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WELCOME GREEN EVERETT PARTNERSHIP:
Snohomish County’s First Green City
By Joanna Nelson de Flores, Green Cities Project Manager
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Access to green space and forested parkland is a
critical element for ensuring our cities provide the
high quality of life we all want. They can provide an
escape from the hustle and bustle of the city, educational
opportunities and a place in which communities can
come together. Luckily for those of us in the Puget Sound
region, our cities have some of the finest parks in the
country. But, those parks cannot remain so incredible
on their own. Our trees are aging and remnant forests
are under the threat of invasive species that, left to their
own devices, would leave us with nearly useless fields of
English Ivy, holly and Himalayan blackberry.
This is where Forterra’s Green Cities Program comes
in. Working in partnership with municipalities around
the region, we’re helping develop and implement
community-based stewardship programs for forested
parklands, natural areas and greenspaces. Our restoration
and stewardship efforts have been making an important
impact in Seattle, Kirkland, Tacoma, Redmond and Kent.
Now, as of April of this year, we’ve joined forces with the
City of Everett to create our sixth Green City Partnership,
the first in Snohomish County.
Everett Parks & Recreation and Forterra have created
the Green Everett Partnership to improve the ecological
health of Everett’s forested parks and natural areas, while
educating and inspiring residents to help care for those
resources. We will create a comprehensive assessment
of the city’s forested parklands and draft a 20-year plan
with short- and long-term goals. The plan will assign
responsibilities, determine costs and help build lasting
ties with community volunteers.
“This special partnership allows us to plan and begin the
restoration in our forested parks that we have wanted to
focus on for quite some time now,” said Everett Parks
Director Paul Kaftanski. “People love being outdoors
and in natural areas, especially when they live in urban
settings. Our parks are a great destination for all kinds
of recreation. We want to keep them as desirable of
destinations as possible.”
Forterra’s participation in the Green Everett Partnership
was made possible by a generous grant from The
Boeing Co. This grant enabled Forterra to contribute the
valuable staff time and expertise needed to launch the
program.
“Boeing recognizes the importance of protecting and
preserving our local lands and their benefits to a healthy
community. Through the Green Everett partnership, our
investment engages thousands of volunteers each year to
help make Snohomish County community parks safe and
accessible,” said Liz Warman, director of Boeing Global
Corporate Citizenship for the Northwest region.
The Green Everett Partnership is already working on the
ground to build community support. The Partnership
is looking for dedicated volunteers that love to spend
time outside working in their local forested parks. The
Partnership will support and train Forest Stewards to
implement restoration projects and lead groups of
volunteers to rebuild healthy native plant communities
within Everett’s forested parks and natural areas. This
year the partnership will focus on developing stewardship
activities at Howarth Park and Thornton A. Sullivan Park
at Silver Lake, but stewards interested in working at any
Everett forested park are encouraged to get involved.
If you’re interested in becoming a forest steward
please contact greeneverett@forterra.org or
425-238-0065 for more information
FORTERRA.ORG
Photo by Norah Kates