New Lake Whatcom Preserve makes the grade
Oct 22, 2008
Thanks to the many Conservation Northwest members who expressed their support to the Whatcom County Council, 8,400 acres of the Lake Whatcom watershed is now well on its way to being managed locally as a forest preserve, helping protect this important local watershed.
On October 21, The Whatcom County Council approved the first step in creation of a Lake Whatcom Preserve. Thanks to all of you who spoke up for the preserve! One quarter of the Lake Whatcom watershed will now be protected from logging as the new preserve shifts management of 8,400 acres of lands from the Department of Natural Resources to Whatcom County park management.
Creation of the preserve prevents timber sales like the White Chanterelle, helps protect the drinking water for more than 90,000 people, reduces the risk of dangerous landslides that can occur as the result of logging, creates low-impact recreation opportunities, and provides vital habitat for wildlife like the marbled murrelet and the Salish sucker in rich, older forests that also include small stands of old growth.
The Lake Whatcom Forest Preserve will include two large parcels: on Stewart Mountain above the Northshore Trail and on Lookout Mountain above Sudden Valley. The preserve will feature about 50 miles of trails, viewing areas, and low impact recreational opportunities. It will be managed for the restoration of old-growth forests and maintenance of a healthy watershed, and as a recreation area that our children and grandchildren can enjoy.
A big thank you to Whatcom County Executive Pete Kremen for spearheading this proposal and to the Whatcom County Council for making such a wise decision that future generations will appreciate for decades to come.
