Seattle City Council resolves to pass tree protection measures by May 2010; Seattle, WA

Local News | Seattle's tree-cutting rules to get more strict; advocates hoped for more | Seattle Times Newspaper
By Emily Heffter
Seattle Times staff reporter

Council President Richard Conlin The Seattle City Council voted unanimously Monday to require stricter tree-cutting regulations by May.
The vote left details unsettled and tree advocates lukewarm, but the council hailed it as a first step.
Monday's resolution asks the Department of Planning and Development to decide in the next 10 months whether to require permits for tree cutting. Currently, private-property owners can cut down a maximum of three trees a year without permits. The council also wants the department to consider tightening development rules to require people to preserve trees.
The council also voted to establish an Urban Forestry Commission that includes scientists, a developer and tree advocates.