Cover Story

  March 2023

Meet Laural Ballew-Ses yehomia/tsi kuts bat soot

Whatcom Watch

by Emma Bjornsrud Tandy Wilbur Sr. and Laura Wilbur of the Swinomish Tribal Community worked in regional and national tribal government, traveling together to build relationships within and beyond their communities. Two generations later, Laural (Wilbur) Ballew is continuing her … Continue reading →

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  February 2023

Is Our Local Seaweed Contaminated?

Whatcom Watch

by Luisa Loi Armed with a ceramic-bladed knife and years of experience as a wilderness guide and forager, Jennifer Hahn paddled the cold waters of the Salish Sea aboard her kayak, sometimes snacking on some freshly cut seaweed. Hahn was … Continue reading →

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  February 2023

Introducing the Kulshan Carbon Trust

Whatcom Watch

Part 1 of a three-part series by Howard Sharfstein What Is a Carbon Conservation Trust? Whatcom County is home to the Kulshan Carbon Trust (KCT), founded in early 2021 as a new type of trust and a vehicle for community … Continue reading →

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  January 2023

Bellingham Bay’s Dirty Dozen Sites

Whatcom Watch

by Luisa Loi This is the chlor-alkali portion of the Georgia-Pacific West pulp mill site in 1969. These 36-acres are number eight on the dirty dozen list and where current cleanup efforts are focused.photo: Washington Department of Ecology On a … Continue reading →

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  January 2023

Recycling Changes Probable

Whatcom Watch

by Emma Bjornsrud Bellingham recycling and garbage company staff sorted through a mountain of cans, bottles, cardboard and paper to evaluate whether the company could offer the city a more efficient way to recycle. The answer? Yes, we can, said … Continue reading →

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  December 2022

Accelerating Solar and Wind Energy in Whatcom County

Whatcom Watch

by Karen Dalenius and Judith Akins Climate change has reached our doorstep: summer droughts, hazardous air quality, Nooksack River floods, coastal storm surges worsened by sea level rise, this year’s wildfire in eastern Whatcom County. We were grateful when rains … Continue reading →

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  December 2022

South Fork Chinook Recovery Is in Peril

Whatcom Watch

An Interview with Tom Chance, manager of the Lummi Nation Salmon Enhancement Program Updated November, 2022 by Claire Johnston In September, the Whatcom Land Trust received a call from the Lummi Nation’s Salmon Enhancement Program Manager, Tom Chance. He called … Continue reading →

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  Oct/Nov 2022

Whatcom County Uses WasteWise Tool

Whatcom Watch

by Tyler Brown Simply put, WasteWise (www.whatcomcounty.us/wastewise) is an interactive database tailored to Whatcom County that allows residents to quickly find out how and where to safely get rid of unwanted items. Some of them can go into the trash … Continue reading →

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  Oct/Nov 2022

Post Point Project Abandoned

Whatcom Watch

by Luisa Loi After five years of study, discussion and planning, the Bellingham City Council abandoned its Post Point project in light of new cost projections — more than $1.1 billion to fund the project over the span of 15 … Continue reading →

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  September 2022

Court Decision May Alter DNR Practices

Whatcom Watch

by Tyler Brown The Washington State Supreme Court unanimously voted at the end of July to reaffirm a lower court ruling backing the Department of Natural Resources’ right to regulate timber sales for the public good while providing lawmakers more … Continue reading →

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