Issaquah’s Urban Forest: A Vision for Growth and Sustainability
By Dan Hintz, Urban Forest Supervisor, City of Issaquah
The City of Issaquah embodies the “Evergreen State” with over 1,500 acres of forested open space, which is nearly 20% of the city’s landcover. Issaquah also has a citywide tree canopy cover of 51%, one of the highest in the region. It is estimated that there are over 225,000 trees in Issaquah, that’s more than five trees per resident!
Green Issaquah team demonstrating planting during the Miyawaki Forest planting event in March.
Recognizing that trees provide myriad benefits like improving air quality, providing shade and cooling homes, absorbing stormwater runoff, creating wildlife habitat, fostering social connections, and improving physical and mental health, the City of Issaquah is committed to maintaining and enhancing these benefits created by our urban forest.
Tradition Plateau: Ruth Kees Big Tree Old growth Douglas Fir, courtesy of City of Issaquah.
Pickering Barn: Big Leaf Maple, courtesy of City of Issaquah.
Sycamore Neighborhood Trail: Sitka Spruce, courtesy of City of Issaquah.
The Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP), adopted by City Council on February 3rd, is the first of its kind in Issaquah and will serve as a ten-year road map to grow the city’s urban forestry program, which was created in spring of 2023. The UFMP details all the amazing benefits our urban forest provides (i-Tree, a tool created by the United State Forest Service, estimates Issaquah’s Urban Forest provides $2.2 million in annual benefits) and recommends strategies to address the challenges that can be associated with managing trees in a rapidly developing city.
Now that the UFMP is adopted, the focus will shift to Plan implementation. In the current biennium (2025/2026) implementation items include a public tree inventory (with a focus on street and park trees), a tree giveaway program for Issaquah residents (planned for November 2025 with nonprofit partner 300 Trees), a forest management plan for city owned parcels on Tradition Plateau, updates to the city’s Preferred Tree List, and continuing to build out community education and engagement around the city’s urban forest.
The Urban Forest Management Plan can be found here: https://www.issaquahwa.gov/3466/Urban-Forestry