Tagpos_sm_2023_07_11(4)

The Port of Seattle presented the Equitable Spending and Accountability Project (ESAP) to its Commission in July 2023, outlining a framework to track and report how Port budget spending aligns with equity, diversity, and inclusion goals. A cross-departmental team audited four years of budget data to establish a baseline measure of equity spending, categorized into distinct areas. A 2024 pilot program requires each division to identify equity-related spending in their budgets and report progress annually to Port leadership and the Commission.

The Port of Seattle's Equitable Spending and Accountability Project (ESAP) is an initiative to apply an equity framework to the Port's budgeting process, ensuring resources are directed where needs are greatest for employees and community partners. Guided by an Equity Policy Directive, the project requires the Executive Director to define 'equity-related resources,' review historical Port budgets from 2019–2022, and propose a pilot structure for the 2024 budget. The effort emphasizes accountability, transparency, and innovation as the Port works toward becoming a pro-equity and anti-racist organization.

The Port of Seattle Commission adopted Order No. 2023-10 in July 2023, establishing guiding principles for environmental land stewardship across all Port-owned properties, with a focus on protecting, restoring, and expanding trees, forests, and other natural habitats. The order directs the Port to balance airport operations and development with responsible environmental practices, including replacing removed trees, prioritizing native species, and applying an equity and environmental justice lens to stewardship decisions. It also calls for developing a formal Aviation Land Stewardship Plan and new tree replacement standards for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport property by the end of 2023.

The Port of Seattle presented its Environmental Land Stewardship Principles Order in July 2023, establishing guidance to balance airport and port operations with natural resource management across all Port-owned land. The five core principles call for comprehensive habitat stewardship, integrating environmental considerations into infrastructure planning, applying an equity and environmental justice lens, and maintaining healthy, self-sustaining ecosystems. The policy aims to deliver community benefits including better air quality, carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat, and shared green spaces.