Private Residence, Lake Forest Park, WA
DRG helped a private property owner north of Seattle stay in compliance with municipal tree protection requirements by inspecting 35 trees and outlining a plan for their preservation during construction.
Project Narrative:
A private property owner north of Seattle contracted DRG to complete a tree protection and retention plan for 35 trees on their property. This work was completed to comply with municipal tree protection requirements for an upcoming construction project.
A DRG International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist inspected and cataloged all significant trees that could be impacted by the client’s proposed construction. The results were used to determine the limits of disturbance (LOD) and recommend tree protection measures required during construction. The data collection included:
- A Tree Tag # affixed to each tree and tree location on the property using aerial imagery.
- Tree genus, species, diameter, height and canopy width.
- Health and condition of the tree; including identifying existing hazards and defects to the tree structure.
- Tree preservation priority rating.
- The arborist recorded the above data and placed the inventoried trees into a Geographic Information System (GIS) to integrate with the site design plans.
- Arborist Report: Tree Protection Plan
Meeting Construction Goals Without Sacrificing Tree Canopy
The data and observations were used to prepare an arborist report to guide the maintenance and preservation of the trees. The report fulfilled Lake Forest Park reporting requirements as described in LFPMC Chapter 16 and provided:
- A description of the methods used to determine the Critical Root Zone (CRZ)
- Trees in the vicinity of construction or that could be impacted by the proposed development activity
- Details for tree protection measures that will be implemented to ensure the trees to be retained are protected throughout the construction phase of the project.
- A list of protection measures and conditions to be taken during all development activities to ensure code compliance during development activities; Any trees recommended for removal along with justification.
A restoration plan was also completed to mitigate significant tree removal in alignment with Lake Forest Park tree canopy goals during development.