RES 2001-51 ESTABLISHMENT OF URBAN FORESTRY COMMISSIONRESOLUTION 2001-51
A RESOLUTION of the City of Bainbridge Island,
Washington, relating to establishing a citizen's advisory
commission and the development of community forestry
management plan.
WHEREAS, the city council has determined that it is in the best interest of the
citizens of the city to manage and protect our natural resources including forestry
resources; and
WHEREAS, the urban forestry committee, a citizen's committee appointed by
the mayor, recommends comprehensive management of our community forestry
resources; and
WHEREAS, the urban forestry committee recommends that the city council
establish a Community Forestry Commission; now therefore;
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BAINBRIDGE ISLAND,
WASHINGTON, DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The City Council of the City of Bainbridge Island, Washington approves the
establishment of a community forestry management plan to be developed by the City and
a citizen's committee, as described in Attachment 1 to this resolution.
Section 2. Commission establishment and authod1y.
A community forestry commission is established for the following purposes:
A. Develop and implement a comprehensive community forestry management plan that
recommends policies and regulations to preserve urban forests in the City;
B. Serve as an advisory board to the mayor and city council on urban forestry issues;
C. Provide a public forum for discussion of issues and ideas related to urban forestry;
D. Coordinate its work with other city programs, local agencies and community groups
with an interest in forest resource management;
E. Recommend to the city council sources of revenue to support urban forestry activities
and to support the management and enhancement of the city forestry resources; and
F. Report annually to the city council on the state of the city's forest resources.
Section 3. Commission membership and terms
The community forestry commission shall consist of seven members, appointed by the
mayor and confirmed by the city council who shall serve without compensation. The
mayor shall also appoint annually, one member of the community forestry commission to
serve as chairperson for a one-year term. Members of the community forestry
commission shall serve for a period of three years and shall be residents of the city. The
initial members shall be appointed for staggered terms as follows: two members shall
serve one-year terms; two members shall serve two-year term; and three members shall
serve three-year terms.
PASSED by the City Council this 26th day of September 2001.
APPROVED by the Mayor this 26th day of September 2001.
r -A <'
DwOlt Sutton, Mayor
ATTEST/AUTHHEONTICATE:
�. CT• w
Susan P. Kasper, City Clerk
FILED WITH THE CITY CLERK: September 19, 2001
PASSED BY THE CITY COUNCIL: September 26, 2001
RESOLUTION NUMBER: 2001-51
Proposal for a
Community •ty Fore y str Management Plan
As recommended b the Urban Forestry Committee
Urban Forestry Committee Vision Statement: weretrees,
We commit to sustain and create a community of the island
forests, and natural systems are essential p
environment where we live, work, play and learn. "
September 26, 2001
Attachment 1
Bainbridge Island Community Forestry Management Plan
As recommended as the Urban Forestry Committee
Proposal: Establish a Community Forestry Commission for the City of Bainbridge Island.
Initiate a Community Forestry Management Plan for the City of Bainbridge Island, including
forest resource assessment, strategic planning and community outreach.
Purpose: Integrate urban forestry with overall City planning efforts. Begin development of a
comprehensive community forestry management plan for Bainbridge Island utilizing a natural
resource systems management sustainability model by first conducting a forest resource
assessment and developing a community involvement program.
Community Forestry Management Plan Description:
The urban forestry assessment shall incorporates the following three elements:
1) Identify the Vegetation Resource; 2) Establish Community Outreach Framework; and
3) Implement a Resource Management Plan.
The first step in developing the plan will be to assess the state of the forest resources. This
assessment will require compiling existing natural resource system inventories completed for
community volunteers in a new resource inventory. A consultant
previous projects and directing
will work with the Urban Forestry Commission to develop criteria for the inventory, which will
include determining the health condition, canopy cover, age distribution, species mix and
identifying native vegetation, in addition to making management recommendations. The
assessment will also include a review of the City's existing codes and policies that address the
management of the Island's forest resources.
The Urban Forestry Commission, with assistance from the consultant, will begin strategic
planning for development of the community forestry plan, including development of a
community education and volunteer recruitment program. The Urban Forestry Commission will
coordinate with public agencies, large private landholders, neighborhood groups and the business
community to build general awareness of trees and forests as a community resource, in addition
to building support for development of the comprehensive community forestry plan.
The completed assessment and strategic plan will create the foundation for a future City-wide
community forestry plan which will include assessment and protection tools for existing trees,
recommendation of species and site selection of trees, standards for tree care, education on citizen
vegetation. The future plan will be coordinated with
safety and recommendations on recycling
tions, such as the Critical Areas Ordinance and on -
other existing resource management regula
as the Wildlife Corridor Network, NatureMapping (Gap
going resource education programs such
Analysis) and Watershed Watch. This plan will also include implementation strategies for
education, stewardship and proposed regulations.
City of Bainbridge Island — 2002 Community Forestry September 26, 2001
Background
The City of Bainbridge Island is located east of the main Kitsap peninsula, separated generally by
Agate Passage to the north; the main body of Puget Sound to the east; Rich Passage Inlet to the
south; and Port Orchard Bay to the west. The Island is characterized by an irregular coastline of
approximately 45 miles with numerous bays and inlets. The topography is generally that of low
rolling hills with several ridges oriented mostly north to south at 250 to 300 feet elevation,
vegetated with a mix of deciduous and evergreen forests. The Island features numerous streams
and creeks in addition to Gazzam Lake, a year-round freshwater lake. There are over 170
documented wetlands, though more exist that are unmapped.
The City's Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 1994. The Comprehensive Plan Vision Statement
calls for retaining and protecting our natural amenities, ensuring that development is sensitive to
the natural environment and recognizing that the Island's environmental resources are finite and
must be maintained at a sustainable level.
Although the Island geography and heritage play major roles in the makeup of the Island
community, it is the forested nature of the island that most citizens agree is of great importance.
Recently, as part of the City's five-year review of the Comprehensive Plan, the City contracted
with Pacific Rim Resources to conduct a community values survey. When asked which
characteristic contributes most to the Island's character, "forested land" ranked highest of all
characteristics presented.
During the fall of 2000, in an effort to improve the protection and retention of trees and
strengthen policies relating to tree protection and management, the Mayor appointed a citizen's
committee to address these issues. Eight volunteers formed the Urban Forestry Committee with
the purpose of integrating forest protection measures with overall planning efforts. The
committee is recommending that the City of Bainbridge Island develop a comprehensive forest
management plan for the Island.
A Natural Systems Network
Even though Bainbridge Island is a city with much of its natural systems still functioning, the
pressures of development and loss of forest areas have impacted these systems. In 1995, the Puget
Sound Cooperative River Basin Team, using primarily 1991 aerial photographs, estimated that
73% of the island was "tree -covered". This figure included many lightly developed areas where
forest habitat had been significantly altered. According to a 1996 aerial photography estimate
conducted for the Bainbridge Island Wildlife Corridor Network Study, the remaining forested
areas of Bainbridge Island are now nearly at the 50% point. Much of the remaining forested areas
are in public reserves (Fort Ward State Park, Gazzam Lake, Grand Forest and Manzanita Park).
City of Bainbridge Island — 2002 Community Forestry September 26, 2001
The City is protecting its natural systems in the following ways:
Identifying and protecting critical areas through the Critical Areas Ordinance (streams,
wetlands, steep slopes and geological hazard areas);
• Requiring that shoreline vegetation be retained through the Shoreline Management Program;
• Clustering residential development, protecting forested ridgelines and designating forested
open space areas through the subdivision of land under the Flexible Lot Design Subdivision
Code;
• Protecting and managing public forested areas as parkland;
• Requiring street trees with all new development in the urban core area of Winslow;
• Requiring the protection of significant trees when developing new commercial developments;
and
• Identifying important forested habitat links between large habitat areas in public parks and
encouraging volunteer land stewardship through the Wildlife Corridor Network.
Practicing stewardship of existing natural systems is necessary in order to maintain Bainbridge
Island's natural treasures and to contribute to the larger community of Washington State by
safeguarding a rich, sustainable ecosystem. For Bainbridge Island, sustaining valued forestland
means more than retaining trees. It means retaining, protecting and nurturing the natural systems
that will ensure sustainability for the future of everyone, including those who live beyond our
shores.
Community Benefits
Goals achieved: The City of Bainbridge Island has taken an integrated approach to
implementing the environmentally focused goals and policies of its Comprehensive Plan.
Bainbridge Island would further these goals by integrating urban forestry management into the
overall planning efforts, working toward sustainability of our Island's natural systems. The
preservation of forested areas is included in the first of five overriding principles that guide the
tion of forests is identified as an important component
Comprehensive Plan. In addition, the reten
in the Greenways section of the Comprehensive Plan.
Participation: The City has eight citizens currently volunteering their time on the Urban
Forestry Committee, providing advise and guidance on the development of a community forestry
plan and other urban forestry issues.
Public relations: The assessment will promote citizen and government interaction and
neighborhood and landowner cooperation by involving them in the assessment process. The
results of this effort will provide data for the City to begin a long-term resource management
model of sustainability through adoption of a Community Forest Plan.
Education: The program will establish an education component with the intent to assist citizens
in understanding the importance of community forest resources and also encourage volunteer
participation in management efforts for managing and protecting private natural resources.
City of Bainbridge Island— 2002 Community Forestry September 26, 2001
Continuation of related projects: The community forestry plan will build on the Wildlife
Corridor Network by determining the health of our native forests on public lands and by
providing improvements in terms of ecosystem management.
Regulation: The assessment will feed into on-going policy development processes and result in
revisions to tree retention and protection ordinances.
Activities:
1) Assessment of the state of the forest resources
The assessment will include the identification of Island's forest resources by incorporating
previous forest inventory information into the findings; evaluating forest resource conditions in
specific areas; and analyzing existing City policies relating to forest resources as follows:
• Compile existing information on the Island's forest ecosystems.
Assess specific areas focusing on forests on public lands and urban areas of the Island.
Develop specific criteria to include the following:
Identification of tree species (native and non-native);
Diameter and size of trees;
Relative age and general canopy coverage;
Health condition of trees; and
Management recommendations for publicly owned trees.
The following locations will be assessed:
Public property and public parks;
Winslow core area;
Neighborhood Service Centers; and
Fort Ward Area.
• Evaluate and assess the effectiveness of existing codes and policies related to Island forest
resources. Identify gaps in forest resource management policies.
2) Strategic planning and community outreach
The consultant will assist the Urban Forestry Commission with a strategic plan for developing the
community forestry plan, including development of a community education and volunteer
recruitment program.
The Urban Forestry Commission will meet on a regular basis and coordinate with public
agencies, large private landholders, neighborhood groups, and the business community to build
awareness of trees and forests as a community resource, in addition to building support for
development of the comprehensive community forestry plan. A community kickoff meeting will
be scheduled to recruit volunteers and begin the education and awareness process for developing
a self-sustaining urban forestry program.
Facilities & Equipment Needs: The City of Bainbridge Island will provide a computer for
compilation of assessment data and report writing, as well as a temporary workspace. Computer
software and field equipment for the assessment inventory will be needed.
4
City of Bainbridge Island — 2002 Community Forestry September 26, 2001
Participants: Assessing the state of the forest resources, strategic planning and community
outreach will primarily involve a consultant, the Urban Forestry Commission, City staff, the Park
District and interested community groups and citizens. The assessment will be organized by the
consultant. The Urban Forestry Commission and City staff will work with the consultant to
develop a strategic plan and community outreach program. Tasks will include the involvement of
the following:
Bainbridge Island Parks District
Bainbridge Island School District & NatureMapping
Bainbridge Island Historical Society
Watershed Watch (Stream Teams)
Wildlife Corridor Network volunteer coordinator
Administration: The Urban Forestry Commission will oversee the tasks through the consultant,
staff and community volunteers.
Timetable:
Assessment
January 2002 A consultant will be hired
February 2002 Assessment criteria developed and begin fieldwork
July 2002 Assessment fieldwork completed
September 2002 Draft Assessment report completed
January - September
2002 Other components of the assessment will be on-going
Strategic Planning & Community Outreach:
February 2002 Urban Forestry Commission and consultant begin strategic planning for
community forestry plan - including development of a community
education and volunteer recruitment program
June 2002 Completion of education program and volunteer recruitment program
July 2002 Kick off public meeting presenting draft assessment and implementation
of education and volunteer recruitment program
November 2002 Draft strategic plan for integrating urban forestry into City planning
efforts
Product: Assessment report and action plan.
5
City of Bainbridge Island — 2002 Community Forestry September 26, 2001
BUDGET WORKSHEET
City of Bainbridge Island Urban Forestry Commission
Bainbridge Island Community Forestry Plan
ITEM
City Share
In -Kind
Total
Component:
Assessment
Personnel:
$7,650
$7,650
Consultant -90 hrs @
$85
Staff— 20 hrs @
$511
$511
$25.55 hr.
Volunteers — 320 hrs
4,000
$4,000
$12.5
Eq ui ment
Field data logger
$600
$600
Computer
$1,500
$1,500
Supplies
Computer
$500
$500
Software —
For data compilation
Component:
Strategic Planning &
Community Outreach
Personnel:
Consultant -70 hrs @
$5,950
$5,950
$85
Staff — 100 hrs @
$2,555
$2,555
$25.55 hr
Volunteers — 100 hrs
1,500
$1,500
$12.5
Urban Forestry
$4,800
$4,800
Commission 8
volunteers @ 4 hrs.
a month P, 12.50 hr.
Supplies:
$675
$675
Advertising -$75
Mailings - $300
Printing - $300
TOTAL
$19,941
$10,300
$30,241