The Seattle Department of Transportation says it will expand the city's urban forest in by planting more than 800 trees.

As part of a nine-year planting plan, financed by the voter-passed initiative Bridging the Gap, the transportation department's Urban Forestry team is now evaluating potential tree locations and encourages Seattle neighborhoods to nominate sites.

Interested neighborhoods can apply by phone at 684-8733 or online at the Community Trees Web site (www.seattle.gov/transportation/btg_streettrees.htm).

The department ideally needs roadway sites where up to 100 trees can be planted, on both sides of a street, for five to six blocks. Planting contiguously allows the city to consolidate maintenance efforts and preserve scarce forestry resources. This is particularly helpful during the first three years of growth when trees are most vulnerable and require constant tending and watering. First preference will be given to locations along arterials and where planting strips exist with a five-foot width between the sidewalk and the curb.

A medium-sized deciduous tree will absorb approximately 1.5 metric tons of carbon dioxide over its lifetime. As part of the city's environmental efforts, approximately 60,000 street trees will be planted throughout Seattle by 2037 to help counter the impacts of global warming. The transportation department planted 681 trees in 2007.