The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

     (1) "Community and urban forest assessment" means an analysis of the community and urban forest inventory to: Establish the scope and scale of forest-related benefits and services; determine the economic valuation of such benefits, highlight trends, and issues of concern; identify high priority areas to be addressed; outline strategies for addressing the critical issues and urban landscapes; and identify opportunities for retaining trees, expanding forest canopy, and planting additional trees to sustain Washington's urban and community forests.

     (2) "Community and urban forest inventory" means a management tool designed to gauge the condition, management status, health, and diversity of a community and urban forest. An inventory may evaluate individual trees or groups of trees or canopy cover within community and urban forests, and will be periodically updated by the department of natural resources.

     (3) "Department" means the department of community, trade, and economic development.

     (4) "Evergreen community ordinances" means ordinances adopted by the legislative body of a city, town, or county that relate to urban forests and are consistent with this chapter.

     (5) "Evergreen community" means a city, town, or county designated as such under RCW 35.105.030.

     (6) "Management plan" means an evergreen community urban forest management plan developed pursuant to this chapter.

     (7) "Public facilities" has the same meaning as defined in RCW 36.70A.030.

     (8) "Public forest" means urban forests owned by the state, city, town, county, or other public entity within or adjacent to the urban growth areas.

     (9) "Reforestation" means establishing and maintaining trees and urban forest canopy in plantable spaces such as street rights-of-way, transportation corridors, interchanges and highways, riparian areas, unstable slopes, shorelines, public lands, and property of willing private landowners.

     (10) "Tree canopy" means the layer of leaves, branches, and stems of trees that cover the ground when viewed from above and that can be measured as a percentage of a land area shaded by trees.

     (11) "Urban forest" has the same definition as provided for the term "community and urban forest" in RCW 76.15.010.

[2008 c 299 § 2.]

NOTES:

     Short title -- 2008 c 299: "This act may be known and cited as the evergreen communities act." [2008 c 299 § 37.]