History
“Never underestimate the power of a small group of committed people to change the world.
In fact, it is the only thing that ever has.”~ Margaret Mead
On September 3, 2019, a few Shoreline residents attended a neighborhood meeting held by Abbott Construction and the WSDOT Project Manager, regarding the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) $46.5 million renovation project located at 15700 Dayton Ave N, in the Highland Terrace neighborhood of Shoreline. This informational meeting included discussion about the removal of “some trees”. It was later discovered that 133 tall trees along Dayton Ave N, N 160th Street, and N 155th Street were at risk of removal.
A community coalition, Save Shoreline Trees, was quickly formed and a plan of action developed. By the middle of December 2019, the City of Shoreline received more than 300 letters from the community stating outrage over the intention to remove 133 conifer and other native tall trees surrounding the WSDOT property for the construction of 8-foot-wide sidewalks. Save Shoreline Trees grew from 10 to 110 members by the end of January 2020 with an average of 30 people attending weekly Save Shoreline Trees meetings. KOMO-TV interviewed the co-founders of Save Shoreline Trees which sparked more interest, and two Rally for the Trees were held in early February 2020, with more than 100 participants. Fast forward to August 2021 and 94 of the original 133 tall trees have been saved! (Check Current Projects WSDOT for details).
In March 2022, City Council approved new tree regulations that will protect and preserve more trees in Shoreline on residential, MUR-35, MUR-45 and Town Center-4 zones. Unfortunately there are seven (7) zones in Shoreline where all of the trees can be removed and tree replacements are not required including Community Business, Neighborhood Business, Mixed Business, MUR-70’, and Town Center 1-2-3.
Launching from the WSDOT experience in 2019, Save Shoreline Trees now has an established identity and continues to research and communicate to the Shoreline community development plans that are jeopardizing the tall conifer and other native trees in Shoreline. You are invited to be a part of Save Shoreline Trees. Help educate the public and remind elected officials and City management about the environmental and aesthetic contributions of trees. Join Save Shoreline Trees email group for announcements and tree supporter messages; you will also receive our newsletters. We need your help in preserving our tall trees in Shoreline.