SEATTLE — Time is running out for giant sequoia that has towered over Seattle for possibly a century or more.
The massive sequoia which sits on a property along N Woodlawn Ave in Seattle’s Greenlake neighborhood is facing removal. Activists believe it’s the largest sequoia on private property in the city. But its future is uncertain as the property owner prepares to demolish the home behind the tree and rebuild a new house.
The City of Seattle approved the removal of the sequoia along with 12 other trees on the property. The builder telling KOMO News that the tree could be uprooted anytime from now until summer. However, activists are advocating for a delay, proposing a plan to relocate the tree to a nearby park.
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Kim Butler, who is rallying to save the sequoia, said, “This tree offers great value to our community as a whole and all of us in the city of Seattle. Moving it to a park would allow us to still benefit from the beauty of this tree.”
Seattle Parks and Recreation confirmed discussions are underway regarding the feasibility and cost of relocating the sequoia. Despite these efforts, the builder relayed that the property owner finds moving the tree is unfeasible, but is willing to fund the planting of a new sequoia in Green Lake if the city wants it.
The property owner previously told KOMO News that the sequoia’s roots are encroaching on sewer lines and pushing out a bulkhead, making the property unusable if the tree remains.
Sandy Shettler of Tree Action Seattle emphasized the importance of sequoias, saying, “Sequoias are considered one of the most climate resilient trees we have. They filter storm water and they produce a lot of oxygen. These are all things that we need, especially as we densify. We need to add housing and keep our trees.”
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A petition to save the tree, which activists have named Grace, has garnered nearly 2,000 signatures so far. People who live in the Green Lake neighborhood as well as members of Tree Action Seattle placed those names on a scroll that they unfurled down the steps of Seattle City Hall, calling on city leaders to reverse course and save Grace.
Seattle’s current tree ordinance, which was passed in 2023, includes provisions that allow the removal of large, established trees.
That provision is SMC 25.11.070, the “basic tree protection area.” Shettler said it inflates the area where soil cannot be touched to a circle that is 1-foot deep for every inch of trunk. This often renders the lot unbuildable, and since that would preclude any development, developers are allowed to remove the tree.
