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Lake Whatcom Cooperative Management Program Joint Councils & Commissioners (Annual Meeting Part 2)

WHA-CON-2025-06-04 June 04, 2025 Whatcom County Council Regular Whatcom County
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This second annual joint meeting of the Lake Whatcom Cooperative Management Program focused on policy alignment between jurisdictions and wildfire preparedness concerns. The 2-hour session featured extensive discussion on coordinating land use regulations between Whatcom County and the City of Bellingham, with particular attention to phosphorus loading standards where the county allows 25% more phosphorus runoff than the city (0.1875 vs 0.15 pounds per acre per year). Council Member Lisa Anderson raised significant concerns about wildfire preparedness, leading to detailed discussions about equipment stockpiling, cross-training between jurisdictions, and the need for rapid response plans. The meeting also addressed invasive species response planning, with staff explaining a new unified command structure for zebra mussel, quagga mussel, and New Zealand mudsnail infestations. A comprehensive presentation on land use regulation differences revealed substantial gaps in commercial forestry oversight, where private timber operations face only statewide regulations while DNR lands must follow stricter watershed protections. The policy group's role and effectiveness came under scrutiny, with some members advocating for more active policy development rather than just receiving updates.

No formal votes were taken at this discussion-focused meeting. However, several commitments and directions emerged: **Whatcom County committed** to bringing forward resource estimates for code analysis work as part of the mid-biennium budget review to assess aligning land use regulations with city standards. **Staff confirmed** implementation of new aquatic invasive species monitoring, including monthly eDNA and plankton sampling, installation of gates at Blu…

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**Land Use Regulation Alignment:** The most substantive policy discussion centered on harmonizing city and county development standards. The county's 2013 decision to allow 25% more phosphorus loading than the city (0.1875 vs 0.15 pounds per acre annually) emerged as a key inconsistency. Council members expressed interest in understanding the cost implications of bringing standards into alignment, though no analysis was available from the original 2013 decision-making process. **Commercial Forestry Regulatory Gaps:** A significant policy gap was identified in commercial forestry oversight. Private timber operations follow only statewide forest practice regulations, while DNR lands must adhere to the stricter Lake Whatcom Landscape Plan. This disparity allows clear-cutting like the recent Anderson Mountain ha…
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**Council Member Lisa Anderson (Bellingham)** emerged as the meeting's most active questioner, raising concerns about follow-up inspections of private stormwater systems, wildfire preparedness gaps, equipment needs, and cross-training protocols. She advocated for proactive planning and resource pre-positioning. **Council Member Kaylee Galloway (Whatcom County)** chaired the meeting and pushed for more active policy work from the Lake Whatcom Policy Group, suggesting comprehensive plan discussions and more substantive inter-jurisdictional collaboration. **Council Member Todd Donovan …
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**Lisa Anderson, on wildfire preparedness:** "I just kind of feel like we might be on our heels a little bit and not on our toes over the next few years, and I'm wondering what the county is doing to address that." **Anderson, on equipment pre-positioning:** "You need to plan for it before you need it. So once those are identified, I'd really like to make sure that we're working across the board for shared budget to make sure those purchases are made." **Kaylee Galloway, on policy group effe…
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**Mid-Biennium Budget Review:** Whatcom County will present resource needs analysis for code alignment work, potentially packaged with broader county code modernization efforts. **Forest Management Planning:** Public tours scheduled June 18th and July 16th, with draft management plan for 13,000 acres expected in August. **Aquatic Invasive Species Response:** Rapid response plan moving through second draft phase, with interlocal agreement development between city, county, water distr…

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**Aquatic Invasive Species Monitoring:** Implementation of monthly eDNA and plankton sampling represents a significant increase from previous monitoring frequency, moving toward early detection capabilities for zebra mussels, quagga mussels, and other invasive species. **Staff Transitions:** Renee Gellner's retirement announcement marked the end of her leadership role in Lake Whatcom management, with Jason Porter designated as the primary city contact for the program. **Code Analysis Commitment:** Whatcom County moved from discussing potential code alignment to committing resources for comprehensive analysis, signaling possible regulatory harmonization be…
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# Lake Whatcom Partners Wrestle with Wildfire Preparedness and Code Harmonization The second installment of the Lake Whatcom Cooperative Management Program's annual joint meeting convened Wednesday afternoon with a palpable sense of urgency around wildfire preparedness and a growing consensus that the city and county's development regulations need substantial alignment. What was intended as a follow-up discussion to April's initial session evolved into a deep dive on policy coordination, climate resilience, and the stark regulatory gaps that leave private forestry operations largely unchecked in the watershed. Whatcom County Councilmember Kaylee Galloway chaired the hybrid meeting from the Pacific Street Operations Center, with representatives from Bellingham City Council, Whatcom County Council, and the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District participating both in-person and via Zoom. The 120-minute session, scheduled as a discussion-heavy follow-up to the annual presentation format, delivered on that promise with extended policy debates that ran well into the late afternoon. ## Meeting Overview The atmosphere was markedly different from the typical presentation-heavy format of these annual gatherings. Council members came prepared with written questions, and staff had provided detailed written responses — though as Councilmember Lisa Anderson noted with some frustration, those eight pages of answers arrived just minutes before the meeting began. The focus was squarely on implementation challenges, funding mechanisms, and the coordination gaps that have emerged as the Lake Whatcom Management Program has matured over its decades of operation. ## Wildfire Preparedness Takes Center Stage The most emotionally charged discussion emerged around wildfire preparedness, with Councilmember Anderson painting a vivid picture of the vulnerabilities facing the watershed. "These are the things that keep me up at night," she said, outlining scenarios where Eastern Washington wildfires could tie up state resources just as Lake Whatcom faced its own emergency. Ande…
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### Meeting Overview The Lake Whatcom Cooperative Management Program held its annual joint meeting between Whatcom County Council, Bellingham City Council, and Lake Whatcom Water & Sewer District commissioners on June 4, 2025. The meeting focused on implementation challenges for the 2025-2029 work plan, coordination between jurisdictions on land use regulations, and upcoming projects including wildfire preparedness and invasive species response planning. ### Key Terms and Concepts **Lake Whatcom Policy Group:** A smaller working group with representatives from each jurisdiction that meets regularly to coordinate lake management efforts and policy discussions. **TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load):** A federal water quality standard that sets limits on phosphorus pollution entering Lake Whatcom, driving many of the regulatory requirements. **Phosphorus Loading Limitation:** Regulations limiting how much phosphorus can run off from new development - city requires 0.15 pounds per acre per year, county allows 0.1875 pounds per acre per year. **Forest Management Plan:** Joint planning effort between city and county covering 13,000 acres of publicly-owned land around the lake to protect water quality and forest health. **Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Rapid Response Plan:** Emergency protocols being developed to respond quickly if zebra mussels, golden mussels, or faga mussels are detected in Lake Whatcom. **Full Dispersion vs. Engineered Systems:** Two approaches to managing stormwater runoff - full dispersion uses natural vegetation on large properties, engineered systems are built treatment facilities. **Homeowner Incentive Program (HIP):** Voluntary program helping property owners remove lawns and install native landscaping to reduce phosphorus runoff. **Land Acquisition Program:** City program using dedicated revenue to purchase developable land around the lake to permanently protect it. ### Key People at This Meeting | Name | Role / Affiliation | |---|---| | Kaylee Galloway | Whatcom County Council, meeting chair | | Lisa Anderson | Bellingham City Council | | Todd Donovan | Whatcom County Council | | Barry Scanlon | Whatcom County Council | | Michael Lilliquist | Bellingham City Council | | Kathy Craver | Whatcom County Public Works, lead presenter | | Jason Porter | City of Bellingham, Lake Whatcom program manager | | Mike Ralston | City of Bellingham Natural Resources | | Morgan Ruff | City of Bellingham Special Projects Manager | | Renee Swenson | Retiring City of Bellingham Lake Whatcom coordinator | ### Background Context Lake Whatcom serves as the primary drinking water source for Bellingham and surrounding…
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Environmental Land Use & Planning Public Safety Government Operations SB 5471 Bellingham City Council Building Industry Association Department Fish Wildlife Dnr Lake Whatcom Policy Group Lake Whatcom Water Sewer District Sudden Valley Whatcom County Council Aly Pennucci Ben Scanlon Bennett Knox Garrett Smith Jason Porter Kathy Craver Kaylee Galloway Lisa Anderson Mike Ralston Morgan Ruff Renee Gellner Steven Sundin Todd Donovan Budget Finance Climate Vulnerability Commercial Forestry Comprehensive Plan Conservation Funding Forest Management Invasive Species Invasive Species Response Lake Whatcom Watershed Land Use Policy Land Use Regulation Alignment Middle Housing Phosphorus Loading Policy Coordination Stormwater Management Wildfire Preparedness