Cover Story
Climate Change and the Nooksack Adjudication
by Eric Hirst Adjudication of water rights in the Nooksack River basin will ultimately provide an inventory of water rights. Specifically, a Whatcom County superior court judge will determine who has the right to use water, where, when, for what … Continue reading
Cover Story
Whatcom Campaign Accelerates Solar Growth
by Meghan Fenwick Once word gets around, solar panels spread like sunshine: homeowners are 89 percent more likely to go solar if their neighbors have already taken the leap. The solar industry has grown exponentially, enabled by political, cultural and … Continue reading
Beaks and Bills
Beaks and Bills by Joe Meche For the first time in many years, we made a departure from our traditional spring getaway. Due to prior reservations, weather cancellations, and rebooking, we opted to head for the coast for a change … Continue reading
Port of Bellingham
Action Taken at the April 9, 2024 Meeting Shall the commission: 32. Reallocate the budget for the installation of windows and skylights at the Harbor Center Building? The building was constructed in 1984; the windows and skylights have lasted twice … Continue reading
Bellingham City Council
Action Taken at the April 8, 2024 Meeting Mayor’s Report Mayor Lund encouraged the public to watch the committee of the whole meeting regarding the Post Point facility treatment plant and the necessary upgrades to the city’s infrastructure. The city … Continue reading
Watching Government
Compiled by Barry MacHale Action Taken at the April 9, 2024 Meeting Shall the council: 83. Authorize the executive to sign a 5,000 agreement with the Whatcom County Library System in support of the Birch Bay library construction project? In … Continue reading
Bay Cleanup
The Shredder May Be Dead — The Story Is Not Over
by Bill Craven On April 30, ABC Recycling withdrew its application for a metal shredder on land it owns on Marine Drive. This writer heard about ABC withdrawing its application after a phone call. “Ding dong, the witch is dead,” … Continue reading
Climate
Biden Administration to End Coal Leasing in Powder River Basin
The Bureau of Land Management released a final environmental impact statement for two Powder River Basin resource management plans, finding that there would be significant impacts to our climate, human health, and the environment from continuing to lease the region’s … Continue reading
Climate
Articles You Might Have Missed
Climate Good News Around the world people are taking the initiative to mitigate climate change. Repairing Systems to Save the Fish: Two Good News Stories Collated by The League of Women Voters of Bellingham Whatcom County, these two stories give … Continue reading
Climate
Harsh Winter Kills Whatcom Survey Mussels
by Meghan Fenwick Every other winter, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologists and volunteers deploy cages of mussels on Puget Sound nearshore beaches to test water quality. It typically takes six months to a year for lab results … Continue reading
Community Service Spotlight
Community Service Spotlight by Amye Bronson-Doherty Wild Whatcom is a Whatcom County nonprofit offering outdoor, environmental education and enrichment programs to people of all ages and abilities. Our mission is to foster lifelong connections to nature. By focusing on two … Continue reading
Life Before Flowers
by Fred Rhoades All photos by Fred Rhoades Part 1 The first thing most people ask when they bring me a mushroom to identify, once I provide them with an ID, is, “is it edible?” This can be a tricky … Continue reading
Obituary
Helen Brandt Cozy, former editor of Whatcom Watch, who continued to volunteer with us until her passing on May 2, is and will always be missed by the rest of us at Whatcom Watch. Helen was born in Chicago in … Continue reading
