Photos by Karin Halvorson
Community members sign the Community Forest Consensus
Tell officials by Dec 13: Reject Port & FAA conclusion that massive airport expansion will have no significant impact on our community
Oct 21 - Dec 13, 2024: The Port of Seattle’s Sustainable Airport Master Plan (SAMP) proposes over 30 industrial development projects in our near-airport neighborhoods.
**In order to go forward**, these proposals require review under the National Environmental Protection Act. That review begins with public comments - our comments - on a draft Environmental Assessment (EA).
Read the Draft EA HERE.
Send your comments to samp@portseattle.org or see more information on contact options at the Port’s comment page HERE.
See a sample comment from the Defenders of Highline Forest HERE.
What is the significance of the EA and the review process?
Well, at the end of this process, the Federal Aviation Administration will either find that the SAMP proposals pose “No Significant Impact” - or that they have the potential for one or more significant impacts. If potential impacts are found, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), will be required.
An EIS is much more rigorous than an EA. And it is essential that one is conducted for the SAMP.
Because, as expected, the draft EA concludes that the 30+ near term industrial projects proposed in the SAMP will have no expected "significant impacts” on our community (see “Cumulative Impacts” section of the EA).
These 30+ proposed SAMP projects would significantly expand the airport and its cargo handling infrastructure, profoundly impacting human health and the natural environment. Large areas of the forest that cleans and cools our air would be destroyed - replaced by polluting structures like roads, cargo warehouses, and parking lots.
This is a critical moment for the public to demand a much more rigorous review than an EIS.
Help stop destruction of 500 trees & construction of a 402,380 sq. ft. industrial building in Des Moines
Des Moines residents have raised funds, organized, and filed a challenge to a finding by the city of Des Moines that a 402,000+ square foot industrial building and accompanying parking lot set in a densely populated neighborhood on top of existing forestland used as a park by residents …. is not significant. The affected area is shown on the map above as “Des Moines Creek West.”
Two back-to-back public meetings were held to review this project on Oct 18, 2024 and we’ll soon share more.
In the meantime, please join us to call for saving these health-protecting trees. More info in the Defender’s Oct. newsletter HERE.
What Are We Defending?
The Highline Forest, full of evergreens, is iconic feature of the landscape that visitors to the “Evergreen State” see below them as they arrive and leave from SeaTac Airport. The forest is also a guardian of the health of Highline residents, cooling the air and catching pollution generated by the airport, planes, and surrounding industry. The local health department has recommended expanding tree canopy here to protect residents’ health.
But the forest is in trouble. And so is the 200-acre urban oasis known as North SeaTac Park, located at its living center.
Increasing heat, drought, and invasive species threaten its survival. Intensive industrial development has been going on for decades and much more is proposed for the future. The Port of Seattle, the government agency that owns the airport, proposes to replace an estimated 110+ acres of trees in densely populated SeaTac neighborhoods with more polluting industrial structures like cargo warehouses and parking lots. That’s about 100 football fields. SeaTac’s tree canopy is already among the sparsest in the county. (p. 17)
Protection of the Highline Forest is not yet on this region’s public policy agenda. Let’s put it there.
Defend our Park and Trees
Sign the Community Forest Consensus to protect our park and trees HERE.
Over 3,700 community members have signed the Community Forest Consensus. See public signers including elected officials, organizations, and businesses and read their comments HERE.
Write info@defendersofhighlineforest.org or use the form to the right.
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