Letter talking points and information

The creation of a new Lake Whatcom Forest Preserve Park would protect more than a quarter of the forests around Lake Whatcom, safeguarding wildlife, public safety and drinking water while boosting local recreation and the economic prosperity associated with it.

The next step is for Whatcom County Council to vote at its May 22 meeting to request that these state lands be reconveyed back to the county for management as a forest preserve park. This is allowed under state law. (RSVP to join us at that meeting)

Want to protect 8,700 acres in the Lake Whatcom drinking watershed?

What to say in your letter

Thank the Council for its role in creating the opportunity to establish this forest preserve park, and encourage them to formally request the state move forward with reconveyance of the lands, because:

• The new preserve will protect wildlife habitat and help maintain quality municiple drinking water will offering world class outdoor recreation. The preserve will help keep neighborhoods safe by reducing the risk of landslides triggered by logging roads and clearcuts. In time, the park will be a magnificent old-growth forest for future generations.
• You are part of the majority who want this protection. Recent countywide polling showed 74% in support of reconveyance. The Council itself has a record of support for the effort, and has invested $300,000 in work to get to this point. It's time for the next step.
• The forest preserve park will be an incredible addition to our community, helping draw recreationist events and an outdoor-minded professional talent pool to help revitalize our economy.
• The risks to public safety and water quality are very real. The 1983 Jones Creek Landslide put houses, cars, 65 cubic acres of timber debris and even a person - who survived the event - into Lake Whatcom. While the DNR's Lake Whatcom Landscape Plan is an improvement, it does not provide the right level of caution warranted for the steep lands around Lake Whatcom.
• Logging roads and logging, much of it by clearcut, cause erosion of soil carrying phosphorous, which contributes to ongoing algae problems in the lake. Phosphorous levels in the lake were high enough in the summer of 2010 to foster high algae growth that clogged the Bellingham water treatment plant, resulting in water use restrictions. A big slide could greatly elevate these levels and require very expensive water treatment investments.

Questions? More information