BELLINGHAM - Candidates for the proposed Chuckanut Community Forest Park District board of commissioners can file for one of five seats beginning Monday, Dec. 17.

The filing period ends Wednesday, Dec. 19.

Both the proposed district and the at-large commissioners will be voted on during a special election Feb. 12.

That's when voters in the proposed district will decide whether to form the district and elect five commissioners who, in turn, would raise property taxes within the district to generate more than $3.2 million to repay part of the cost of the city's acquisition of Chuckanut Ridge, in south Bellingham.

Commissioner candidates may file in the Election Division of the Whatcom County Auditor's Office, 311 Grand Ave., Suite 103, in Bellingham, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Elected commissioners would begin serving their terms Jan. 1, 2014.

Details, including the proposed district's boundaries, are online at chuckanutcommunityforest.com.

Reach KIE RELYEA at kie.relyea@bellinghamherald.com or call 715-2234.