# Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee Advances Forest Management Plan and Conservation Initiatives The Whatcom County Council Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee met Tuesday morning in a packed session that covered three substantial environmental and conservation items, highlighting the county's ongoing commitment to watershed protection and agricultural preservation. ## Meeting Overview Committee Chair Kaylee Galloway convened the hybrid meeting at 10:25 AM on December 9, 2025, with committee members Todd Donovan and Mark Stremler present. All other council members attended as observers, including Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Ben Elenbaas, and Jon Scanlon. The meeting tackled an ambitious agenda with three major items: a comprehensive forest management plan presentation, an invasive species rapid response plan, and approval for a significant agricultural conservation easement. ## Lake Whatcom Watershed Forest Management Plan: A 30-Year Vision The committee received a detailed presentation on the completed Lake Whatcom Watershed Forest Management Plan, a year-long collaborative effort between Whatcom County and the City of Bellingham covering approximately 12,200 acres across 19 properties in the watershed. Matthew Schmidt, a forester with Northwest Natural Resource Group, led the presentation, explaining how the plan aims to transition previously managed forests toward a "resilient, diverse and ecologically functional forest landscape that emulates old growth, or later stages of development." The plan addresses roughly 9,300 acres of county properties, primarily in Lake Whatcom Park and Lookout Mountain Forest Preserve. "We may cut trees, but not forests," Schmidt explained, describing their ecological forest management approach. "We're interested in improving forest health, but not totally manipulating the forest such that it's not meeting all of these multiple objectives." The plan emerged from extensive community engagement, including tribal consultations, stakeholder meetings, public tours, and two phases of public comment that collected 144 total responses. The community feedback strongly supported ecological health as a priority, with significant interest in recreational access and wildfire risk reduction. ### Funding Challenges and Implementation Questions Parks and Recreation Director Bennett Knox acknowledged that the plan "will not fully pay for itself" but noted that some commercial thinning prescriptions could generate revenue to offset costs. The county has already added a land management supervisor position in anticipation of implementation needs. Council Member Ben Elenbaas pressed for specifics about funding sources, asking "where would the rest of the money come from?" Executive Office representative Aly Pennucci responded that a staff team is exploring new revenue options, but ultimately funding decisions will require council prioritization discussions. Council Member Mark Stremler requested fiscal notes be attached to the plan before adoption. Pennucci explained that adopting the plan doesn't commit the county to every strategy within it, but serves as direction to continue developing implementation details and cost analyses. "This is general 30-year plan. Give us the direction of what we're trying to accomplish, and allow us to prioritize the work moving forward," Knox emphasized. The plan will undergo a non-project SEPA review before returning to the full council for adoption, likely in early 2026. ## Invasive Mussel Response Plan Gains Swift Approval The committee quickly approved a resolution adopting the Lake Whatcom Invasive Freshwater Mussel Rapid and Extended Response Plan, developed in partnership with the City of Bellingham and Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District. Gary Stoyka, Natural Resources Manager for Public Works, explained the urgency behind the plan. Washington and Oregon remain the only states in the lower 48 without zebra and quagga mussel infestations, but recent discoveries in Idaho's Snake River and the appearance of golden mussels in San Francisco Bay have raised regional concerns. "If we did have a detection, you know, rapidly responded, might you know would be required to prevent them from getting established in the lake," Stoyka said. The county's role would be supportive, assisting the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's lead response while backing up the City of Bellingham's local program operations. County responsibilities would include participating in incident command structure, supporting information distribution, and potentially providing recreational enforcement on the lake. Chair Galloway emphasized the stakes: "Like Whatcom, right? We know it's our drinking water source for about 50% of the county, it's our plan A, it's our plan B, it's our plan C, it's our plan D. Everything so much relies on like Whatcom." The committee unanimously recommended the resolution for full council approval. ## Agricultural Conservation Easement: Preserving Dairy Heritage The committee's final item generated the most discussion: approval to proceed with acquiring an agricultural conservation easement on an 89-acre dairy property northwest of Lynden. The easement achieved the highest score in the program's history due to its exceptional soils, strong water rights, and strategic location. Alex Harris from Planning and Development Services explained that the easement serves multiple conservation goals while supporting farmland succession. The Steensma family, with 75 years of farming history in the area, recently acquired the property and plans to use the easement to make continued dairy operations more financially viable for the next generation. "Really cool to see this easement being used for farmland succession. There's not a lot of dairy families, frankly, where the younger generation is sticking around," Harris noted. ### Balancing Conservation and Agricultural Viability Council Member Ben Elenbaas raised pointed concerns about potential unintended consequences of conservation easements on farming operations. Drawing from his agricultural background, Elenbaas questioned whether easement restrictions might create additional setback requirements beyond existing regulations or limit future operational flexibility. "One of my main concerns is just that any conservation easements in the future will take into account the ability to farm it now and into the future with general farming practices," Elenbaas said, referencing comprehensive plan language he had proposed. Harris acknowledged the valid concerns but emphasized the early stage of easement design. The draft language will aim to preserve maximum agricultural flexibility while meeting funding requirements from state grant sources, including a 2% impervious surface limitation that would still allow substantial infrastructure development. ### Family Perspective on Conservation Property owner Karen Steensma joined the meeting remotely to share her family's perspective. She described how the easement opportunity addresses the challenge of acquiring contiguous agricultural land in an area where development pressure affects long-term farming viability. "Contiguous land in this part of the county is really rare for farmers. It tends to stay in families for generations," Steensma explained. "This has allowed us to say, okay, we don't feel so constrained here by development pressure, land prices, that we have an opportunity to move forward with the next generation." The property includes water rights dating to 1904 and represents a significant addition to the family's existing contiguous farming operation. The easement will protect both agricultural areas and existing riparian forests along waterways, with different funding sources targeting each component. Council Member Stremler, noting his long personal acquaintance with the Steensma family, expressed support: "The whole family is just very excited about this and their dairy... it seems like those concerns are all addressed, and they're comfortable and very positive about this." ## Looking Ahead: Revenue and Program Sustainability Paul Schissler, outgoing chair of the Conservation Easement Program Oversight Committee, provided context on program achievements and challenges. The current pipeline of five additional easements totaling 1,200 acres will cost approximately $3.8 million, with 78% covered by non-local grant matches. "The staff have been creative about finding new sources to add to the prior list, but there's still a shortage of local funding," Schissler noted. The oversight committee is preparing a January report on potential new local funding sources to supplement conservation futures revenue. The committee faces upcoming vacancies as Schissler terms out in January, along with openings for farmer/forester representation and real estate industry members. Chair Galloway reminded attendees that the county continues accepting applications for various advisory positions. ## Committee Action and Next Steps Both action items received unanimous committee support. The invasive mussel response plan and conservation easement authorization will advance to the full council agenda. The forest management plan presentation provided important groundwork for future adoption discussions, likely in early 2026 after SEPA review completion. The meeting demonstrated ongoing tensions between conservation goals and practical implementation concerns, particularly around funding mechanisms and agricultural compatibility. These discussions will likely continue as the county refines its approach to watershed protection and farmland preservation in the face of development pressure and climate challenges. Chair Galloway adjourned the meeting at 11:21 AM, nine minutes ahead of schedule, allowing the subsequent Public Works and Health Committee to begin early to accommodate remote guest speakers.

### Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Council Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee met on December 9, 2025, to discuss three major environmental and conservation initiatives. The committee received a presentation on a comprehensive 30-year forest management plan for the Lake Whatcom watershed, approved a rapid response plan for invasive freshwater mussels, and authorized acquisition of an agricultural conservation easement in the Lynden area. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Ecological Forest Management:** A forestry approach that manages for multiple objectives rather than just timber production, using techniques that mimic natural processes while maintaining full ecosystem function. **Variable Density Thinning:** A forest management technique that creates spatial diversity by applying different thinning rates to different parts of the forest, helping accelerate stand development toward old-growth characteristics. **Conservation Easement:** A legal agreement between a landowner and a government entity that permanently limits development rights on property to protect its conservation values while allowing the land to remain in private ownership. **Zebra and Quagga Mussels:** Invasive freshwater species that can devastate aquatic ecosystems and water infrastructure. Washington and Oregon are the only two states in the lower 48 without established infestations. **Conservation Futures:** A dedicated county funding source for conservation projects, generated through property taxes and used to acquire conservation easements and preserve critical lands. **Reconveyance:** The process by which state forest lands (previously managed by the Department of Natural Resources) were transferred back to county ownership for conservation and recreation purposes. **Riparian Buffer:** A protected area of forest along streams and waterways that helps maintain water quality and provides wildlife habitat. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Kaylee Galloway | Committee Chair | | Todd Donovan | Committee Member | | Mark Stremler | Committee Member | | Ben Elenbaas | Council Member (non-committee) | | Matthew Schmidt | Forester, Northwest Natural Resource Group | | Bennett Knox | Parks and Recreation Department Director | | Gary Stoyka | Natural Resources Manager, Public Works | | Alex Harris | Planning and Development Services | | Paul Schissler | Conservation Easement Program Oversight Committee Chair | | Karen Steensma | Property Owner/Farmer | ### Background Context Lake Whatcom serves as the primary drinking water source for approximately 50% of Whatcom County residents, making its protection critical for public health and regional sustainability. The watershed has a complex logging history dating back to the 1850s, with most original old-growth forest harvested by the 1950s. County and city governments now manage over one-third of the watershed, creating an opportunity for coordinated conservation management. The invasive species threat has intensified with recent discoveries of zebra and quagga mussels in the Snake River in Idaho (2023) and golden mussels in San Francisco Bay (2024). These species can completely transform aquatic ecosystems and damage water infrastructure, making prevention critical. The conservation easement program helps preserve agricultural land from development pressure while allowing farmers to continue operations. With dairy farms facing economic challenges and development pressure increasing land values, conservation easements provide a tool for farmland succession and long-term agricultural viability. ### What Happened — The Short Version The committee received a comprehensive presentation on a new 30-year forest management plan covering 12,200 acres across 19 city and county properties in the Lake Whatcom watershed. The plan, developed through extensive community engagement, aims to transition previously logged lands toward old-growth characteristics while protecting water quality. The committee unanimously approved a rapid response plan for invasive freshwater mussels, recognizing the growing threat as these species move closer to Washington waters. The county's role would be primarily supportive, with state wildlife officials leading any response efforts. The committee also approved acquisition of an 89-acre agricultural conservation easement on productive dairy farmland near Lynden. The easement will help a multi-generational farming family continue operations while protecting the land from development. The project demonstrates creative use of multiple funding sources, with 78% of costs covered by state and federal grants. ### What to Watch Next - Forest management plan adoption by full County Council via resolution in early 2026 - Development of operational work plans to implement the first phase of forest management activities - Closure of five previously approved conservation easements totaling 1,200 acres in 2026 - Conservation Easement Program Oversight Committee report on additional funding sources due in January 2026 - Recruitment for vacant positions on the Conservation Easement Program Oversight Committee ---

**Q:** How many acres does the Lake Whatcom forest management plan cover? **A:** 12,200 acres across 19 city and county properties, with about 9,300 acres being county-owned land. **Q:** What is the desired future condition for the watershed forests? **A:** A resilient, diverse, and ecologically functional forest landscape that emulates old-growth or later stages of development. **Q:** Who has ultimate authority for responding to invasive mussel infestations in Washington? **A:** The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has ultimate authority, with local agencies providing support. **Q:** How many states in the lower 48 are currently free of zebra and quagga mussel infestations? **A:** Only two states: Washington and Oregon. **Q:** What percentage of the Lake Whatcom watershed is managed by county and city governments? **A:** Over one-third of the Lake Whatcom watershed is managed by Whatcom County and the City of Bellingham. **Q:** How much will conservation futures funding contribute to the Steensma family easement? **A:** Approximately $525,000, which represents about 22% of the total easement cost after grant reimbursements. **Q:** What score did the proposed agricultural conservation easement receive in the county's ranking system? **A:** It received the highest score ever seen by the program, due to excellent soils, water rights, and location factors. **Q:** How many development rights would be extinguished through the Steensma easement? **A:** Five development rights would be permanently extinguished on the 89-acre property. **Q:** What is variable density thinning? **A:** A forest management technique that creates spatial diversity by applying different thinning rates to different parts of the forest. **Q:** When were zebra and quagga mussels discovered in the Snake River? **A:** 2023, bringing the threat much closer to Washington waters. **Q:** What percentage of county forest properties are already on good trajectory to meet management objectives? **A:** About 50% need no prescribed management and are already meeting or will meet objectives. **Q:** How long has the Steensma family been farming in their area? **A:** The family has been farming there for 75-plus years. **Q:** What is the timeline for the forest management plan? **A:** It's a 30-year management plan with activities planned in five-year increments. **Q:** How many public comments were received during the forest plan's community engagement process? **A:** 56 comments in phase one and 88 comments in phase two, totaling 144 public comments. **Q:** Who chairs the Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee? **A:** Council member Kaylee Galloway chairs the committee. **Q:** What was the committee vote on both action items? **A:** Both the invasive mussel plan and conservation easement were approved unanimously, 3-0. **Q:** How many conservation easements is the county planning to close in 2026? **A:** Five easements totaling 1,200 acres, representing about $3.8 million in acquisitions. **Q:** What percentage of the five 2026 easements will be funded by non-local sources? **A:** 78% of the total cost will be covered by state and federal grants, with only $842,000 from conservation futures. ---