I believe we must expand our urban forest canopy. Our urban forest provides benefits to drainage, air quality such as CO2 reduction, as well as aesthetic benefits. It also provides useful shade on the 95+ degree days we had last week.
— Councilmember Nick Licata, explaining the Seattle City Council’s motivation for creating a new Urban Forestry Commission to work on protecting the city’s greenbelts and tree groves. The legislation is the result of tireless activism by Seattle neighbors such as Steve Zemke of MajorityRules.