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Whatcom County Council Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee

WHA-CON-CNR-2025-12-09 December 09, 2025 Public Works Committee Whatcom County 56 min
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The Whatcom County Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee advanced two significant environmental and agricultural protection measures while receiving a comprehensive presentation on long-awaited forest management plans. The committee unanimously recommended approval of both an invasive species response plan and a high-scoring agricultural conservation easement, while learning details of a 30-year forest management strategy that has been over a decade in development. The centerpiece presentation covered the Lake Whatcom Watershed Forest Management Plan, a year-long collaborative effort between Whatcom County and the City of Bellingham covering over 12,000 acres of county properties and 3,000 acres of city properties. Matthew Schmidt from Northwest Natural Resource Group detailed how the plan employs "ecological forest management" to transition overstocked Douglas fir plantations toward mature, diverse forest conditions that better protect water quality, enhance forest health, and provide recreational access. The plan emerged from extensive community engagement, collecting 144 public comments across two phases, with strong support for ecological health priorities. Committee members pressed on funding concerns, with Parks Director Bennett Knox acknowledging the plan "will not fully pay for itself" despite some commercial thinning opportunities that could generate offsetting revenue. The plan addresses deferred road maintenance, implements water quality protections, and establishes 30-year management timelines broken into five-year operational phases. Executive staff indicated the county is exploring new revenue options while emphasizing that plan adoption doesn't commit to every strategy within it. The committee also unanimously approved an invasive freshwater mussel rapid response plan, with Gary Stoyka explaining that Washington and Oregon remain the only lower-48 states without zebra and quagga mussel infestations. The plan positions Whatcom County in a s

**AB 2025-793 - Invasive Freshwater Mussel Response Plan:** Approved 3-0 (Donovan, Galloway, Stremler). Staff recommendation aligned with committee action. Establishes county support role for rapid response to potential zebra/quagga mussel detection in Lake Whatcom, supporting Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and City of Bellingham lead roles. **AB 2025-871 - Steensma Agricultural Conservation Easement:** Approved 3-0 (Donovan, Galloway, Stremler). Staff recommendation aligned with committee action. Authorizes a…

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**Lake Whatcom Watershed Forest Management:** Schmidt presented a comprehensive approach moving forests from current conditions dominated by overstocked plantations toward mature, diverse ecosystems that better serve water quality protection. The plan identifies five core objectives: water quality (primary), forest health and resiliency, wildfire resistance, wildlife habitat, and recreational access. Approximately 50% of county properties require no prescribed management as they're already on good trajectory, while the other 50% need thinning and planting interventions. The discussion revealed tension between environmental goals and fiscal realities. Knox acknowledged commercial thinning could generate some revenue but warned the plan won't be self-funding, particularly given deferred road maintenance needs. Executive staff indicated they're exploring new revenue options while emphasizing that plan adoption provides direction without committing to every strategy. Council members pressed for fiscal analysis before implementation, with Aly Pennucci noting that detailed c…
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**Parks Department (Bennett Knox):** Supports plan implementation with new land management supervisor position. Acknowledges costs won't be fully offset by revenue but sees commercial thinning opportunities. Emphasizes community support and decade-long delays in getting management plan. **Northwest Natural Resource Group (Matthew Schmidt):** Advocates ecological forest management approach balancing multiple objectives rather than single-purpose commercial forestry. Emphasizes water quality protection through sediment reduction, forest health improvement through variable density thinning, and long-term ecosystem sustainability. **Executive Office (Aly Pennucci):** Supports plan adoption as directional guidance while working on revenue solutions. Emphasizes that plan adoption doesn't commit to every strategy and detailed costs come during operational planning phases. **Conservation Easement Oversight Committee (Paul Schissler):** Reports pr…
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**Bennett Knox, on forest management plan funding:** "I think the short answer is, it's not going to fully pay for itself, but there are prescriptions in here that could generate revenue and be used to offset costs." **Matthew Schmidt, on ecological forest management philosophy:** "We may cut trees, but not forests. We're interested in improving forest health, but not totally manipulating the forest such that it's not meeting all of these multiple objectives." **Council Member Elenbaas, on c…
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**Forest Management Plan:** Undergoing non-project environmental checklist, then returning for County Council resolution adoption in early 2026. Implementation will require operational work plans breaking 30-year timeline into actionable phases, with all future operations requiring Forest Practice Act applications. **Conservation Easement:** Official appraisal scheduled for early 2026, with three funding sources confirmed (Conservation Futures, RCO Farmland Preservation Program, Department of Ecology Puget Sound Riparian Systems LEED grant). Easement language development begins after council approval. **Invasive Species Response Plan:** Proceeds to full County Council for resolution adoption, …

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**Policy Framework Advanced:** Committee moved two resolutions forward for full council adoption, establishing invasive species response protocols and authorizing high-value agricultural land protection. **Forest Management Direction Clarified:** After decade-long delay, county now has comprehensive 30-year watershed management framework emphasizing ecological restoration over commercial timber production, pending formal adoption. **Conservation Program Momentum:** Approved easement brings program's 2026 pipeline to 1,200 acres across five properties, representing largest single-year expansion in …
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# Whatcom County Committee Advances Lake Management Plan and Conservation Easement On a crisp December morning in Bellingham, Whatcom County's Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee gathered for what would prove to be a substantive session on environmental stewardship and agricultural preservation. Chair Kaylee Galloway called the hybrid meeting to order at 10:25 a.m., with committee members Todd Donovan and Mark Stremler present alongside the full council. ## Meeting Overview The committee faced an ambitious agenda with three significant items, each representing different facets of Whatcom County's approach to natural resource management. From the complex forestry challenges of the Lake Whatcom watershed to the urgent threat of invasive mussels and the delicate balance of preserving farmland while supporting agricultural families, the 56-minute meeting covered substantial ground in environmental policy. ## Lake Whatcom Watershed Forest Management Plan Unveiled The centerpiece presentation came from Matthew Schmidt of Northwest Natural Resource Group, who unveiled the culmination of a year-long planning process for managing 12,200 acres of forest land around Lake Whatcom. Bennett Knox, Parks and Recreation Director, introduced the presentation by emphasizing the collaborative nature of the effort with the City of Bellingham. "We appreciate Council putting this forward as funding to develop this forest management plan," Knox said, noting that the project was funded with Park Special Revenue funds and enhanced by the city's community engagement capacity. Schmidt walked the committee through what he described as a 30-year ecological forest management plan, designed around five core objectives: water quality protection, forest health and resiliency, wildfire resistance, wildlife habitat preservation, and recreational access. The primary objective remained water quality, given Lake Whatcom's role as a drinkin…
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A structured study guide helping readers understand the meeting's content and context. Written for a general civic audience — assume no prior knowledge of the issues. ### Meeting Overview The Whatcom County Council Public Works and Health Committee met on December 9, 2025, for 56 minutes and 33 seconds to review three substantial items: a presentation on the Lake Whatcom Watershed Forest Management Plan, adoption of an invasive species rapid response plan, and approval of an agricultural conservation easement acquisition. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Conservation Easement:** A legal agreement between a landowner and government agency that permanently restricts development on a property while allowing the landowner to retain ownership and continue agricultural or forestry activities. **Forest Management Unit:** Spatial delineations or stand-level boundaries across forest properties where specific management recommendations are applied, such as thinning or planting activities. **Variable Density Thinning:** A forest management technique that applies different rates of tree cutting to different parts of a forest to increase spatial diversity and mimic natural processes. **Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS):** Non-native species like zebra and quagga mussels that can dramatically alter aquatic ecosystems and damage infrastructure if they become established in water bodies. **Conservation Futures:** A dedicated local funding source from property taxes that Whatcom County uses to purchase development rights and protect natural areas and farmland. **Ecological Forest Management:** A forestry approach that manages for multiple objectives rather than just timber production, guided by forest ecology and natural processes. **Lake Whatcom Management Program:** A collaborative effort between Whatcom County, City of Bellingham, and Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District to protect the lake as a drinking water source for about 50% of the county. **Reconveyance:** The process by which state forest lands managed by the Department of Natural Resources are transferred back to county ownership, often after upgrading roads and infrastructure. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Kaylee Galloway | Committee Chair, Whatcom County Council | | Todd Donovan | Committee Member, Whatcom County Council | | Mark Stremler | Committee Member, Whatcom County Council | | Ben Elenbaas | Whatcom County Council Member (observer) | | Bennett Knox | Director, Parks and Recreation Department | | Matthew Schmidt | Forester, Northwest Natural Resource Group | | Gary Stoyka | Natural Resources Manager, Public Works Department | | Alex Harris | Conservation Easement Program, Planning & Development Services | | Paul Schissler | Chair, Conservation Easement Program Oversight Committee | | Karen Steensma | Property…
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Environmental Land Use & Planning Government Operations AB 2025 793 AB 2025 871 AB 2025 881 City Of Bellingham Conservation Easement Oversight Committee Lake Whatcom Water Sewer District Northwest Natural Resource Group Parks Recreation Department Steensma Family Washington Department Fish Wildlife Alexander Harris Aly Pennucci Ben Elenbaas Bennett Knox Chris Thompson Gary Stoyka Karen Steensma Kaylee Galloway Mark Stremler Matthew Schmidt Mike Proskin Paul Schissler Todd Donovan Agricultural Land Protection Aquatic Invasive Species Conservation Easements Ecological Forest Management Farmland Succession Forest Management Plan Invasive Species Response Lake Whatcom Watershed Recreational Access Water Quality Protection Wildfire Prevention