Snohomish County to receive $500K urban forest, salmon recovery grant

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 11, 2026

EVERETT — The Snohomish County Council unanimously voted Wednesday for a $500,000 urban forest grant that will fund data collection and forest mapping to help with future salmon recovery projects.

The grant will pay for county staff to map tree cover in urban, unincorporated areas, conduct a partial count of the county’s trees and support the ongoing Healthy Forest Project, a community-based stewardship program focused on restoring and caring for forested parks and natural areas.

Most of the work will take place in 2026, and the Washington State Department of Commerce will reimburse the county in 2027.

Staff will document data about the county’s total tree canopy and tree canopy related to stormwater management, to help plan future salmon recovery projects.

Also, Snohomish County’s urban tree canopy portion of the Growth Management Act Comprehensive Plan requires tree canopy mapping.

Urban forests have significant impacts on water quality, stream cooling, erosion control and other benefits for salmon and fish, it says in the grant agreement. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, trees help maintain the land next to rivers and streams, help create diverse ecosystems and provide shade that keeps water temperatures below 62 degrees. If salmon encounter temperatures above 62 degrees for an extended period, they could die.

“The funding Snohomish County received from Washington State Department of Commerce is an important next step in enacting the Urban Tree Canopy Policies,” spokesperson Meghan Jordan said in an email. “Salmon need cool water that shade provides in warm summer months. Trees also stabilize stream banks, reducing erosion risk that can smother salmon eggs. Fallen trees help scour pools and create habitat or hiding places for fish. They also drop leaves, and other material that provide essential nutrients for aquatic life.”

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has listed Puget Sound Steelhead, Chinook Salmon and Hood Canal Summer-Run Chum as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Part of the “robust recovery plan” for each species, as listed on the administration’s website, includes maintaining clean cold water and restoring habitats encroached on by human developments.

Taylor Scott Richmond: 425-339-3046; taylor.richmond@herald.net; X: @BTayOkay