The Port of Seattle Commission adopted two land stewardship strategies for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) today. The SEA Land Stewardship Plan and the SEA Tree Replacement Standards were developed using the Port’s Land Stewardship Principles, adopted in July 2023, as a guide. The strategies build upon the Port’s robust work in environmental leadership and reinforces the airport’s commitment to sustainable planning, operations, and development.
“This plan reflects input from Commissioners and the public, which elevated stewarding our natural resources as a key priority for our public port authority,” said Port of Seattle Commission Vice President Toshiko Grace Hasegawa. “These strategies will help us take better care of the lands under our direct jurisdiction. Using the Port’s equity index and heat maps will help advance equity when implementing this plan. It will also help us increase transparency and accountability in the Port’s decision-making processes. I’d like to thank everyone involved — especially community members — for helping get this plan where it is. Rest assured, we are committed to making this plan a reality.”
| SEA Land Stewardship Plan | SEA Tree Replacement Standards | |
|---|---|---|
| What | Formalizes Port efforts to balance benefits to the environment and communities with airport operations | Standardizes tree retention and replacement requirements for trees removed due to airport operational safety and development needs |
| Where | Applies to all SEA Airport property | Applies to a portion of SEA Airport property that is not under city jurisdiction |
| How | Uses five objectives to guide decision-making related to the airport, starting with establishing an inventory of habitat resources | Relies on a holistic ecological approach, including planting trees and protecting or improving existing trees and forests |
Both the Land Stewardship Plan and Tree Replacement Standards support the Port’s Century Agenda Goal 4: to be the greenest and most energy-efficient port in North America. They’ve been drafted in alignment with multiple regional and federal environmental initiatives including Salmon Safe, King County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP), and others. In many cases, practices outlined in the plans will enhance work already underway or provide clear guidance to Port staff on future airport-related work.
Land Stewardship Milestones
- 2012 – Port adopts the Century Agenda objectives to guide the Port’s 25-year vision, including four environmental objectives. The Century Agenda is later updated in 2017 and 2020.
- 2014 – Port launches the Flight Corridor Safety Program, which plants four new native trees for every tree removed because it poses a safety risk to aircraft.
- 2016 – Port authorizes the Airport Community Ecology (ACE) Fund to support environmental programs in the cities of SeaTac, Burien, and Des Moines.
- 2019 – Port establishes the South King County Community Impact Fund to address noise mitigation, environmental health, and sustainability in historically underserved near-airport communities.
- 2023 – Port adopts the Equity Policy Directive in April, prioritizing equitable policies organization-wide. In July, the Port adopts the Land Stewardship Principles to guide the development of land stewardship efforts.
- 2024 – Port adopts the SEA Land Stewardship Plan and the SEA Tree Replacement Standards, two comprehensive land stewardship strategies for SEA Airport.
Contact
Perry Cooper | SEA Airport
(206) 787-4923 | cooper.p@portseattle.org
