Longview, Washington Tree Canopy Assessment

The City of Longview, Washington is 90 miles from the Pacific Ocean, in Cowlitz County. The urban forest in Longview is a valuable asset providing residents and visitors with many environmental, social, and economic benefits. This assessment mapped urban tree canopy (UTC), possible planting area (PPA), and tree canopy changes from 2011 to 2019 and analyzed how they are distributed throughout the City and its watersheds, land use areas, neighborhoods, census boundaries, and right-of-way.

The results, based on 2019 and 2011 imagery from the USDA’s National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP), provide a current and historical look at land cover in Longview and will allow the City to revise existing strategies and develop new ones to protect and expand the urban forest. In 2019, Longview had 20% urban tree canopy cover and 39% possible planting area. The 1,858 acres of tree canopy in Longview provide a multitude of economic, environmental, and social benefits, valued at $1.2 million annually, plus nearly $13 million in carbon storage.

This study found that canopy cover changed from 19 to 20% from 2011 to 2019 (+1% or 70 acres) using the current city boundary. Public/Quasi-Public/Institutional land use areas saw a 5% increase, while canopy on Low Density Residential areas decreased by 1%. Canopy cover within the Mint Farm neighborhood increased by 10%, while Hillside Acres lost 95 acres of canopy (-16%). The overall increase is due to crown growth of maturing trees and growth of newly planted trees since 2011.

To access the Longview Tree Canopy Assessment, fill out the form and download the report.