RCW 35.105.070 Model evergreen community management plans—Elements to consider.

In the development of model evergreen community management plans under RCW 35.105.050, the department shall consider including, but not be limited to, the following elements:

(1) Inventory and assessment of the jurisdiction's urban and community forests utilized as a dynamic management tool to set goals, implement programs, and monitor outcomes that may be adjusted over time;

(2) Canopy cover goals;

(3) Reforestation and tree canopy expansion goals within the city's, town's, and county's boundaries;

(4) Restoration of public forests;

(5) Achieving forest stand and diversity goals;

(6) Maximizing vegetated stormwater management with trees and other vegetation that reduces runoff, increases soil infiltration, and reduces stormwater pollution;

(7) Environmental health goals specific to air quality, habitat for wildlife, and energy conservation;

(8) Vegetation management practices and programs to prevent vegetation from interfering with or damaging utilities and public facilities;

(9) Prioritizing planting sites;

(10) Standards for tree selection, siting, planting, and pruning;

(11) Scheduling maintenance and stewardship for new and established trees;

(12) Staff and volunteer training requirements emphasizing appropriate expertise and professionalism;

(13) Guidelines for protecting existing trees from construction-related damage and damage related to preserving territorial views;

(14) Integrating disease and pest management;

(15) Wood waste utilization;

(16) Community outreach, participation, education programs, and partnerships with nongovernment organizations;

(17) Time frames for achieving plan goals, objectives, and tasks;

(18) Monitoring and measuring progress toward those benchmarks and goals;

(19) Consistency with the urban wildland interface codes developed by the state building code council;

(20) Emphasizing landscape and revegetation plans in residential and commercial development areas where tree retention objectives are challenging to achieve; and

(21) Maximizing building heating and cooling energy efficiency through appropriate siting of trees for summer shading, passive solar heating in winter, and for wind breaks.

[ 2008 c 299 § 12.]

NOTES:

Short title—2008 c 299: See note following RCW 35.105.010.