Survey: County residents want to protect farmland, grow in current urban areas

Whatcom County residents love the beauty of the area, want to protect farmland and think builders should pay for development infrastructure, according to survey results released Tuesday, March 31.

The results come from Portland, Ore.-based firm DHM Research, which conducted the survey on behalf of the Whatcom Legacy Project, a group of volunteers seeking the vision of county residents on what they want the area to look like for their children and grandchildren in the next century.

The Legacy Project falls under the fiscal umbrella of environmental group Conservation Northwest, who received a consultant contract of $55,000 from the county for a biodiversity map and the survey work.

Adam Davis of DHM walked through the survey results with Whatcom County Council members during their Tuesday meeting, pointing out that people loved their quality of life but were concerned about overpopulation and where new residents would go.

County Executive Pete Kremen told council members before Davis' presentation that he was pleased with the results and the fact that residents value the local quality of life.

"It's just something that this community really is fixated on and cherishes and values so deeply," Kremen said. "I think what we're about to see here this evening is a validation of that."

Council members Laurie Caskey-Schreiber and Ward Nelson debated between themselves whether the information was statistically viable, Caskey-Schreiber said, asking Davis to explain.

Davis said that he had a 95 percent confidence rate in the results, saying that in survey research it's the highest possible. In other words, he said, there is a 19 out of 20 chance that the results reflect the view of every single resident if one had the ability to interview all of them.

When asked if they believed the population of Whatcom County would double in the next 50 years, 89 percent of respondents said that was somewhat or very likely, with only 30 percent saying that growth was somewhat or very desirable.

The survey results sample 400 county residents over the age of 18 with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percent.

County residents were split on whether or not the area would be a better place in 50 years, with 44 percent saying it would be better, 41 percent saying the county would be worse and 15 percent unsure. Younger residents and those who had lived in the county for less than 10 years were more optimistic about the future of the area, according to the results.

Protecting drinking water quality was the most urgent or high priority for 83 percent of respondents, with protecting farmland coming in second with 71 percent of those surveyed choosing it as a priority.

Growth should be concentrated in existing cities and developed areas, according to 80 percent of respondents who said develop in current neighborhoods rather than converting farmland.

Meanwhile, about two-thirds surveyed said the county should invest in more public transit and trails with 29 percent saying they wanted more investments in roads.

To see full survey results, visit www.whatcomcounty.us.