Guided by the City of Burien’s Urban Forest Stewardship Plan, the Green Burien Partnership brings together community members and private and public agency partners to restore and care for Burien’s parks and urban forests. The Partnership’s mission is to engage the community in enhancing and maintaining a healthy, sustainable urban forest to increase quality of life, mitigate climate change at the local level, and protect Burien’s valuable natural resources for current and future generations to enjoy.
Throughout 2024, the program continued its track record of producing impressive results in a number of areas.
“In 2024, volunteers, partner organizations, and community members planted 1,939 trees and shrubs in over 520,000 square feet of active restoration sites all across the city of Burien,” shared Maya Klem, who helped successfully coordinate the program from 2022 to 2025.
City of Burien staff also collaborated to document and retain the city’s existing trees. Around 1,000 trees throughout public and private property across Burien were added to the City’s Tree Inventory Map. Staff issued 78 tree-related permits on public property, and more than 600 trees were protected during development activity.
The program also paid 37 youth and adult community members to work and learn in Burien’s green spaces.
“I planted a new tree, and now it’s growing, and I can see the difference [from] when I started and [how] it’s now looking,” shared Patricia Palomino, a forest steward for Hilltop Park who is compensated for her efforts. “This feeling, to me, is so proud.”
For having such a significant impact, the program is remarkably efficient. In-kind donations and existing staff time accounted for all but 7.4% of its $937,760 budget.
“The Green Burien Partnership is a program that takes actionable steps to ensure that parks and other green spaces are a place where all can thrive,” shared Recreation Coordinator and program manager Gabbi Gonzales. “In 2024, we supported more programming than ever before. We’re excited to share our annual report and hope to see you at an event in 2025.”
You can read the report in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Amharic, watch four new videos to learn about the stories and people behind the work, and preview what’s to come in 2025 at burienwa.gov/GreenBurien.
