Forests of the Imagination

I left some interesting comments (at least I think they are interesting) at a post by Dan Bertolet— Yes Virginia, Density Causes Sprawl —which indirectly raises the issue of the supposed decline in Seattle's tree canopy over the last 35 or so years. My contention (and it supports Dan's point) is that we probably have more trees now and certainly that we have lost 50% of our tree canopy over that period is not supported by any studies. The forests we have lost in Seattle are only Forests of the Imagination.

One large point which emerges from my claim (and I hope that the City or the University conducts a fair, legitimate, scientifically-sound study to resolve the issue) is that as Seattle has become more dense, it has also become more treed. It cannot be over-emphasized that density and the urban forest are not in conflict and the experience of Seattle over the past 35 years illustrates the point.

Yes we can (and should) have both: more buildings and more trees.