📋 City Council Regular Meeting
Sehome Hill Arboretum Board of Governors (SHABOG)
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Meeting Summary
The Sehome Hill Arboretum Board of Governors met for their February 2025 regular meeting, focusing primarily on restoration work updates and administrative matters. The meeting featured substantial presentations from community partners actively working in the arboretum, including the Ecological Restoration Club from Western Washington University and input from the Sehome Neighborhood Association.
Caleb from the Ecological Restoration Club delivered a comprehensive update on their Jersey Street site restoration work, reporting significant progress with 80 volunteers contributing 160 community service hours, removal of 19 cubic yards of invasive species (primarily cherry laurel and English holly), and 14 cubic yards of garbage removal. The club is preparing for a major planting event with native species sourced from the city.
Robin Thomas from the Sehome Neighborhood Association raised questions about fire prevention strategies for the arboretum and requested board input on a neighborhood guide they're preparing. The board confirmed they had discussed fire prevention in the past year with Western's emergency preparedness director.
Steve Janiszewski provided updates on trail counter installation at Jersey Street, showing the board how visitor data is being tracked across Bellingham parks system. He also reported on a successful February 15 community work party that involved 58 volunteers and decommissioned 150 feet of unauthorized trail on South Ridge.
Administrative discussions included changes to city board reappointment processes, planning for the annual report, and consideration of a potential longhouse community representative position on the board.
Study Guide
## MODULE S1: STUDY GUIDE
**Meeting ID:** BEL-SHA-2025-02-20
A structured study guide helping readers understand the meeting's content and context.
### Meeting Overview
The Sehome Hill Arboretum Board of Governors met on February 20, 2025, to discuss ongoing restoration work, trail maintenance, and administrative matters. The meeting featured presentations from student environmental groups and updates on major work projects throughout the 150-acre forested area.
### Key Terms and Concepts
**Sehome Hill Arboretum Board of Governors (SHABOG):** A joint governing body with representatives from the City of Bellingham, Western Washington University, and at-large community members that oversees the management of the 150-acre forested area on Sehome Hill.
**Social Trails:** Unauthorized trails created by people walking off designated paths, often causing erosion and habitat damage. The board is actively working to decommission these trails and redirect users to official pathways.
**Invasive Species Removal:** The systematic removal of non-native plants like English ivy, cherry laurel, and English holly that outcompete native vegetation and degrade forest health.
**Park Steward:** A volunteer position with the City of Bellingham where individuals are authorized to coordinate restoration work and volunteer activities in city parks.
**Trail Counter:** Electronic devices that use infrared sensors to count foot traffic on trails, providing data on usage patterns to help with maintenance planning and resource allocation.
**Longhouse:** Refers to the House of Healing project, a Native American cultural center being built near the arboretum by Western Washington University in partnership with local tribal communities.
**Land Acknowledgement:** A formal statement recognizing that the arboretum sits on traditional territory of the Lekwamish (Lummi) and Nooksack peoples, read at the beginning of each meeting.
**Interlocal Agreement:** The legal document governing the partnership between the City of Bellingham and Western Washington University for joint management of the arboretum.
### Key People at This Meeting
| Name | Role / Affiliation |
|---|---|
| John (Chair) | Board Chair, Western Washington University representative |
| Steve Janiszewski | City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department |
| Caleb Barville | Co-founder, Western's Ecological Restoration Club |
| Robin Thomas | Sehome Neighborhood Association representative |
| Kendra | Board member, involved with Longhouse project |
| Tracy Brewer-Rogstad | Western Washington University Associate Vice President |
| Joan | At-large community board member |
| Travis Tennessen | Western Washington University facilities representative |
### Background Context
The Sehome Hill Arboretum is a 150-acre forested area jointly managed by the City of Bellingham and Western Washington University through an interlocal agreement. The site faces ongoing challenges with invasive plant species, unauthorized trail creation, and balancing public access with forest conservation. Student groups from Western play an increasingly important role in hands-on restoration work, with the Ecological Restoration Club alone contributing 160 community service hours in January and February 2025. The board meets monthly to coordinate management decisions and oversee various projects, from trail maintenance to educational programming.
### What Happened — The Short Version
The meeting began with public comments from the Sehome Neighborhood Association about fire prevention strategies and a community guide being developed for the neighborhood. Caleb from Western's Ecological Restoration Club presented impressive numbers from their recent work: 80 volunteers removed 19 cubic yards of invasive plants and 14 cubic yards of garbage over six work parties. The club is now moving into a planting phase with native species to restore areas they've cleared.
Steve from city parks reported on the new trail counter installed on Jersey Street Trail, which connects usage data to a citywide database. The city also completed a major community work party on February 15th with 58 volunteers who decommissioned 150 feet of unauthorized trail on South Ridge Trail and planted 70 native plants.
The board discussed administrative matters including revisions to their land acknowledgement, potential policy updates, and changes to city board member reappointment processes. There was also discussion about possibly adding a representative from the Longhouse community to the board, though this was tabled pending the completion of that facility.
### What to Watch Next
- March meeting will include the annual report and a presentation from Western students working on the arboretum website
- Kendra's board position expires in May and will go through the new city reappointment process
- Follow-up on whether the revised land acknowledgement will be adopted in March
- Ongoing coordination between student restoration groups and city/university staff for expanded work projects
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