Real Briefings
Whatcom County Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee
The Whatcom County Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee met for 56 minutes to address three substantial items related to Lake Whatcom watershed management and conservation. The committee received a comprehensive presentation on a year-long forest management planning effort covering 12,200 acres across 19 city and county properties in the Lake Whatcom watershed, developed through extensive community engagement. Two action items were unanimously recommended to full council: adopting a rapid response plan for invasive freshwater mussels and authorizing acquisition of an 89-acre agricultural conservation easement for the Steensma family dairy farm. The meeting highlighted ongoing efforts to protect the region's primary drinking water source while balancing ecological management, agricultural preservation, and fiscal sustainability concerns.
**AB2025-793 - Lake Whatcom Invasive Freshwater Mussel Response Plan** - **Vote:** 3-0 recommended for approval (Donovan, Galloway, Stremler) - **Staff Recommendation:** Support adoption - **Action:** Adopts coordinated response plan with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife as lead agency, City of Bellingham as primary local implementer, County in supporting role - **Practical Impact:** Establishes protocols for rapid response if zebra or quagga mussels detected in Lake Whatcom **AB2025-871 - Steensma Family Agricultural Conservation Easement…
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**Lake Whatcom Forest Management Planning**
The 30-year forest management plan represents a significant ecological and financial commitment covering 12,200 acres across 19 properties. Matthew Schmidt of Northwest Natural Resource Group presented the comprehensive plan developed through year-long community engagement, receiving 144 total public comments across two phases. The plan prioritizes water quality protection as the primary objective, followed by forest health, wildfire resistance, wildlife habitat, and recreational access. The desired future condition aims for "a resilient, diverse and ecologically functional forest landscape that emulates old growth or later stages of development."
The committee grappled with fiscal sustainability questions, as Bennett Knox acknowledged the plan "will not fully pay for itself" despite opportunities for revenue generation through commercial thinning. The plan addresses both silvicultural recommendations and significant deferred road maintenance needs. Chair Galloway emphasized the need for fiscal notes before implementation, while staff indicated that adopting the plan provides di…
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**Karen Steensma, Property Owner:** Expressed strong support for the conservation easement as enabling generational succession planning. Noted the rarity of contiguous agricultural land and emphasized the family's long-term commitment to dairy farming despite industry challenges.
**Paul Schissler, Conservation Easement Oversight Committee Chair:** Advocated for continued program improvement and highlighted funding shortages. Emphasized the program's success in leveraging non-local matching funds (78% for current projects).
**Bennett Knox, Parks & Recreation Director:** Acknow…
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**Matthew Schmidt, on forest management objectives:**
"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."
**Chair Kaylee Galloway, on Lake Whatcom's importance:**
"Like welcome, right? We know it's our drinking water source for about 50% of the county, it's our plan A, it's our plan B, it's our plan C, it's our plan D. Everything so much relies on like, welcome."
…
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- Lake Whatcom Forest Management Plan undergoes non-project SEPA review - Forest plan returns to Council for adoption by resolution in early 2026 - Steensma conservation easement appraisal scheduled for early 2026 - Conservation easement program committee will present funding alternatives report in January 2026 - Five prev…
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After this meeting, two significant conservation initiatives moved closer to implementation. The invasive mussel response plan gained committee approval, establishing formal protocols for protecting Lake Whatcom from species that have now reached neighboring states. The Steensma agricultural easement received authorization to proceed, representing a model for using conservation tools to enable generational f…
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# Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee Advances Forest Management Plan and Conservation Initiatives
The Whatcom County Council Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee met Tuesday morning in a packed session that covered three substantial environmental and conservation items, highlighting the county's ongoing commitment to watershed protection and agricultural preservation.
## Meeting Overview
Committee Chair Kaylee Galloway convened the hybrid meeting at 10:25 AM on December 9, 2025, with committee members Todd Donovan and Mark Stremler present. All other council members attended as observers, including Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, Ben Elenbaas, and Jon Scanlon. The meeting tackled an ambitious agenda with three major items: a comprehensive forest management plan presentation, an invasive species rapid response plan, and approval for a significant agricultural conservation easement.
## Lake Whatcom Watershed Forest Management Plan: A 30-Year Vision
The committee received a detailed presentation on the completed Lake Whatcom Watershed Forest Management Plan, a year-long collaborative effort between Whatcom County and the City of Bellingham covering approximately 12,200 acres across 19 properties in the watershed.
Matthew Schmidt, a forester with Northwest Natural Resource Group, led the presentation, explaining how the plan aims to transition previously managed forests toward a "resilient, diverse and ecologically functional forest landscape t…
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### Meeting Overview
The Whatcom County Council Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee met on December 9, 2025, to discuss three major environmental and conservation initiatives. The committee received a presentation on a comprehensive 30-year forest management plan for the Lake Whatcom watershed, approved a rapid response plan for invasive freshwater mussels, and authorized acquisition of an agricultural conservation easement in the Lynden area.
### Key Terms and Concepts
**Ecological Forest Management:** A forestry approach that manages for multiple objectives rather than just timber production, using techniques that mimic natural processes while maintaining full ecosystem function.
**Variable Density Thinning:** A forest management technique that creates spatial diversity by applying different thinning rates to different parts of the forest, helping accelerate stand development toward old-growth characteristics.
**Conservation Easement:** A legal agreement between a landowner and a government entity that permanently limits development rights on property to protect its conservation values while allowing the land to remain in private ownership.
**Zebra and Quagga Mussels:** Invasive freshwater species that can devastate aquatic ecosystems and water infrastructure. Washington and Oregon are the only two states in the lower 48 without established infestations.
**Conservation Futures:** A dedicated county funding source for conservation projects, generated through property taxes and used to acquire conservation easements and preserve critical lands.
**Reconveyance:** The process by which state forest lands (previously managed by the Department of Natural Resources) were transferred back to county ownership for conservation and recreation purposes.
**Riparian Buffer:** A protected area of forest along streams and waterways that helps maintain water quality and provides wildlife habitat.
### Key People at This Meeting
| Name | Role / Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Kaylee Galloway | Committee Chair |
| Todd Donovan | Committee Member |
| Mark Stremler | Committee Member |
| Ben Elenbaas | Council Member (non-committee) |
| Matthew Schmidt | Forester, Northwest Natural Resource Group |
| Bennett Knox | Parks and Recreation Department Director |
| Gary Stoyka | Natural Resources Manager, Public Works |
| Alex Harris | Planning and Development Services |
| Paul Schissler | Conservation Easement Program Oversight Committee Chair |
| Karen Steensma | Property Owner/Farmer |
### Background Context
Lake Whatcom serves as the primary drin…
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