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Lake Whatcom Policy Group

BEL-LWP-2025-12-03 December 03, 2025 Committee Meeting City of Bellingham 47 min
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The Lake Whatcom Policy Group concluded 2025 with significant progress on three major environmental initiatives while establishing the framework for enhanced governance and coordination in 2026. The group received updates on the completed freshwater invasive mussel rapid response plan, which has been adopted by all three jurisdictions, and the forest management plan, which completed its second public comment period with 84% support and is now moving to SEPA review. The climate vulnerability assessment project is moving forward with contract finalization expected in early 2026. Beyond project updates, the meeting focused heavily on administrative improvements for 2026, including establishing a rotating chair system with enhanced agenda-setting responsibilities and planning a comprehensive meeting schedule. The group committed to bi-monthly meetings throughout 2026, with specific focus areas including orientation for new members, the annual aquatic invasive species program report, climate vulnerability assessment presentations, and a field tour of stormwater facilities. The meeting marked the end of service for County Council Member Donovan Walker and City Communications staff member Brian Hatchell, both recognized for their contributions to the Lake Whatcom protection efforts.

**Adopted Administrative Changes for 2026:** - Established rotating chair system with pre-assigned responsibilities for each meeting - Implemented enhanced agenda coordination between designated chair and staff prior to meetings - Committed to bi-monthly meeting schedule (even-numbered months: February, April, June, August, October, December) - Added recurring agenda items for jurisdiction updates and topic planning **Approved 2026 Meeting Schedule:** - February: Orientation for new members, AIS program annual report, forest practices update - April: Joint Councils and Commissions meeting (replaces regular policy group meeting) - June: Follow-up from JCC, …

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**Forest Management Plan Progress:** Staff reported the forest management plan has successfully completed its second public comment period with strong community support. Mike Kan noted that 84% of the 88 survey respondents expressed support for the plan's objectives. The remaining comments largely focused on recreation opportunities rather than opposition to forest management principles, with some requests for more commercial timber harvesting perspectives. The plan now advances to the SEPA non-project review phase with Whatcom County PDS, expected to take 2-4 months and trigger additional public comment and formal tribal consultation. **Climate Vulnerability Assessment Development:** Morgan R provided updates on the climate vulnerability assessment, emphasizing the comprehensive scope being developed. The…
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**Hannah Stone** advocated for enhanced materials distribution and chair involvement in agenda setting, drawing parallels to effective council committee practices. She raised questions about logistical coordination across multiple jurisdictions and emphasized the importance of pre-meeting preparation time. **Skip Williams** supported the rotating chair concept and suggested pre-assigning all 2026 meetings to enable better preparation and coordination. He emphasized the value of advance notice for scheduling and agenda input. **Justin Clary** proposed a streamlined coordination process…
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**Mike Kan, on forest management plan progress:** "84% of the respondents express support for our objectives, which makes sense because we had a round one of engagement on the plan where we kind of truth what staff thought was important out in the watershed with our water quality objectives for and goals for the forest in the watershed." **Morgan R, on climate vulnerability assessment goals:** "One of the things that I'm really interested in and we'll see how it turns out is integrated water r…
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**Immediate Actions (December 2025 - January 2026):** - Whatcom County Council action on freshwater invasive mussel rapid response plan scheduled for December 9, 2025 - Climate vulnerability assessment contract finalization expected by early 2026 - Natural resources assistant director hiring process continuing in January 2026 **First Quarter 2026:** - February Policy Group meeting with orientation for new members and AIS program annual report - Forest management plan SEPA review completion expected, with potential council presentations - Staff coordination…

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**Administrative Structure:** The Policy Group moved from ad-hoc chair rotation to a formalized system with pre-assigned responsibilities and enhanced coordination protocols. This addresses previous confusion about leadership roles and improves meeting preparation. **Meeting Frequency and Focus:** Confirmed commitment to bi-monthly meetings with specific thematic focus areas, replacing the previous more flexible scheduling approach. The August field tour represents a new format for the group. **Project Status Advancement:** The forest management plan transitioned from public comment to regulat…
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## Meeting Overview The Lake Whatcom Policy Group convened on December 3, 2025, for what proved to be both a routine year-end planning session and a moment of transition. The meeting brought together representatives from Bellingham City Council, Whatcom County Council, and the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District, along with key staff members and one Southern Valley resident. The agenda focused on project updates, administrative improvements for 2026, and scheduling the coming year's meetings. The session had a distinctly end-of-year feel, with cookies on the table and acknowledgments for departing members. County Councilmember Donovan Walker was completing his service on the policy group, as was Brian Hatchell from the City of Bellingham's communications team, whose last day was that very meeting. Despite the transitions, the group demonstrated a clear appetite for more structured coordination and expanded engagement in the coming year. ## Project Updates: Mussels, Forests, and Climate Staff began with updates on three major initiatives, starting with the Lake Whatcom freshwater invasive mussel rapid response plan. City staff member Mike Kan reported that the plan had successfully navigated the adoption process across all three jurisdictions. "The Lake Whatcom freshwater, invasive freshwater mussel rapid response plan was completed and then adopted by city council on October 21st with a joint resolution shared by the Whatcom Water and Sewer District as well as Whatcom County," Kan explained. The Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District had adopted it on October 29th, with Whatcom County Council scheduled to take action on December 9th. With the plan formally in place, attention was turning to practical implementation. "We are kind of looking what to do next. You know, you've got a nice plan on the shelf," Kan said. Staff was researching permit requirements that would be triggered during actual implementation and exploring tabletop exercises with the Department of Fish and Wildlife. "We're talking to Department of Fish and Wildlife about potentially doing some tabletop exercises or actual practical like mock response to see how the groups can actually form, if we can actually deploy the incident command in the way we've said that w…
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### Meeting Overview The Lake Whatcom Policy Group met on December 3, 2025, to discuss project updates and plan their 2026 meeting schedule. The meeting focused on completed work including the invasive mussel response plan, ongoing forest management planning, and administrative improvements for the coming year. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Lake Whatcom Policy Group:** A collaborative body with representatives from Bellingham City Council, Whatcom County Council, and Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District that coordinates policy decisions affecting Lake Whatcom watershed management. **SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act):** Washington state's environmental review process that requires analysis of potential environmental impacts before major projects or policy decisions. The forest management plan will undergo this review. **Invasive Freshwater Mussel Rapid Response Plan:** A coordinated emergency response strategy to detect and respond to invasive zebra or quagga mussels if they are discovered in Lake Whatcom, which could devastate the lake ecosystem. **Forest Management Plan:** A comprehensive strategy for managing forests in the Lake Whatcom watershed using ecological principles to protect water quality while allowing for some recreation and forest health activities. **ICT (Interjurisdictional Coordinating Team):** A staff-level working group that coordinates technical work between the three jurisdictions and develops agenda items for the Policy Group meetings. **Climate Vulnerability Assessment:** An upcoming study to evaluate how climate change may affect Lake Whatcom and the surrounding watershed, informing future management decisions. **Sudden Valley Association:** A homeowner association representing a large residential development within the Lake Whatcom watershed that has a designated seat on the Policy Group. **TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load):** Federal water quality standards that set limits on pollution entering water bodies. New phosphorus modeling for Lake Whatcom is under review by the state Department of Ecology. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Donovan Walker | Whatcom County Council (outgoing) | | Hannah Stone | Bellingham City Council | | Skip Williams | Bellingham City Council | | Mike Kan | City of Bellingham Staff | | Morgan R | City of Bellingham Staff | | Gary Stoika | Whatcom County Public Works | | Justin …
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Government Operations Bellingham City Council City Of Bellingham Lake Whatcom Water Sewer District Whatcom County Whatcom County Council Whatcom County Pds Donovan Walker Gary Stoika Hannah Stone Jeff Nackel Justin Clary Mike Kan Morgan R Skip Williams Climate Action Forest Management Governance Administration Inter Jurisdictional Coordination Invasive Species Public Engagement Sepa Review Stormwater Management Water Resources