Ponderosa Pine Project
Background: Spokane is located in the midst of a former Ponderosa Pine forest. That forest of native trees was adapted to our hot, dry summers. Ponderosa Pine is widely used for soil stabilization and watershed protection in the Rocky Mountain region. Ponderosa Pine is very compatible with water conservation since it has the capacity for root growth in relatively dry soil.
 Purpose and Need: Urban forests in general provide shading in summer, increase value of property, reduce watering needs, and provide important services such as traffic calming, visual screening, and shading. Over the past 150 years our forest has been reduced by settlement, development and neglect. Currently, the City of Spokane has regulations to protect street trees and those in parks and other public properties. There is no protection for existing stands in potential development sites at this time. Frequently, trees are entirely removed from sites rather than assessing the value they provide for stormwater runoff from impervious surface proposed for a development.
Even today thousands of acres of Ponderosa Pine are at risk from urbanization, storm water swale requirements that do not ensure protection or inclusion of native vegetation, and property owners who remove trees for a variety of reasons. To reverse this trend, our goal is to protect and reforest urban and natural areas in Spokane County, and the surrounding region, with Ponderosa Pine and appropriate native vegetation.
Interest in Spokane: The interest in restoring our native Ponderosa Pine forest reaches deeply into Spokane. For example, the Spokane Sustainability Task Force is recommending that our urban forest be protected to help us adapt to climate change. Interest in street trees has been intense over the past two years. The Lands Council believes that the current City government and public opinion would support our efforts and that the Ponderosa Pine Project will protect existing trees and rebuild the native forests of Spokane.
More Ponderosa Pine Project Information:
*Coming soon
For more information contact Kat Hall at khall@landscouncil.org or 509-209-2403.
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