Many cities require permits to cut down trees on private property. Currently Seattle isn’t one of them.

But a new proposal would create that system, to track and put a price on tree loss.

Seattle City Councilmember Rob Johnson said as development booms in Seattle, homeowners and builders are cutting down trees with little city oversight.

“Folks are taking down trees willy-nilly and single-family neighborboods account for more than 60 percent of the city’s tree canopy,” he said. “So if we’re going to really keep our tree canopy we’ve got to do a better job of asking those folks to get a permit to take down trees.”

Over the coming months Johnson plans to develop a permitting system with a sliding scale based on the age and health of the tree. Cutting down an “exceptional” healthy tree could cost the property owner up to $10,000, including the actual tree removal service.