Defenders of North SeaTac Park

Description

The Community Forest Consensus of the Defenders of North SeaTac Park has been signed by over 2,200 community members. It calls for protecting all 200+ acres of this park and for a moratorium on deforestation by the Port of Seattle for commercial purposes within 2 miles of SeaTac Airport until a comprehensive plan to ensure a healthful level of tree canopy for this community is in place.

Public Health Seattle & King County has recommended expanding trees and green space near the airport to limit human exposure to aviation pollution associated with shorter lifespans, premature births, low birthweights, learning problems in children, and a wide range of health ailments.

But, today, North SeaTac Park is zoned Aviation Commercial and an estimated 107+ acres of mostly forested land in the neighborhood, including 31 acres in the park, are at risk from airport expansion.

This land once contained residential neighborhoods that the FAA and Port of Seattle removed through eminent domain. At the time, multiple community plans indicated that hundreds of mostly-forested acres of this land would remain as open public space for parks, nature trails and similar uses. North SeaTac Park is especially perceived as protected, having been created, as the FAA noted in a 2016 audit, "to compensate area residents for cumulative airport impacts."

See citations at organization's website.