BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Whatcom County is entering into a grant agreement to acquire more land on Stewart Mountain for protection and management.
The County Council narrowly voted to acquire over 1,600 acres of land of the east side of Stewart Mountain, with four votes in favor and three against.
The acquisition comes in partnership with the state Department of Ecology, totaling roughly $5.5 million in funding through the Streamflow Restoration Grant program.
The land will be added to the prospective Stewart Mountain Community Forest (SMCF). According to the SMCF initiative’s website, it is a collaborative effort to adopt about 6,000 acres of forestland into local ownership for community use.
The forest still needs to be established with a stewardship following the approval of a separate agenda item discussed at the meeting on August 6.
In a memo sent ahead of a Public Works presentation to council’s finance committee, Public Affairs Manager Jed Holmes said that the County Executive believes a dedicated non-profit should be established to protect the county from liability. Two spots on the entity’s governance board would likely represent Whatcom County according to Senior Watershed Management Planner Chris Elder.
In a memo to council, Elder said that managing the forest was identified as highest priority during the Regional Water Supply Planning process in order to restore and enhance streamflows in the pilot basins.
The project is in Phase 2 after selling the first 550 acres to Whatcom Land Trust during Phase 1 in 2021.
In an email to My Bellingham Now, Elder says that there are no set plans to add more forest to the SMCF at this time.
