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Land Use and Conservation
"We have always had reluctance to see a tract of land which is empty
of men as anything but a void. The 'waste howling wilderness' of Deuteronomy is typical. The Oxford
Dictionary defines wilderness as wild or uncultivated land which is occupied 'only' by wild animals.
Places not used by us are 'wastes'. Areas not occupied by us are 'desolate.'Could the desolation be
in the soul of man?"
~John A. Livingston, in Borden Spears, ed.,
Wilderness Canada, 1970
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Lake Whatcom Preserve: Protecting forests in a drinking watershed
Northwest Conservation
http://www.conservationnw.org/oldgrowth/lake-whatcom-preserve
In October 2008 and again in November 2009 Whatcom County approved the first steps in creating a new
Lake Whatcom Forest Preserve, protecting forests and nearly 25% of the lands in this important, drinking
watershed from commercial logging. The plan would transfer from state to county management 8,400 acres
of county forest board lands, replacing commercial logging with restoration of the forests to old growth.
For a decade we've worked to protect this important drinking water source.
Two key parcels comprise the proposed preserve, one north of the lake, one south: Stewart Mountain above
the lake's Northshore Trail and Lookout Mountain above Sudden Valley.
Natural resources
Lake Whatcom provides drinking water for 90,000 people in the county. Sustaining the quality of that water
protects both people and wildlife.
According to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the preserve forests are home to marbled
murrelets, a rare seabird which nests in inland old-growth forests. Other wildlife include bald eagle,
osprey, tailed frog, and Salish sucker (a small native fish). The north shore parcel already retains
beautiful, remnant old growth on its steeper slopes. Forest cover is important to stabilize the naturally
unconsolidated soils and to prevent landslides into the lake.
About the new preserve
Conservation Northwest was part of a stakeholder review panel convened in March 2008 by County Executive
Pete Kremen to assess the feasibility and desirability of the proposed preserve. During their weekly open
meetings, the panel reviewed the potential environmental, recreational, financial, and other impacts of
the proposed reconveyance. In their recommendation, they voted 8 to 3 to approve establishment of the new
preserve. The land exchange process is expected to take until sometime in 2010, when a final Whatcom County
Council vote is expected.
Conservation Northwest has long worked long and hard to protect state lands in the Lake Whatcom watershed.
We're pleased that the preserve will:
- Protect forests, wildlife habitat, and drinking water in the watershed
- Provide a wild and natural recreation experience
- Protect nearby residents from landslides that can be triggered by logging
- Restore old-growth forests and diversity for future generations
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