Climate Change Vulnerability and Response in Seattle's Urban Natural Areas

Green Seattle Partnership (GSP) was originally conceptualized as a 20-year program to drive recovery of the city’s forested natural areas. Now in year fourteen of the restoration effort, Seattle Parks and Recreation, the lead agency for GSP, is undertaking an analysis of current ecological conditions using on-the-ground and remotely sensed data to better understand climate change exposures. This work helps build the program’s long-range perspective while offering immediate strategies to help the natural areas adapt to existing and anticipated environmental change.

In a nutshell, this resource offers:

• A rationale for undertaking a climate vulnerability assessment in urban forested natural areas.
• Descriptions of what data can be useful when conducting a climate vulnerability assessment. 
• Reflections and open questions about climate adaptation and forest restoration that remain for the GSP team.

How to use this resource:

• As a proof point and example of climate adaptation planning for urban forested natural areas.
• To demonstrate the connection between non-native invasive species removal and climate adaptation and resilience.
• As an example approach for conducting a climate change vulnerability assessment in your city.

Author: Michael Yadrick Jr., Lisa A. Ciecko, Weston R. Brinkley, Andrea K. Mojzak

Date published: 2020

Point of contact: Michael Yadrick, Plant Ecologist, Green Seattle Partnership, Michael.Yadrick@seattle.gov 

Citation: Yadrick, M. T.; Ciecko, L. A.; Brinkley, W. R.; and Mojzak, A. K. 2020. Climate Change Vulnerability and Response in Seattle’s Urban Natural Areas. Cities and the Environment (CATE): Vol. 13: Iss. 1, Article 10.

Resource is available online here.