Kenmore Sound

Infrastructure · Outcome pending · May 5, 2025

Kenmore City Council to weigh 50% tree canopy goal

Ahead of its May 5, 2025 meeting, city staff asked the council for direction on a draft Urban Forest Management Plan that suggests raising Kenmore's tree canopy goal from 46% to 50% 1.

What the records say

The Kenmore City Council was scheduled to discuss a draft Urban Forest Management Plan at its May 5, 2025 special meeting study session. The agenda bill listed the council action as 'Discuss' and 'Provide Direction,' with staff specifically requesting direction on setting the city's tree canopy goal — the step staff said is necessary to complete the final plan, expected by July 1. The available records cover only what was scheduled; they do not establish the meeting's outcome 1.

  • The council action was discussion and direction on the draft plan, not adoption; staff requested direction on the canopy goal so the final plan could be completed by July 1.
  • The draft suggests a 50% canopy cover goal, an increase from Kenmore's current 46% 1.
  • The project is funded by a $105,200 Washington State Department of Natural Resources grant that also covered a street tree inventory conducted last summer; the 2025-2026 budget allocates $300,000 for implementation 1.
  • The plan includes a land cover assessment covering canopy cover, urban heat, watershed basins, and social equity, plus a community open house and survey 1.

Why it matters

The canopy goal will guide how Kenmore cares for, preserves, and grows its trees, and the finished plan will direct how the city spends $300,000 allocated for UFMP implementation in the 2025-2026 biennium budget 1. Because the plan covers trees on both public and private land and identifies priority planting areas weighted toward urban heat, flood risk, and equity, the goal council sets could influence where planting happens and how tree rules evolve citywide 1.

What changed / what's next

  • The draft plan proposes a 50% canopy cover goal, up from the current 46%, and brings forward preliminary recommendations and priority planting areas 1.
  • The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome or whether council gave the requested direction 1.
  • The final UFMP was expected by July, with a draft due to the Department of Natural Resources in May to meet grant timeline requirements 1.