### Meeting Overview The Bellingham City Council Public Works and Natural Resources Committee met on August 11, 2025, with Chair Hannah Stone presiding. Committee member Lisa Anderson was absent, but Council member Daniel Hammill joined remotely. The committee considered two items: authorization to negotiate a surplus timber sale for forest thinning at the North Beaver Preserve, and an interagency agreement with the Washington State Department of Ecology for pollution prevention assistance funding. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Lake Whatcom Land Acquisition and Preservation Program (LWLAPP):** City program that manages over 3,500 acres in the Lake Whatcom watershed to protect water quality, including the 160-acre North Beaver Preserve. **Surplus Timber Sale:** A process allowing the city to sell timber from city-owned forest land through negotiated contracts rather than competitive bidding, authorized under specific circumstances in municipal code. **Forest Thinning:** Selective removal of trees to improve forest health by reducing overcrowding, increasing spacing from 13 feet to 18 feet between trees, and reducing density from 250 to 150 trees per acre. **Live Crown Ratio:** The proportion of a tree's height that contains living branches with green foliage—reduced when trees are overcrowded and competing for sunlight. **Pollution Prevention Assistance Partnership:** A voluntary program where the city partners with the Washington State Department of Ecology to provide technical assistance to small businesses on proper waste management and pollution prevention. **Small Quantity Generators:** Businesses that generate less than 220 pounds of dangerous waste per month and qualify for pollution prevention assistance visits. **Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL):** A regulatory standard that establishes the maximum amount of pollutants a water body can receive while still meeting water quality standards—Whatcom Creek has a TMDL for fecal coliform bacteria. **BMC 4.86:** Bellingham Municipal Code Chapter 4.86 governing surplus property procedures that allows negotiated sales when competitive bidding is not practical due to access or other constraints. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Hannah Stone | Committee Chair, First Ward Council Member | | Jace Cotton | Committee Member, At-Large Council Member | | Daniel Hammill | Third Ward Council Member (participating remotely) | | Mike Olinger | Deputy Director of Public Works | | Mike Parelskin | Superintendent of Natural Resources Maintenance | | Joel Pfundt | Public Works Director | ### Background Context The North Beaver Preserve represents city-owned watershed land that was previously managed as a commercial Douglas fir plantation but is now overstocked and unhealthy. The 80 acres of Douglas fir plantation requires thinning to improve forest health, but the property has challenging access issues requiring hauling routes through three private properties. Rather than conducting a competitive bid process, staff recommended negotiating directly with Janicki Logging and Construction Company, which already has agreements with neighboring property owners for timber hauling access. The pollution prevention assistance program has been operating since 2008 as a partnership between the city and the state Department of Ecology. The program funds city staff to visit small businesses and provide education on proper waste management, spill prevention, and pollution control. This funding agreement exceeded the $250,000 threshold requiring council authorization for the first time, providing $255,740.70 for 1.25 full-time equivalent positions and $13,500 for direct business assistance. ### What Happened — The Short Version The committee unanimously approved both agenda items after brief staff presentations and limited discussion. For the timber sale, staff explained that the North Beaver Preserve's Douglas fir stand is overstocked and unhealthy, requiring thinning from 250 trees per acre down to 150 trees per acre. Due to access challenges involving private property haul routes, they recommended negotiating directly with Janicki Logging rather than conducting competitive bidding. For the pollution prevention program, staff explained that the two-year funding agreement provides resources for existing staff to work with small businesses on waste management and pollution prevention, with focus areas including pet waste management in the Whatcom Creek watershed and downtown business waste management. ### What to Watch Next - Contract negotiations between the city and Janicki Logging for the timber sale terms and pricing - City Council consideration of both items at the evening meeting on August 11, 2025 - Implementation of the pollution prevention program's focus on pet waste management in multifamily properties to address Whatcom Creek bacteria issues - Potential second timber harvest at North Beaver Preserve in 3-10 years depending on forest response to initial thinning ---