Kirkland is reaching out to the public through a 16-question survey to understand how the public values its trees. Citizens have until Sept. 14 to respond.

The survey results will be included into a “strategic plan,” which will be presented to the Kirkland City Council at an Oct. 2 study session.

Ultimately, the plan will guide the way Kirkland manages its urban forest.

For more than a decade, Kirkland has upheld street tree-planting requirements in developments through piecemeal policies, city officials say.

With these measures, Kirkland steadily progressed toward its city-wide 40 percent tree canopy cover goal, improving from 32 percent in 2003 to 36 percent in 2010. And then, on June 1, 2011, Kirkland achieved its canopy goal all at once with the annexation of Kingsgate, North Juanita and Finn Hill.

“Many of the old ‘To Do List’ items are checked off,” said Deb Powers, Kirkland’s urban forester. “The City has taken huge steps to manage its tree resource. But, if we’re thinking about sustainable cities, the questions now are: were these measures effective? Where do we go from here?”

To answer these questions, the City of Kirkland contracted the Davey Resource Group to analyze the City’s existing policies and practices. The resulting Urban Forest Strategic Management Plan, paid for with a Washington state Department of Natural Resources grant, will be Kirkland’s first complete guide for creating efficient urban forest operations, policies and programs.

Click here to take the survey. For more information or for questions about the survey, contact urban forester Deb Powers at dpowers@kirklandwa.gov.