New grants will bring big changes to these Whatcom County parks and recreation areas
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7/6/2021 New state money for Whatcom outdoors, environment projects | Bellingham Herald
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LOCAL
New grants will bring big changes to these
Whatcom County parks and recreation areas
BY YSABELLE KEMPE
JULY 06, 2021 05:00 AM
Skookum Creek is a major tributary, cold water contributor, and the largest land conservation opportunity available for the South Fork Nooksack River in Whatcom
County, Wash., according to the Whatcom Land Trust's 2018 video. BY WHATCOM LAND TRUST WITH DENNIS MINER AND MICHAEL DYRLAND
Listen to this article now
10:13 Powered by Trinity Audio
Whatcom’s parks and outdoors projects are getting almost $5 million from the state
Recreation and Conservation Funding Board as part of 342 state and federal grants
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7/6/2021 New state money for Whatcom outdoors, environment projects | Bellingham Herald
for recreation, wildlife conservation and working farm and forest protection
projects throughout the state.
“Washington wouldn’t be Washington without these grants,” said Ted Willhite, chair
of the Recreation and Conservation Funding Board, in a statement Wednesday, June
30. “Washington is known for its rich outdoor spaces that provide everything from
jobs to places for us to exercise and relax, to homes for wildlife.”
Whatcom County’s $4,889,260 in grants will help fund 14 projects:
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Award: $264,127.
In an effort to connect trails in Bellingham’s Greenways network, the city will
purchase 27.5 acres about 2 miles north of the city center for a neighborhood park.
The park has cleared, flat ground for playgrounds, restrooms, sport courts and
recreation facilities, as well as forested areas and wetlands for a loop trail.
This grant is from the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program’s Local Parks
Category. Bellingham will contribute $602,604.
LITTLE SQUALICUM ESTUARY
Where: Bellingham.
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Solo Stove Accessories
Solo Stove
Award: $500,000.
Bellingham Bay’s Little Squalicum Estuary, which offers scenic views of Puget Sound,
is getting a makeover. The city of Bellingham will restore tidal and sedimentary
processes, improve fish passage and return 2.4 acres of saltmarsh, mudflat and
estuary habitats that were formerly lost. The estuary supports the threatened Puget
Sound Chinook salmon, as well as other salmon species.
This grant is from the Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account. Bellingham will
contribute more than $2 million in cash and local, state and federal grants.
At Marine Park in the Fairhaven section of Bellingham, WA, you’ll find easy access to the water, marine life
galore at low tide and places for a family picnic. BY BIANCA HE
MARINE PARK BEACH
Where: Blaine.
Award: $500,000.
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7/6/2021 New state money for Whatcom outdoors, environment projects | Bellingham Herald
Big things are coming for the beach at Marine Park, which is highly visible from the
Peace Arch Border Crossing into Canada. This project’s goals are to create near-shore
fish and wildlife habitat, create public access and protect infrastructure and park
improvements. The city of Blaine is rebuilding the beach by replacing failing
shoreline armoring and establishing a naturally functioning shoreline with pocket
beaches of sand, gravel and cobbles. The city will also build access and viewpoints to
the tidelands and saltwater.
This grant is from the Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account. Blaine will contribute
$300,000.
CALIFORNIA CREEK ESTUARY PARK
Where: Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District.
Award: $617,986.
Two grants will be used by the Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation District to
purchase 12 acres along California Creek and 230 feet of saltwater shoreline along
Drayton Harbor. The space will become a day-use park on the district’s Bay-to-Bay
Trail. It surrounds land already owned by the district, bringing the total amount of
shoreline open to the public on Drayton Harbor to 888 feet. The tidelands and
estuary are prime habitat for many species of salmon, forage fish and other wildlife.
The district will also add a restroom, kayak launch, interpretive kiosk and trails to
the day-use California Creek Estuary Park.
The two grants dedicated to this project are from the Aquatic Lands Enhancement
Account and the Water Access Category. The Blaine-Birch Bay Park and Recreation
District will contribute $92,000 in cash, voter-approved bonds and donated labor.
METALWORKS SKATE PARK
Where: Ferndale.
Award: $480,000.
The city of Ferndale is developing and landscaping a 10,000-square-foot skate and
bike park in the Pioneer Park complex. Ferndale is one of the fastest-growing cities
in the state but has few recreational amenities for teenagers other than organized
sports. The park will incorporate design and art features recognizing the
community’s industrial heritage.
Design work will begin later this summer, with construction slated for 2022,
according to city officials.
This grant is from the Local Parks Category. Ferndale will contribute $81,850 in cash
and donated cash.
LAUNCH AND DOCK IN FAIRHAVEN
Where: Port of Bellingham.
Award: $500,000.
In an effort to provide access to Puget Sound from the Fairhaven neighborhood, the
Port of Bellingham will develop a small watercraft launch and dock next to the
Community Boating Center. It will be the first dock on saltwater in Whatcom County
designed specifically for human-powered boats.
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7/6/2021 New state money for Whatcom outdoors, environment projects | Bellingham Herald
There will be an 80-foot-long gangway, a floating dock and breakwater, supporting
the smallest of boats. The docks will be a safe distance from the Port’s motorized
launch, which is used by more than 9,000 kayakers, canoeists, rowers and
paddleboarders annually. The Port will also create a small pocket beach.
This grant is from the Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account. The Port will contribute
nearly $1.4 million in cash and a grant from the state Washington Wildlife and
Recreation Program.
CHUCKANUT BAY ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
Where: Ferndale.
Award: $140,475.
The Chuckanut Bay Athletic Association plans to improve the entrance, create a
parking lot and reseed a field at its 17-acre site in Ferndale. The association is
building a three-field complex, complete with grandstands, locker rooms and
amenities, for local youth teams. Its facilities are in constant use throughout the year
and are overwhelmed in the spring and fall, an issue the association is looking to
solve with this project.
After project completion, the site will be able to be used more efficiently and the
fields will be able to serve more people.
This grant is from the Youth Athletic Facilities program. The association will
contribute $46,825 in local and private grants and donated equipment.
Timelapse video of Mount Shuksan and Picture Lake, in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
about 30 miles east of Bellingham, Washington. BY BELLINGHAM HERALD STAFF
BACKCOUNTRY SNOW RANGER
Where: Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
Award: $10,000.
This grant will be used to hire a backcountry snow ranger to increase visitor safety
at Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest’s Heather Meadows. Heather Meadows
is located at more than 4,000 feet elevation with annual snowfall of more than 650
inches, making it a popular destination for winter recreation. Site use has grown
exponentially recently. Heather Meadows is surrounded by avalanche areas, and
avalanches have killed several people near the site in the last few years. The snow
ranger will install signs, provide avalanche education and guidance on how to travel
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7/6/2021 New state money for Whatcom outdoors, environment projects | Bellingham Herald
safely in the snow, educate the public through social media and contact visitors in
person.
This grant is from the federal Recreational Trails Program and the first year of a two-
year award. The U.S. Forest Service will contribute $14,500 in federal appropriation
and donated cash.
LAKE TERRELL BOARDING FLOAT
Where: Ferndale.
Award: $360,000.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife will build a 60-foot-long boat launch float
accessible to people with disabilities. It will also pave the area between the road and
boat ramp. This grant is from the Boating Facilities Program.
NORTH FORK NOOKSACK RIVER
Where: North Fork Nooksack River.
Award: $36,122.
The Washington Department of Natural Resources will purchase and develop land
along the North Fork Nooksack River into a day-use, river access site. The project
includes development of a parking lot, trail and pathway to the river, as well as
restoration to the surrounding area. This land is an important spot for a kayaking
and rafting run on the river east of Maple Falls.
The grant is from the Water Access Category. The department will contribute $61,550
in a state appropriation, staff labor, equipment and donations of equipment and
labor.
EAST WHATCOM REGIONAL RESOURCE CENTER
Where: Maple Falls.
Award: $350,000.
The Whatcom County Parks and Recreation Department will develop a multi-use
sports court for basketball, pickleball, volleyball and other activities in the East
Whatcom Regional Resource Center. The court will have lighting and a roof with
open sides, serving a large, unincorporated area with more than 4,000 residents,
many of whom have a relatively low median household income. The closest similar
sports court is 30 miles away.
The grant is from the Youth Athletic Facilities program. Whatcom County will
contribute $200,470 in a private grant.
FORESTLAND NORTHEAST OF BELLINGHAM
Where: 8 miles northeast of Bellingham, on Anderson Creek.
Award: $141,775.
Whatcom County will purchase a conservation easement on the Moors property,
protecting about 36 acres of forestland. The purchase supports the county’s goal of
supporting the rural economic base through natural resource-based industries such
as forestry.
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This grant is from the Forestland Preservation Category. Whatcom County will
contribute $141,775 in Conservation Futures funds.
VANDERWERFF FARM
Where: 8 miles northeast of Bellingham.
Award: $113,775.
Whatcom County will purchase a conservation easement to conserve nearly 20 acres
of prime agricultural soils on the VanderWerff property. The VanderWerff family
raises cattle, pigs and riding horses, and their farm sits next to already-conserved
farmland.
This grant is from the Farmland Preservation Category. Whatcom County will
contribute $113,775 in Conservation Futures funds.
SKOOKUM CREEK
Where: Upper Skookum Creek, a major tributary to the South Fork Nooksack River.
Award: $875,000.
The Whatcom Land Trust will buy 990 acres along upper Skookum Creek, protecting
2.24 miles of the waterway. This purchase will add to the 1,100 acres already
conserved along lower Skookum Creek, creating a nearly uninterrupted protected
corridor from the South Fork Nooksack River to its headwaters on Twin Sisters
Mountain.
Conservation in this area will allow the growth of mature creekbank forests that will
shade and cool the water for salmon. The land also provides important habitat for
the golden eagle, Nooksack elk, Townsend’s big-eared bat and the state-endangered
marbled murrelet.
This grant is from the Riparian Protection Category. The Whatcom Land Trust will
contribute more than $2.2 million in cash, Conservation Futures funds and a private
grant.
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YSABELLE KEMPE 360-230-8004
Ysabelle Kempe joined The Bellingham Herald as a reporting intern in summer 2021 to cover environmental
affairs. She’s a graduate of Northeastern University in Boston.
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