively.

Urban forests are a key part of Seattle’s ecosystem and the benefits from ensuring their health and vitality are crucial. The 2018 progress report shows that nearly 50,000 seedlings were planted, 134 acres of invasive species were removed from parklands, and over 5,000 trees were maintained to ensure continued growth.

What is Seattle’s goal?

The city of Seattle began its urban forest management plan with the goal of increasing its tree canopy cover to 30%. In a report from 2016, seen here, it was estimated that canopy cover was at 28%. The city has made great improvements to local urban forests and will continue to do so by keeping up with planting and maintenance efforts.

For owners of private estates or commercial properties in the Seattle area, the experts at Arborwell can help you with the trees on your property. We have years of experience providing excellent tree care and we can share our expertise with you.

If you are looking for a way to help with Seattle’s urban forest progress and understand the pivotal role of trees in the city, contact Arborwell today at or visit our website.