SNOQUALMIE SUCCESS STORY

In 1990, Snoqualmie started growing from a small town of 1,546 residents, adding a master planned community on Snoqualmie Ridge with rapid population growth to 14,121 residents by 2020. Over 1,200 acres of native forest land were retained as part of the development, and thousands of trees were planted along new streets and in new parks. Dedicated city resources to manage all the newly planted trees and native forest remnants did not begin in earnest until 2010.

In twelve years, the city built an urban forestry program from the ground up, using state funding for an initial round of resource assessment and strategic planning. From this foundation, the city hired staff, established community and non-profit partnerships, and identified a stable funding source on the way to becoming an exemplary urban forestry program.

Below is a timeline mapping Snoqualmie’s program development and evolution from its humble beginning.

2010 – Program Initiation

City hires first certified arborist, becomes a Tree City USA

Snoqualmie committed to building an urban forestry program by hiring its first certified arborist and becoming a Tree City USA.

2010 – Program Initiation

2011-2014 - MAPPING | ANALYSIS

Street Tree Inventory & Tree Canopy Assessment

In this period, the city was awarded grant funding from WA DNR Urban and Community Forestry to conduct three resource assessment projects, a foundational step in understanding Snoqualmie’s tree resource.

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2011-2014 - MAPPING | ANALYSIS

2014 – PLANNING

Urban Forest Strategic Plan

The city again received a grant from WA DNR to develop an Urban Forest Strategic Plan. This plan laid out 30 strategies towards developing a comprehensive urban forest program to steward the City’s extensive urban forest. The strategic plan was adopted by Snoqualmie’s Mayor and Council – and initial steps towards implementation were completed quickly, including creating an urban forester staff position in January 2015, and developing an inter-department “tree team.”

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2014 – PLANNING

2016 - MAPPING | ANALYSIS

Tree Canopy Assessment

Snoqualmie conducted another Tree Canopy Assessment to compare against the 2012 dataset and determine if early tree preservation and planting efforts were enough to offset the impact of development.

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2016 - MAPPING | ANALYSIS

2016 - CO-DESIGN | STEWARDSHIP

Community Stewardship Program

The city received technical assistance from the King Conservation District (King CD) to begin a community stewardship program for Snoqualmie’s forestland.

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2016 - CO-DESIGN | STEWARDSHIP

2017 – PLANNING | STEWARDSHIP

Green Snoqualmie Partnership

With the culmination of King CD’s technical assistance and input from many partners, a 20-year Forest Management and Stewardship Plan was developed and the Green Snoqualmie Partnership formally launched; 1,700 volunteer hours were recorded in the first full year of the program.

2017 – PLANNING | STEWARDSHIP

2017 – POLICY

Trees and Stormwater Utility ordinance adopted

As part of the King County – Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C) work with King CD, an ordinance template was developed for use in municipalities to designate urban forestry as an appropriate use of stormwater utility funds. Snoqualmie adopted and codified this Ordinance, paving the way for the urban forestry program to be funded through the stormwater utility.

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2017 – POLICY

2019 – FUNDING

Hired one full-time staff member to meet the growing needs of the urban forestry program

2019 – FUNDING

2016 - POLICY & PLANNING

Natural Infrastructure Assessment

The city partnered again with King CD to support the development of a Natural Infrastructure Assessment to quantify the stormwater benefit of Snoqualmie’s trees in order to pursue stormwater utility funding.

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2016 - POLICY & PLANNING

2020 - FUNDING

Urban Forest Improvements Program

At the conclusion of the Natural Infrastructure Assessment and informed by a recent utility rate study, the Mayor and City Council approved a funding increase as part of the 2021-2022 biennial budget for Snoqualmie’s urban forestry program.

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2020 - FUNDING

2023

The Urban Forestry and Stormwater Division is Launched

With the connection between urban forestry and stormwater established, Snoqualmie launched a new combined department in 2023 – the Stormwater and Urban Forestry Division. This department will be comprised of 5 staff to maintain the city’s stormwater infrastructure, both green and gray. The City forester was promoted to the Stormwater & Urban Forestry Supervisor.

2023

The Future – WHAT’S NEXT for the City of Snoqualmie?

Since most of the work outlined in the first Urban Forest Strategic Plan has been accomplished and sound program foundations are set, Snoqualmie intends to update the Plan soon with new strategies focused on further development of the program. Future work toward enhanced stewardship includes raising the standard of care for Snoqualmie’s street and park trees and updating the city’s tree ordinance of 2010.

SNOQUALMIE SUCCESS STORY

City hires first certified arborist, becomes a Tree City USA

Street Tree Inventory & Tree Canopy Assessment

Urban Forest Strategic Plan

Tree Canopy Assessment

Community Stewardship Program

Green Snoqualmie Partnership

Trees and Stormwater Utility ordinance adopted

Hired one full-time staff member to meet the growing needs of the urban forestry program

Natural Infrastructure Assessment

Urban Forest Improvements Program

The Urban Forestry and Stormwater Division is Launched

The Future – WHAT’S NEXT for the City of Snoqualmie?

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