‘Tree equity’ on the chopping block in Washington state

‘Tree equity’ on the chopping block in Washington state

Ever since Renton, Washington, hit 109 degrees during the Northwest’s record-shattering heat wave in 2021, officials of the city just south of Seattle have been trying to make Renton more resilient.“We offer cooling centers, and we offer facilities to the public to escape, but that’s not a long-term solution,” said Gabriella Golzarian, Renton’s urban forester. “We definitely need to be planting more trees. We need to be shading the pavement. We …