News Release: REALTORS® to devote day of service at Issaquah’s Cougar/Squak Corridor Park

BELLEVUE, Wash. (October 2, 2017) – Several dozen REALTOR® volunteers and affiliate members will spend Friday, Oct. 6 at a work party in Issaquah to plant trees. The day of service is the 11th annual project for The REALTORS Environmental Council (TREC), an environmental stewardship initiative of Seattle King County REALTORS® (SKCR).

Area residents are invited to join Realtor volunteers who will be working under the direction of staff from King County’s parks department. The project is part of King County’s 2015 Strategic Climate Action Plan to plant 1 million trees by 2020, including 80,000 this season. The Climate Action Plan aims to reduce carbon pollution and to prepare communities for the impacts of a changing climate.

David Crowell, SKCR’s director of governmental and public affairs, said the goal in forming TREC was to bring together REALTORS and the community to help preserve healthy, natural habits to enhance our neighborhoods. “Like those who helped get this open space established and expanded, we believe public parks offer many recreational, environmental, cultural and social benefits that enhance communities and our quality of life.”

In past years – and regardless of weather conditions – volunteers ranging in age from 8 to 87 have cleared non-native invasive vegetation, planted native trees and shrubs, and spread mulch at parks and open spaces around King County.

“Realtors are well positioned to raise homeowner awareness of ways to protect, maintain, and preserve open spaces and parks,” Crowell remarked, adding, “Real estate professionals don’t just sell homes, they often lead efforts that promote environmental stewardship and sustainability by advocating for policies that will protect and enhance our quality of life and the communities where our members and their clients live and work.”

Located in the “Issaquah Alps,” the 730 acre Cougar/Squak Corridor Park combines land King County has owned since the 1990s with a 226-acre parcel it purchased in 2014 with help from The Trust for Public Land. The park protects the headwaters of a salmon-bearing stream, and features deep forests, wetlands, wildlife viewing, and hiking trails.

The Oct. 6 work party is scheduled from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. No experience is necessary and all instruction and supplies (including gloves) will be provided. Volunteers may bring their own gloves, along with their own garden tools plus rain gear if inclement weather is forecast.
The TREC project is supported by the association’s Affiliate Council, which will host lunch for all workers.

All volunteers must pre-register at nwrealtor.com or by calling 425.974-1011. Participants will need to sign a standard volunteer waiver form. Carpooling is encouraged.

About King County’s plan to plant one million trees
King County and its partners intend to plant the million trees by 2020 across urban and rural areas around the county. “Trees store carbon and contribute to clean air and water, healthy habitat for salmon and other wildlife, and more livable communities,” the county notes on its website.

About The Realtors Environmental Council (TREC)
SKCR established The Realtors Environmental Council as a 501(c)3 nonprofit affiliate to promote environmental stewardship among REALTORS, its affiliate members and homeowners, and to support projects and policies to preserve a healthy natural habitat. In addition to “on-the-ground” projects to promote green practices, REALTORS® can earn a Green Designation, a professional credential that signifies proficiency on issues of energy efficiency and sustainability in various facets of real estate.

Since inception, TREC volunteers have devoted a day of service at parks and open spaces in Auburn, Bellevue, Federal Way, Issaquah, Kirkland, Renton, Seattle, Shoreline, and Tukwila.

About SKCR Seattle King County REALTORS® creates a thriving and ethical business environment for members through education, advocacy and tools that support member success. The nonprofit professional trade association promotes a strict code of ethics and policies that protect and promote the right to own, transfer and use real property.

Based in Bellevue, SKCR has more than 6,400 members and is a local association of the National Association of Realtors. Membership is voluntary, and only members may use the term REALTOR®, which is a licensed collective trademark.

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