Location: Cornwall Avenue
Size: 12 acres
Public Access: No
Easement granted: 2007
Easement type: Conservation
Grantees: Whatcom Land Trust

    In 2007 Dorothy Deets granted a conservation easement to Whatcom Land Trust to protect urban wildlife habitat, including riparian habitat along Squalicum Creek, to preserve open green space, and to provide opportunities for public, low impact, passive recreational use and/or agricultural use.

    The Deets Squalicum Creek Property is a 12 acre rural open space tract of land located in the City of Bellingham. The Property is situated between Cornwall Park, St. Joseph Hospital, and surrounding medical offices. Squalicum Creek flows from east to west along the northern end of the Property. The creek and riparian habitat offers nesting and foraging habitat for multiple species of birds, Coho salmon, chum salmon and winter steelhead all utilize Squalicum Creek, which is an important lowland salmon stream linking Bellingham Bay and the central part of Whatcom County.

    The Property is also a major open space and trail linkage between City of Bellingham’s Cornwall Park and the Bay to Baker Trail, a multi-jurisdictional public trail system running throughout Whatcom County. The Property is bordered by a child-care facility, City of Bellingham un-developed parkland and a tract of private land on the east, Squalicum Parkway on the north and Cornwall Park on the west and south. A vacant residence, pole building, stable, shed, and fencing is located on the Protected Property. The Protected Property is currently used for grazing and passive recreational use.