Winners Of Sammamish Forest Photo Contest Announced

From The City of Sammamish: The City of Sammamish is pleased to announce the two winners of our recent Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP)Photo Contest: David Behrens (online voting winner) and Stephanie Kuwasaki (in-person voting winner).

Over 250 photo submissions were sent into the #MySammamishForest Photo Contest by nearly 100 photographers. Staff and volunteers from the Sammamish Arts Commission had the difficult job of selecting 11 finalists. The public had the opportunity to vote for their favorite photo at the Farmers’ Market on May 30, and in an online vote that ran through June 15. Both photos will be featured prominently in the Urban Forest Management Plan.

The top 20 finalists will be featured in a photo exhibition sponsored by the Sammamish Arts Commission. The opening night of the exhibition will take place on Wednesday, July 25 from 6-8:00 p.m., at City Hall. The exhibit will run into September, and will be open to the public during regular City Hall business hours.

“I want to thank all of our community members that took the time to submit their entries to our contest,” said Senior Management Analyst David Goodman. “The Urban Forest Management Plan is about developing a strategy to be good stewards of our urban forests and natural areas, and these images do a wonderful job of portraying why this work is so important for our community.”

The planning process for the UFMP includes a canopy cover assessment to determine the extent of the urban forest, a strategic planning process that will identify City-wide goals for the urban forest, consultation with experts in urban forestry to determine the most effective methods to help the City reach its urban forest goals, and a set of priorities for future City programs and regulations based on the latest science and best management practices. An update on the UFMP will be presented to the City Council in July. Additional information is available on the UFMP project page on the City website, including in a opportunity to sign-up for email alerts as the project progresses.

Image Via The City of Sammamish