Location:  Lake Whatcom Boulevard and Strawberry Shore Drive
Size:  34 acres
Public Access:  Pending
Easement granted:  December 2004
Easement type:  Conservation
Grantees:  Whatcom Land Trust

    Sitting atop a steep, forested hillside overlooking Lake Whatcom, the Anderson Property is a 34-acre parcel situated just north of the Stimpson Family Nature Reserve. The City of Bellingham and Whatcom County purchased the land in December 2004, and immediately granted a conservation easement to the Whatcom Land Trust with the intent to protect the water quality of Lake Whatcom, preserve biodiversity of the forest, and conserve wildlife habitat.  As funding allows, improved trails will be built in order to allow public recreational access. 

    The property includes a plateau of sandstone ridges, small wetland ponds and streams.  Several small waterfalls cascade over the sandstone ledges, and a man-made, five-acre pond is used by a variety of birds such as herons, hawks and kingfishers. 

    The combination of a mature tree canopy and forested wetlands provides excellent natural storm water retention, which in turn aids in protecting Lake Whatcom, the major source of drinking water for Bellingham and the surrounding area.