Bothell Sound

City Hall · Jan 13, 2026

Bothell City Council was scheduled to weigh 46% tree canopy target in urban forest plan

A draft urban forest management plan proposing a 46% citywide tree canopy target was slated for a council study session on Jan. 13, 2026, ahead of a possible adoption vote on Feb. 10, 2026. 1

What the records say

In materials published ahead of the Jan. 13, 2026, meeting, the City Council agenda included a study session for the Draft Urban Forest Management Plan, listed as agenda bill # 26-006. The record lists two attachments: the draft plan itself and the Bothell Planning Commission's findings, conclusions, and recommendation. The Planning Commission recommended the council adopt the plan as presented. 1

  • Item 8(a) on the Jan. 13, 2026, agenda was a study session for the Draft Urban Forest Management Plan (AB # 26-006).
  • The record includes the draft plan (Att-1) and the Planning Commission's findings, conclusions, and recommendation (Att-2).
  • Council was asked whether the proposed 46% citywide tree canopy target appropriately reflects priorities such as climate resilience, equity, housing growth, and open space, or should be more or less ambitious.
  • Council was also asked to consider whether additional strategies are needed to manage and expand the city's urban forest over the long term.

Why it matters

The city's tree canopy affects shade, stormwater runoff, air quality, and quality of life. The proposed 46% citywide canopy target would help set how much tree cover the city aims to preserve or grow as it balances new housing, climate resilience, equity, and open space. A council study session is where members discuss the plan before any final vote, so the questions they weigh now shape future land-use and parks policies. Because the record is a pre-meeting agenda, the available documents do not establish the meeting's outcome or any final decision on the target. 1

What changed / what's next

  • The draft plan proposes a 46% citywide tree canopy target, up from roughly 44% canopy cover measured in 2023, which the council was scheduled to evaluate as appropriately balanced or needing adjustment. 1
  • The available records do not establish the outcome of the Jan. 13, 2026, study session, including whether the 46% target was kept, raised, or lowered, or whether council recommended specific new strategies. 1
  • The plan was scheduled for potential council adoption on Feb. 10, 2026; the records do not establish the outcome of that vote either. 1
  • The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome.