Visit our blog to read about the latest news from Green Cities, as well as what's happening in urban natural public open space in the Puget Sound and beyond.

in several Washington communities and it is expected to grow each year.

Current Green City Partnerships:

• Green Seattle Partnership  
• Green Tacoma Partnership
• Green Kirkland Partnership 
• Green Redmond Partnership
• Green Kent Partnership

Urban forests are public assets that beautify and strengthen our local neighborhoods. Not only do they provide recreational opportunities for citizens, they also protect native wildlife habitat, improve air quality, mitigate stormwater runoff, and help keep our cities cool. 

Cities in the Puget Sound region are fortunate to have a legacy of forested parks and open spaces, given our climate and thoughtful community leaders. Pressure, however, from invasive species, coupled with outdated principles of stewardship, have left many parks at risk of forest canopy loss – if nothing is done, we stand to lose 70% of Seattle's forest canopy in the next 20 years.

The Cascade Land Conservancy’s Green City Partnerships program works to reverse this trend while helping to protect our important legacy of beautiful parks and vibrant communities.

Each Green City Partnership has three goals:

• Connect people to nature and improve the quality of life in cities by restoring urban forests and other urban open spaces;

• Galvanize an informed, involved, and active community around restoration and stewardship of urban natural open spaces; and

• Improve urban forest health, and enhance the long-term sustainability of urban natural open spaces, by removing invasive plants and maintaining functional native forest communities.

Partnership Development

The program is phased in order to account for the various means and needs of our partners.

Network

• Green City Network Members receive training and tools that allow them to develop their own program in collaboration with the Green City network

Planning

• Assessing baseline ecological condition of forested area and determining restoration priorities.
• Assessing community resources, including current civic involvement, policy, leadership, and funding related to urban forest stewardship.
• Creating a comprehensive 20-year partnership plan.

Implementation

• Engaging and educating the community in a coordinated effort of restoration and management.
• Recruits, trains and supports a group of citizens who will coordinate restoration efforts in target areas as forest stewards.
  

Interested in becoming the next Green City Partnership?

Take a look at our materials for new cities.

For more information on the Green City Partnerships, please contact us by email at greencities@cascadeland.org, or by phone at (206) 905-6923