3 Million Trees

King County set a big goal to plant, protect, and get ready for a total of 3 million trees by the end of 2025. This helps us fight climate change, keep our forests healthy, make better homes for salmon, and add more trees in our cities.

Protect: We’re speeding up our efforts to protect forestland, conserving 6,500 acres (where 2 million trees grow) that are already absorbing and storing CO2 and contributing to clean water and healthy habitat.

Plant: We’re planting 500,000 more trees countywide, mostly in communities that have few trees and where trees can improve salmon habitat.

Prepare: We’re preparing 1,000 acres of forest (about 500,000 trees), to be more resilient under a changing climate with warmer, drier summers. These actions include removing noxious weeds and thinning forests in some areas to create more room for healthier trees to thrive.

Welcome to 3 Million Trees!

A better way to promote healthy, resilient forests – and communities!

We are building on the momentum of our successful 1 Million Trees partnership with a more comprehensive approach that promotes healthy and ecologically productive forests.

Efforts to achieve 3 Million Trees will help us deliver many important benefits, including:

Increased carbon storage to help slow climate change;
Better human health benefits;
Higher quality salmon habitat;
Improved water quality;
Equitable access to forests and green space, especially in historically underinvested areas.

An integrated approach to confront climate change and promote clean water and healthy habitat

King County is implementing several integrated plans and initiatives that address forest protection and forest health. Click the links below to learn more:

King County map of urban green space, farmlands, forests, natural lands, trails and rivers

Strategic Climate Action Plan: A five-year blueprint for County action to confront climate change, integrating climate change into all areas of County operations and its work in the community. This ambitious plan contains many goals and initiatives to protect and improve forest health.
30-Year Forest Plan: A shared vision for all of King County that will help guide our work on forest cover and forest health in both rural and urban areas of the county.
Land Conservation Initiative: A regional collaboration between King County, cities, businesses, farmers, environmental partners and others to preserve our last, most important natural lands and urban green spaces in 30 years.
Clean Water Healthy Habitat: A strategic approach to ensuring that the County is investing in the right places to improve water quality and expand habitats, improving the lives of people, fish, and wildlife in our region.