Whatcom County Council Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee

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 supporting role to state and city authorities, with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife maintaining ultimate response authority. A high-scoring agricultural conservation easement also won unanimous approval, covering 89 acres of productive dairy farmland near Lynden. The Steensma family property scored the highest in the program's history due to excellent soils, water rights, riparian components, and succession planning benefits. The easement will cost an estimated $1.5-2 million, with only $525,000 coming from county Conservation Futures funds after leveraging state and federal matching grants.