City of Olympia, WA

07/08/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/08/2026 16:50

07/08/2026 - Legion Way Oaks Tree Work

Legion Way Oaks - Tree Work

During the next 3 years, tree work will be performed along Legion Way from Plum Street to Central Street during the summer months. As many folks know, the Legion Way trees are listed on the local register as a historic site. In the mid-1920s, a tree planting process began on Legion Way by the American Legion. The first trees were planted on November 11, 1928, the 10th anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I (now celebrated as Veterans Day) and by the end of 1929, 140 oak and sweetgum trees had been planted. Various sections of the project honor the fallen from the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War I.

Urban Tree Diversity
Currently, there are 117 trees assessed in the Legion Way annual risk assessment. Of those trees, 95 are from the oak family. Urban foresters recommend no more than 30% of trees in an area come from one family, and these oaks make up a much higher share than that. Planting trees from different families is important to reduce widespread pests and disease. In the last century, the United States has experienced two devastating outbreaks of infestation from both introduced and native pests: Dutch elm disease in early 1900s and the Emerald ash borer in the late 1990s. Both of those outbreaks were devastating because these two species of trees were planted as monocultures (all the same type of tree). No City has perfect tree diversity, but we have an opportunity to make Legion Way a healthier stretch of road. Going forward and as trees are removed, we must replace the oaks (for the time being) with a different species of large form trees that will provide as much biodiversity, stormwater mitigation, and shading as the oaks.

Oak tree symbolism
The tree symbolizes military valor, resilience, and endurance. It represents unwavering strength and the sacrifice of veterans. This is one of the reasons why the oak was chosen to be planted but may also be because it was readily available across the United States. First, we do not want our veteran community to think we will never plant another oak along Legion Way. We will! But we do need to balance our inventory with a more varied tree selection.

Summer 2026 tree work
The City's contracted tree care company will be performing essential tree maintenance along Legion Way corridor between Plum Street and Central Street. The work will take place during the weeks of July 13th and either July 27th or August 3rd (depending on contractor availability). The annual assessment of the trees has identified both trees to be removed or pruned. We will be replanting the removals either Fall 2026 or Fall 2027.

Questions? Reach out to: [email protected]

June 2026 Quarterly Development Update is Live

Each quarter, Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) publishes a list of major development projects underway in the City. This list includes projects that have had only a pre-application meeting up through newly completed projects. The list does not include all projects currently in review or construction; it is intended to shed light on some development you may see around the City. The list includes the status at the time of list publication. Contact staff at the contact information below with questions about specific project status. See the June list here.

Another resource to stay informed is the "Construction in Olympia" webpage: olympiawa.gov/info/construction_in_olympia. This page has digital maps showing City and private projects underway or recently completed. Contact staff at the contact information below with questions about specific project statuses.

Looking for more?
To learn more about a specific project, you can always visit Olympia's Permit Portal (olympiawa.gov/permitportal) to search addresses or permit numbers and see if there are any permits in review, under construction, or completed for a site. Always reach out if you're having trouble using this portal; our Permit Specialists are here to help at (360) 753-8314 or [email protected].
Contact
Casey Mauck, AICP, Associate Planner
Community Planning & Economic Development
360.753.8048
[email protected]
City of Olympia, WA published this content on July 08, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 08, 2026 at 22:50 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]