Bothell Sound

City Hall · May 7, 2025

Bothell's first Urban Forest Management Plan takes shape: canopy at 44%, down from 45% in 2015

A May 7, 2025 Planning Commission study session memo shows preliminary tree canopy and street tree data feeding Bothell's first Urban Forest Management Plan, with a draft expected by Fall 2025. 1

What the records say

Staff briefed the Planning Commission on May 7, 2025 on the city's first Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP), sharing preliminary results from a citywide tree canopy assessment and a street tree inventory. 1 The memo states canopy cover within city limits is approximately 44%, a slight decrease from 45% in 2015, and around 35% within the Urban Growth Area. 1 The largest subarea losses were Westhill (-5%), Maywood/Beckstrom Hill (-4%), Shelton View/Meridian/3rd SE (-4%), and Fitzgerald/35th SE (-4%), while Canyon Park (+3%), North Creek (+2%), and Downtown (+2%) gained. 1 The work is funded in part by a $500,000 state Department of Commerce grant awarded in April 2024. 1 The memo says a draft UFMP will be available by Fall 2025, with final adoption anticipated by the end of the year. 1 This was a study session briefing; the record establishes what staff presented and asked, not what the commission concluded. 1

  • The citywide tree canopy assessment uses 2023 USDA aerial imagery and compares coverage to a 2015 baseline; citywide canopy is approximately 44%, down from 45%. 1
  • The street tree inventory has documented 13,230 street trees in the public right-of-way; 62.3% are in good condition and 23.8% in fair condition, with Red Maple the most common species at 30.9%. 1
  • By zoning, Residential Medium areas saw the largest canopy decrease (-5%), while North Creek Business Park and Parks and Open Space districts each increased 5%. 1
  • Staff asked commissioners whether to establish a formal tree canopy cover goal and at what scale, and how to balance canopy preservation against projected 20-year growth; no action was required at this session. 1
  • The project team has identified potential priority planting areas by layering canopy data with demographic indicators such as income and unemployment rates. 1

Why it matters

The UFMP will guide how Bothell preserves and enhances tree cover as the city grows, and the canopy and planting-priority data shown here are expected to shape policies on preservation, planting priorities, and long-term monitoring. 1 Residents in subareas with measured canopy loss — such as Westhill and Maywood/Beckstrom Hill — may see those areas prioritized in future planting and retention efforts. 1

What changed / what's next

  • Preliminary data show Bothell's citywide tree canopy at about 44%, down from 45% in 2015, with the first Urban Forest Management Plan draft expected by Fall 2025. 1
  • The May 7 item was a no-action study session; the record does not establish what the commission discussed or concluded. 1
  • A draft UFMP is expected by Fall 2025 with final adoption anticipated by the end of the year, per the staff memo. 1
  • The available records do not establish the meeting's outcome.