Are madrona trees protected within the Seattle city limits?
The City of Seattle, together with Plant Amnesty, maintains a Heritage Tree Program to protect notable specimens (notable for size, form, rarity, historical import), and there is also information from the city about tree protection regulations in Seattle. Madrona, a native tree, is designated as sometimes being considered exceptional (i.e., deserving protection) Click on Tree Protection Regulations (Seattle Municipal Code, Ch.25.11) in the right hand menu. Click on Director’s Rule 6-2001 for a specific mention of madrones (Arctostaphylos menziesii: exceptional trees, p.4). Here is an excerpt:
“Healthy young specimens of Madronas on construction sites are more worth saving than old, large ones. As many specimens as possible in very good condition, regardless of size, should be preserved on construction sites, but they should not be watered or they will be more likely to decline and die. Large specimens of average or poor health may have a short lifespan because of damage during construction and as a result of post-construction practices such as irrigation are harmful to this species.”