TagGreen Cities Partnership(12)

The Green Des Moines Partnership Urban Forest Enhancement Plan is a collaborative initiative between the Port of Seattle and the City of Des Moines aimed at expanding and improving the urban tree canopy in the Des Moines, Washington area. The plan outlines strategies for planting, restoring, and maintaining urban forests as part of broader environmental mitigation efforts, likely connected to noise and air quality impacts from nearby Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. It represents a community-focused approach to greening the urban landscape through volunteer engagement and inter-agency partnership.

The Green SeaTac Partnership Urban Forest Enhancement Guide is a collaborative publication produced by the City of SeaTac and the Port of Seattle aimed at improving and expanding urban forest areas in the SeaTac community. The guide provides resources and strategies for planting and maintaining native trees and vegetation, particularly in neighborhoods affected by Seattle-Tacoma International Airport noise and environmental impacts. It reflects a joint commitment to greening the local environment through community engagement and restoration efforts.

The Airport Community Ecology (ACE) Fund is a Port of Seattle Commission-directed $1 million initiative supporting park improvements and environmental projects in the communities of Burien, Des Moines, and SeaTac. The fund is split into two programs: a $550,000 Small Matching Grants Program administered directly by the Port for small-scale community projects, and a $450,000 Green Cities Partnership Program contracted through Forterra for large-scale urban forestry efforts, including historic Elm tree planting along Des Moines Memorial Drive.

The Port of Seattle partnered with non-profit Forterra from 2017 to 2022 to improve urban forests in the airport-adjacent communities of Burien, SeaTac, and Des Moines using $450,000 from the Airport Community Ecology (ACE) Fund. The program conducted tree canopy assessments across 738 acres, planted nearly 3,000 trees and plants, and engaged over 800 volunteers to restore parks and green spaces in neighborhoods most impacted by airport operations. Equity-focused mapping helped direct resources to low-income and minority communities with less tree cover, and the work ultimately leveraged an additional $260,000 in outside funding for school-area canopy improvements.

The Green Burien Partnership Urban Forest Stewardship Plan outlines a collaborative initiative between the Port of Seattle, the City of Burien, and conservation organization Forterra to assess and improve urban forests in Burien, a community affected by Seattle-Tacoma International Airport operations. Funded through the Port's Airport Community Ecology (ACE) Fund, the program recognizes that neighborhoods bearing the brunt of airport noise and impacts deserve tangible environmental benefits in return. Burien joins a 15-city Green Cities Network across King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties, collectively working to restore more than 13,000 acres of land for over 3 million residents.

The ACE Green Cities Update, presented on April 13, 2021, provides an overview of the Airport Community Ecology (ACE) Fund, a $1 million initiative established in 2016 to support environmental programs in the communities of Burien, Des Moines, and SeaTac that are impacted by Sea-Tac Airport. The program, managed in partnership with Forterra, funds small matching grants and Green City Programs aimed at improving local ecology and green spaces. The presentation covers program accomplishments, partnership values, the 2021 work plan, and strategies for sustaining resources going forward.