LYNNWOOD, Wash., November 3, 2023—The City of Lynnwood is receiving $1,308,198 of the Urban and Community Forest Grant for its South Lynnwood Urban Forestry & Stewardship Program. Overall, municipalities in Washington state were awarded a total of $36,365,854 in funding from the grant for 2023. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service awarded more than $1 billion in competitive grants this fall to plant and maintain trees, combat extreme heat and climate change and improve access to nature.

This five-year program aims to protect and enhance 12 acres of urban forest, riparian and wetlands and expand healthy urban tree canopies across the South Lynnwood Neighborhood, which is considered a disadvantaged community according to the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool and is home to a quarter of the city’s population.

A significant portion of the South Lynnwood Census Tract which includes Lynnwood City Center suffers from heat island severity, meaning that these areas are, on average, 1–7°F higher than temperatures in outlying areas. For Parks, Recreation and Cultural Arts Deputy Director Sarah Olson, increasing the greenspaces and tree canopy in areas like South Lynnwood is paramount to lowering the temperature in Lynnwood.

“This South Lynnwood Urban Forestry & Stewardship Program includes a goal to plant 750 trees on city-owned and city-managed properties, in street right-of-way, and providing more than 500 trees to residents they can plant on private property,” explained Olson. “This program will help the City of Lynnwood achieve that and its objective to address the effects of heat islands and climate change in our community, improving the overall health and quality of life of our community members.”

Municipalities receiving the grant in Snohomish Country

City of Lynnwood, South Lynnwood Urban Forestry and Stewardship Program ($1,308,198): This project will protect urban forests, riparian areas, and wetlands to expand healthy urban tree canopy within the South Lynnwood Neighborhood in Lynnwood, Washington. This project will develop a robust stewardship program and an intensive outreach and education component for the residents.

Snohomish Conservation District, Growing Urban Forest in Snohomish County ($2,480,761): The Snohomish Conservation District will collaborate with the cities of Everett, Marysville, and the Tulalip Tribes to develop urban forest management, monitoring, and maintenance plans. The district will add trees and provide long-term maintenance of urban tree canopy in its communities.

SOURCE: City of Lynnwood with additions by the Lynnwood Times.