Spokane Urban Forestry

The City of Spokane's Urban Forestry Program was established with the adoption of the City's street tree ordinance. The ordinance also provided the framework for developing the tree-related regulations contained in the Vegetative Management Plan and the Arboricultural Specifications.

The Parks and Recreation Department has supervisory responsibility of managing trees in the public rights-of-way and other public places. But it is the responsibility of the abutting property owner to protect the health of the street tree(s) through compliance with the street tree ordinance and the Arboricultural Specifications and Standards of Practice.

The following links and documents provide information on the City's Urban Forestry Program and will assist home and business owners with their responsibilities for our urban trees.

Vegetation Management Plan (Adobe Acrobat file) This document sets forth the long-term goals and strategic planning related to tree planting, pruning, removal, and maintenance needs of community trees for the sustainability of the urban forest. The scope of the document includes street trees, and green spaces (parks, golf courses, conservation lands and other public lands), but does not apply to private lands.

Arboricultural Specifications and Standards of Practice (Adobe Acrobat file) This document provides the regulations and standards for the removal, pruning, planting, and other maintenance of trees on public property. The purpose of the manual is to provide a detailed guide of proper arboriculture practices. The manual is to be used by arborists, property owners, engineers, landscape architects, landscape contractors, urban foresters and urban planners to ensure compliance with the City of Spokane street tree ordinance. The regulations apply to work performed by property owners, contractors, city staff, and others.

City of Spokane Urban Forestry Program (Adobe Acrobat file) This document contains the sections of the Spokane Municipal Code pertaining to the establishment and operations of the City's Urban Forestry Program.

City of Spokane Urban Forestry Tree Committee (Adobe Acrobat file) This document contains sections of the Spokane Municipal Code pertaining to the establishment and responsibilities of the Urban Forestry Tree Committee, created to advise the Park Board and City Council on trees and shrubs located in public areas.

Recommended Street Trees The City of Spokane has developed a list of recommended street trees. The choice of tree depends on a variety of factors, particularly the width of the planting area. The recommended trees are separated into classes based on the size of the area. Click on the links below for Adobe Acrobat files of each class.

• Class I Trees -Trees for 5’ planting strip and under power lines regardless of planting strip width.
• Class II Trees - Trees for 5’ – 8’ planting strip width.
• Class III Trees - Trees for 8’ – 12’ planting strip width.
• Class IV Trees - Trees for 12’+ planting strip width.

City Tree Removal and Replacement Pilot Program The City of Spokane, Spokane County Conservation District, Avista and Asplundh Tree Expert Company have developed a cooperative process to assess, prune and remove, as necessary, trees under powerlines within the City of Spokane.