OLYMPIA, Wash — The Washington Department of Natural Resources and its partners announced Tuesday the launch of the "Evergreen Community Recognition (ECR) Program," a way to commend cities, tribes and counties across the state for efforts that increase the state's urban and community forests.
The designation helps when the entities later apply for specific state grant programs.
A spokesperson for the Department of Natural Resources said the program is specifically tailored to the needs of Washington's forests and ties into specific state grant programs across five agencies.
Municipalities, counties and tribes may also post signs, similar to the Tree City USA program.
"Each one of those signs represents a community that is investing in their urban forests," said ECR coordinator Julia Kast. "Tree inventories, urban forest management plans, really putting the initiatives towards our urban forest care."
Cities, tribes and counties can achieve two tiers of ECR status. Public tree care ordinances, observance of Arbor Day and spending on urban forests are all part of the requirements for the designation. Having recognition can help give entities higher preference when applying for specific state grant programs overseen by the Departments of Ecology, Commerce, Recreation and Conservation and Natural Resources, or the State Conservation Commission.
Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz said increasing and protecting tree canopy cover is one of many efforts to mitigate the impacts of heat in the years to come.
"We believe trees are important not just for clean air and clean water, but to actually reduce temperatures so we can save peoples' lives," Franz said. "It also helps reduce carbon emissions which will have benefits for our climate, and it also reduces energy costs as more and more people find they need to cool their homes with air conditioning."
According to a spokesperson, the program was in the works since 2008 when the original Evergreen Communities Act passed, but due to the economic crisis there was not sufficient funding or staff capacity to handle it. It was reignited when ECA passed again in 2021.