Hundreds of trees are coming to one Tacoma neighborhood. But will the city water them?
One Tacoma neighborhood is slated to get a lot greener soon.
The Lincoln International District will benefit this fall from the Community Tree Program’s residential-planting initiative, Green Blocks. The city and the Tacoma Tree Foundation are partnering on the effort, which seeks to give away 300 trees to 120 households in October.
Virtually everyone can get behind planting more — and free — trees, but a comment on the city’s Instagram page raises the question: Who’s responsible for watering them?
The News Tribune contacted the city to find out.
‘A pretty sad sight’
Mayor Victoria Woodards pointed out in a Monday news release that adequate tree canopy could help boost the well-being and health of the community. She said she’s proud that the Lincoln International District was chosen for the new plants.
“This increased tree coverage improves the quality of life for our residents and goes beyond beautifying our streets but also provides shade, improves air quality, and enhances our urban ecosystem,” Woodards said.
The city on Monday shared an Instagram post about Green Blocks coming to Lincoln. One social-media user replied that the trees planted last spring along South 60th Street off South Oakes Street have since perished.
“It’s a pretty sad sight because there are at least 8 of them and further west on 60th there are at least a half dozen other dead trees [crying-face emoji],” they continued. “Love this program but they need maintaining especially when planted in public spaces.”
Is the city on the hook for watering new trees?
The city facilitates the planting of hundreds of new trees each year via its public-incentive programs, city spokesperson Maria Lee told The News Tribune. Participants sign paperwork acknowledging that the new owner will be tasked with the watering.
In other words, it’s not the city’s job.
The city offers educational materials on how to plant and maintain trees distributed through Green Blocks and the Grit City Trees and Branch Out programs, Lee said via email. Such literature includes watering instructions. The city also “hand delivers watering bags” to aid that process and remind folks when to start hydrating roots.
“The City is not staffed to water trees for program participants,” Lee continued, “nor does it have the ability to go and inspect the thousands of trees for watering needs.”
The trees referenced along South 60th were planted as part of “a capital improvement project – specifically the Edison, Whitman, and Lincoln Safe Routes to School project ...,” Lee told The News Tribune on Friday. That project cost about $1.4 million, she said.
“They are currently under warranty until November 2024 and the contractor responsible for planting the trees was already aware that some of the trees may be dead or unhealthy and is looking into it,” Lee said in an email. “There are 18 trees planted in that area, and if it is determined that the trees are indeed dead or unhealthy, the contractor is supposed to replace them during the planting season which begins in October.”
She also said it is typical in such capital-improvement projects that the contractor is responsible for watering the trees during the first year. After that, the city generally takes over maintenance until the trees are thriving, which usually takes two to three years.
“After that period ends, the property owner is responsible for maintenance of the trees along their property frontage,” Lee added.
Praise for Green Blocks in Lincoln International District
Council member Sandesh Sadalge said in a Monday news release that he’s “thrilled” the Lincoln district was picked for Green Blocks this time around. He explained that he witnessed major improvements to the McKinley Hill neighborhood after it received hundreds of new trees through the program last fall.
The city is “so excited” to bring more trees to Lincoln through the partnership, said Council member Olgy Diaz.
“Not only do trees help make Tacoma beautiful, but they also reduce polluted stormwater runoff, improve air quality, and contribute to our mental and physical health,” Diaz continued. “It is essential for us to grow and preserve Tacoma’s urban forest at the neighborhood level.”
Tacoma’s Community Tree Program
In 2022, the Tacoma City Council gave the green light to funding a Community Tree Program on an ongoing basis. The city spends $75,000 each year for program administration, according to its year-one report. Material expenses including trees, mulch and watering buckets/bags cost up to $25,000 annually.
Lee said money for the Community Tree Program comes from the city’s General Fund.
When Green Blocks went to McKinley Hill last year, the program dealt 234 trees to 110 homes, according to the report.
Residents can request trees until Sept. 16 for planting in the Lincoln International District. Both evergreen and deciduous flora are available.
Visit tacomatreefoundation.org/green-blocks-lincoln for more details.
Editor’s note: This story was updated Friday, Aug. 16, to provide more information about the dead trees along South 60th Street. Also, the caption on the photograph of the dead trees was updated Aug. 14. It originally contained incorrect information about the program under which the trees were planted.
This story was originally published August 14, 2024 at 5:15 AM.
