Oak Harbor launches survey on Garry oak protection, urban forest management plan

Oak Harbor has released a 28-question public survey to gather resident feedback that will inform the city’s first Urban Forest Management Plan and Tree Inventory, the city said in a March 2, 2026 press release. The city estimates the SurveyMonkey questionnaire will take about 10 minutes to complete, and local coverage appeared March 3 in the Whidbey News-Times.

City of Oak Harbor Parks Supervisor Brandon Cable framed the survey as a direct chance for residents to influence municipal stewardship. Cable said, "This survey is the community's opportunity to help shape the future of our urban forest. Trees are a vital part of our parks, neighborhoods, and public spaces, and we want to understand what residents value most about them. Community input will directly inform the Urban Forestry Management Plan and guide how we care for and invest in our trees for years to come."

The Whidbey News-Times reported the survey contains 28 questions and addresses residents’ experience with trees, priorities for tree policies, a vision for Oak Harbor’s urban forest and whether respondents support the city’s Garry Oak Tree Protection Code. The press release and local reporting make clear the feedback will be used solely to inform the goals and objectives of the Urban Forest Management Plan.

Whidbey News-Times summarized the existing Garry Oak Tree Protection Code as prohibiting Garry oaks from being damaged or killed in any way by humans, animals, invasive vines or chemicals. The code, as described in the reporting, requires that Garry oaks be protected during construction and requires permits for removal, topping and trimming.

Local advocates are already urging strong protections. Oak Harbor Garry Oak Society board member Kyle Renninger told the Whidbey News-Times he is "very confident" that public opinion supports protecting the city’s namesake trees. Renninger recalled the city cut down a 330-year-old Garry oak in 2014 and said he still hears from residents who are saddened by that loss; he said he hopes survey feedback will remind the city how important Garry oaks are to the community.

The survey follows earlier municipal efforts to measure public sentiment. In October 2020 the Oak Harbor City Council approved a $15,000 purchase of Zencity media monitoring software, funded with CARES Act dollars, even though the software’s typical annual cost was listed at $24,000. Zencity representative Jonathan Shafir told the South Whidbey Record the software helps local governments "improve their messaging, address misinformation and tap into the 'silent majority,'" can go live within five days and uses a "troll patrol" to filter manipulation. Oak Harbor public information officer Sabrina Combs said at the time she saw the tool as a way to understand what residents were discussing on topics from rallies and mask mandates to a tsunami warning and utility rate adjustments.

The press release identifies Brandon Cable as the city contact and describes the city’s urban forest to include trees, shrubs and vegetation across parks, roadways, private yards and natural areas. The release does not specify a survey closing date, a schedule for publishing results or whether the city will use third-party analytics to analyze responses; those details remain to be confirmed as the Urban Forest Management Plan process moves forward.