Tension between city, advocates growing over Seattle green space

A recommendation that could allow some of Seattle’s natural areas and greenbelts to be used for more active purposes goes too far, a group of advocates say.

The Seattle Parks and Recreation Board of Park Commissioners will hear public comment on June 25 regarding supplemental use guidelines that could allow natural areas and greenbelts to be used for recreation.

The guidelines would help the city determine how public space should be used in the future and what should or shouldn’t be allowed in what are some of the lesser-touched portions of the city. But the Seattle Nature Alliance is worried the guidelines would open up what is left of natural spaces to activities that could seclude people from enjoying the space.

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“It opens the door to many possibilities, which are alarming to us, because this &#8212 the land we’re talking about &#8212 is currently the most protected park lands that Seattle has,” said Mark Ahlness, co-director of the Alliance.

Generally, natural areas and greenbelts are protected from “active use” and development, Ahlness said. The guidelines state there could be considerations in the future for allowing certain activities, such as biking and rope courses, he added. The Alliance is worried that by allowing specific activities in these public spaces, it would limit the amount of people who could use it.

“The concern is that it excludes the rest of the population from that part of the park,” he said.

But there might be some misunderstanding by the Alliance, Seattle Parks Deputy Superintendent Christopher Williams said.

“What we’re trying to accomplish here is not to set up situations so only one group could do something, or no group can ever do anything,” he explained. “But have a balanced discussion on how to get to a decision on what uses occur in natural areas or greenbelts.”

There are about 2,500 acres of natural areas and greenbelts in Seattle Parks’ jurisdiction. There are about 3,500 acres of developed parks. Williams said there is a “very small percentage” of natural areas and greenbelts that could actually be used for active-use.

If the supplemental guidelines are approved, a checklist would be used to determine if an area is suitable for more active uses. That includes: habitat; education; access; public safety; recreation; and acquisition. No use proposals would be considered for areas located in either wildlife sanctuaries or marine preserve areas.

“Not all activities are suitable for all areas, and benefits of the activity should be greater than potential impacts to the site,” the use guideline states.

The natural areas and greenbelts in question are spread throughout the city. However, a large portion exists in the more southern portions of the city. Many of the areas are relatively small, but some, such as the West Duwamish Greenbelt, are larger in size and well-used.

The reasoning behind the supplemental guideline proposal stems from Seattle’s growing population, Williams explained. The city expects 120,000 people in 20 years. Seattle Parks and Recreation is in a balancing act of protecting and preserving areas that are natural, while allowing use of public space.

“There’s a balance between passive and active use and how much of the land &#8212 that the public has historically not used &#8212 do we open up and allow [the public] to use,” Williams said.

But the Seattle Nature Alliance doesn’t want that space to become open to active uses, which is why it started a petition to ask the Board of Park Commissioners to reject the supplemental use guidelines. Ahlness said the guidelines are not an addition, but a rewrite of a 1993 resolution that calls for greenspace to be used only for low-impact uses.

The idea of opening natural areas to more active uses reminds Ahlness of the successful attempt of stopping a proposed zip line in West Seattle’s Lincoln Park, an area with mature forest growth. But whether anything of the sort will be allowed in the future remains to be seen. The Board of Park Commissioners will be asked to make a vote on the Natural Area and Greenbelt Supplemental Use Guidelines and Project Impact Evaluation Checklist on July 23.

The guideline is part of a balancing act, Williams reiterated.

“When you have more people moving to the region, the parks system is going to be challenged to serve a growing population,” he said. “Having good, smart criteria in front of us as we make decisions in the future to how we utilize park land is going to be very important.

“Demand isn’t going away and the population isn’t getting any smaller.”