Our cities play a critical role in ensuring our environmental legacy continues. Local government and its leaders have been focusing on environmental protection for sometime. King County wants to recognize these efforts!

Learn more about what the following Earth Cities are doing:

• Lake Forest Park
  
• Medina
  
• Seattle
  
• Snoqualmie
  
• Redmond

Lake Forest Park
How the city is caring for our natural environment:
Lake Forest Park addresses environmental and natural resource issues through a number of channels:

• Responsible and informed evaluations by city staff.
  
• Stated objectives for environmental protetion in its Comprehensive Plan.
  
• Drafting and enforcement of sensitives areas ordinances.
  
• Involvement of citizens through city commissions and public input.
  
• Communications and outreach through educational materials, newsletter and web sites.

Program and initiatives at work for the environment:

• A number of commissions and committees meet to recomment policies and actions and facilitate environmental protection including the Environmental Quality Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, and Urban Forestry Committee.
  
• Streamkeepers group help to measure water quality, help with stream restoration, and educate the public on the protection of aquatic systems.
  
• Purchased critical habitat on McAleer Creek (a salmon bearing stream) and on the mouth of the Lyon Creek (into Lake Washington).
  
• Devoped an Urban Wildlife Habitat plan as the basis for environmental protection within its urban forests and open land.

Link: www.cityoflfp.com

Photos of Executive Sims' visit to Lake Forest Park (external link)

City of Medina
How the city is caring for our natural environment:
Working to maintain healthy and productive wetlands and forest for animals and habitat in this region is a major commitment of the City of Medina. Through restoration efforts and City ordinances these can be accomplished.

Program and initiatives at work for the environment:

• Adopted an emergency ordinance for tree preservation recognizing that the loss of trees used by Bald Eagles within the shoreline area of Lake Washington. This requires 200% replacement for trees cut on private property undergoing development and redevelopment.
  
• Restoration of Fairweather Nature Preserve located on Evergreen Point. It includes the removal of invasive plants that have taken over trees and plants followed by reforestation and revegetation. Additionally, it will enhance existing wetland and introduce the Tree Frog to the wetland.
  
• A feasiblity study is in place for Medina Stream. They have determined that there is the potential of restoring the salmon habitiat.

Link: www.ci.medina.wa.us

City of Seattle
How the city is caring for our natural environment:
The city has a variety of program that promote environmental stewardship and sustainability in internal operations as well as in the community. From policies to programs they are committed to ensuring this legacy is one that is honored and work towards in this region.

Program and initiatives at work for the environment:

• From the City's environmental management program pesticides are being reduced by 30% by the end of 2003
  
• To reduce the use of fuel in city vehicles by 5% by 2005
  
• New city buidlings to meet LEED silver rating
  
• Zero net emissions of greenhouse gases by city's electric utility
  
• Seattle is committed to bringing back healthy salmon runs. Our environment can be impacted by daily City operations. Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities, along with the Office of Environmental Safety and Seattle Parks and Recreation, work hard to ease those effects to make the environment friendlier for fish and wildlife.
  
• And much more

For more information on all the work the City of Seatlle is involved with visit their web site at www.cityofseattle.net.

City of Snoqualmie
How the city is caring for our natural environment:
The city has allowed high density in part of its growth area in exchange for 75 acres of parks and 16 miles of train for the larger greenspace and for the public's enjoyment. They have also designated large areas of forest as open space to be preserved forever.

Programs and initiatives at work for the environment

• Negotiated a sale with Trust for Public Lands that preserved 123.09 acres of land at Snoqualmie Point. This will now be forest land and City Park.
  
• Purchased several flood prone lots and homes along the Snoqualmie River and converted them to open space.
  
• Working on low impact ordinances that will preserve open spaces and trees.
  
• And more…

For more information on what the City of Snoqualmie has been doing for the environment visit their web site at www.ci.snoqualmie.wa.us/.

City of Redmond
How the city is caring for our natural environment:
The City of Redmond is committed to environmental protection and conservation as part of it's "Strategic Direction." This is comprised of a set of six commitments that together define city government's intention for keeping Redmond a Community of Good Neighbors. Through the City's work programs, policies and environmental regulations, the City of Redmond is working to preserve the natural environment, wildlife, rural agricultural and open spaces for future residents.

Program and initiatives at work for the environment:

• Through the Redmond RiverWalk Program, the city has spent over 1 million dollars restoring habitat along the Sammamish River.
  
• Working on a Wildlife Habitat Plan to provide essential information on essential wildlife habitat in the City and determining wildlife linkages connecting these areas.
  
• Part of Tri-County Salmon effort to protect the endangered Chinook salmon.
  
• Provides weekly residential recycling of recyclables and yard debris. Redmond was the first in the nation to collect poly-coated paper food cartons through its curbside program. In 1999, over 4,000 tons of materials were recycled through the business-recycling program.
  
• In 1994, constructed an oil/water separator to trap pollutants and clean water before it reaches the Sammamish River. It is rerouted and cleaned.
  
• Other innovative and effective water conservation, water quality, and stream enhancement programs have been implemented to save our air, land, and water.

For more information on the work the City of Redmond has being done for the environment, visit their web site at www.ci.redmond.wa.us.

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