January 2020 (volume 29, issue 1)

Climate Change Will Impact Local Farms

by Stevan Harrell Two national newspapers sounded alarms in early November. The Washington Post ran a story about a South Dakota farmer who committed suicide because he was going broke, and The New York Times published an op-ed on how … Continue reading

Heavy Impacts at Cherry Point

by Eddy Ury The County Council’s bold moves to protect Whatcom, ban coal and restrict fossil fuel expansions Part 2 For more background and context, read Part 1: February 2019, Whatcom Watch. For over 60 years, oil companies operating in … Continue reading

Waterfowl

by Joe Meche Looking back over past columns since 2002, it seems I’ve always been drawn to writing about waterfowl this time of year. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, given the feelings I’ve harbored since growing up in the … Continue reading

Leadership, Cooperation, Commitment Will Recover Salmon

by Lorraine Loomis Treaty Indian tribes in western Washington are greatly encouraged by Gov. Jay Inslee’s recent commitment to challenge the status quo and take steps needed for salmon recovery. It happened last month at the annual Centennial Accord meeting. … Continue reading

Whatcom County Council

Compiled by Barry MacHale Action Taken at November 6, 2019 Meeting Shall the council: 238. Authorize the executive to sign a ,135 contract (amendment #1) with Herrera Environmental Consultants of Bellingham to expand two other stormwater facility types in the … Continue reading

Bellingham City Council

Action Taken at November 4, 2019 Meeting Shall the council: 187. Authorize the mayor to sign a ,875 settlement agreement with Troy Curran? The CityMac store operating at 2551 Roeder Avenue is owned by Troy Curran. He claims that the … Continue reading

Port of Bellingham Commission

Compiled by Bill McCallum Action Taken at November 5, 2019 Meeting Shall the commission: 131. Authorize the executive director to sign a 2,853 contract with Puget Sound Energy to increase the power supply at the Bellingham Shipping Terminal? Puget Sound … Continue reading

Whatcom County Climate Impact Advisory Committee

At the December 5, 2017 meeting, the Whatcom County Council voted to establish the Climate Impact Advisory Committee. The committee consists of 11 voting members with the council appointing the members. It will advise the council on the implementation of … Continue reading

City Climate Action Task Force Recommendations

by Betsy Gross   At long last, the city of Bellingham’s Climate Action Task Force was scheduled to present their research and recommendations at Bellingham City Council’s December 9, 2019, Committee of the Whole meeting. These dedicated professionals donated over … Continue reading

Responding to the Climate Emergency in Whatcom County

by Ellyn Murphy The Community Research Project was conducted on behalf of the Whatcom County Climate Impact Advisory Committee. The purpose of this project was to reach out to community leaders and stakeholders on their suggestions for a revised climate … Continue reading

General Election Results–2019

General Election Results – 2019 General Election 2019 Page 1 General Election 2019 Page 2 General Election 2019 Page 3 General Election 2019 Page 4 General Election 2019 Page 5

Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force Celebrates 30 Years

by Jacob Pederson It’s 1988. A barge called Nestucca battles the stormy Pacific as it leaves Grey’s Harbor. A rescue tug comes to its aid. A faulty towline snaps and the tug tears a gash in Nestucca’s bow, releasing its … Continue reading

poetrywatch

“When power leads man toward arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man’s concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.” — John F. Kennedy Do … Continue reading

Nooksack River Too Little Water, and It’s Getting Worse

by Eric Hirst   There is less water during the summer in the Nooksack River today than five decades ago. These lower flows are one of many factors adversely affecting salmon and the orcas that feed on salmon. (1) This … Continue reading

Watershed Management Board

This local organization is responsible for addressing water supply and quality issues within the Nooksack River basin and for salmon recovery. Its members include Whatcom County, City of Bellingham, Public Utility District #1, Lummi Nation, Nooksack Indian Tribe, and the … Continue reading