ABOUT US/CONTACT US
Ours is a wondrous, bountiful and varied landscape, matched by few in America. Rich soils, deep forests and abundant water underlie the economic and ecological vitality we enjoy. Whatcom County boasts national forests, national parks, a federal wilderness area surrounding an active volcano, more glaciers than any state in the Lower 48, top-ranking raspberry and milk production, substantial forestry resources, hundreds of miles of fresh and salt-water shoreline, a wealth of aquatic species including all five Pacific salmon, a lake that supplies drinking water for over half the population, and recreational opportunities that stretch from the Cascade crest to the Salish Sea. For those of us who make Whatcom County our home, there’s no better place on earth. But all this magnificence, if taken for granted, could sow the seeds of the region’s undoing.
In 1984, a handful of farmers feared correctly that the secret of Whatcom County’s wonders was out. The population was booming—it grew 84% from 1980 to 2008 with continued rapid growth forecast—placing enormous pressure on the priceless natural and historical features that define this place. A small grass-roots group recognized that preserving the ecological wealth crucial to economic health requires consideration and action. Craig Lee, from the Trust for Public Land, was consulted to help establish the new land trust and draft its first conservation easement. Twenty-seven years later Craig returned to Whatcom Land Trust (as our first executive director) to find that the handful who wanted to preserve farms for the future had grown to include more than 1200 active supporters contributing to the permanent protection of over 11,000 acres of wildlife habitat, parkland, old-growth forest, spawning grounds, marine shoreline, and rookeries, along with farms and other working land.
Whatcom Land Trust is directed by an active board of volunteers from throughout the county. An advisory board provides support and counsel. The work of a small staff team is supplemented by board members and volunteers. Operations and preservation projects are funded by individuals who cherish Whatcom County, government-based grants, private grants, and landowners who contribute toward the monitoring and defense of their protected property.
Using creative and sometimes complex solutions, Whatcom Land Trust has worked collaboratively with private landowners, communities, public agencies, large corporations and other conservation organizations. Our reputation is built on our ability to provide informed, capable, trustworthy, and flexible facilitation of shared conservation goals. WLT helps leave a landscape that contributes to our collective identity and quality of life by supporting sustainable land use practices.
Whatcom Land Trust
110 Central Ave. (physical location)
P.O. Box 6131 (mailing address)
Bellingham, WA 98227
Tel: 360.650.9470
Fax: 360.650.0495
Email: info@whatcomlandtrust.org
Staff:
Executive Director: Craig Lee Craig@whatcomlandtrust.org
Conservation Director: Eric Carabba Eric@whatcomlandtrust.org
Outreach Coordinator/Office Manager: Connie Clement Connie@whatcomlandtrust.org
Property Steward: Steve Walker Steve@whatcomlandtrust.org
Volunteer Coordinator (AmeriCorps): Briana Berkowitz Americorps@whatcomlandtrust.org