Recent letters to the editor published in The Bellingham Herald suggest that the city of Bellingham and Whatcom County have substantially different views about managing water quality in Lake Whatcom. As county representatives to the joint Lake Whatcom Management Program who share leadership responsibility for the Lake Whatcom watershed, we respectfully disagree.

Regular coordination between city, county, and Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District officials (staff and elected) keeps Lake Whatcom issues on the front burner.

The Lake Whatcom Management Program promotes intergovernmental dialog that would not otherwise occur and advances collective actions toward improving water quality in the Lake. Our experience is that the city of Bellingham, Whatcom County and LWWSD are equally committed to reducing pollutants that reach the Lake and that Whatcom County is pulling its weight.

Here are highlights of what Whatcom County has done on its own and in conjunction with its peers:

- Contributed $2M towards acquisition of some 700 acres of land in the Lake Whatcom watershed. The County’s contribution was funded by Conservation Futures and several grants. The acquisitions included joint purchase of the Olsen Estate (369 acres) and Anderson Property (34 acres) with the city of Bellingham, and the purchase of a trail and conservation easement in the Stimpson Family Nature Reserve, now managed by the County Parks Department.

- Assisted with Sudden Valley’s Density Reduction Program by joint acquisition of undeveloped lots in Sudden Valley and working with the city of Bellingham, Sudden Valley, and Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District to place nearly 400 lots under permanent restrictive covenant.

- Certified more than 300 development rights and transferred more than 100 development rights out of the watershed.

- Down-zoned portions of the Lake Whatcom watershed to eliminate approximately 1,400 potential dwelling units.

- Imposed a moratorium on land divisions of less-than five acres.

- Adopted a land-clearing ordinance that requires 65 percent tree canopy retention.

- Implemented impervious surface limits and storm water retention standards for new development.

- Retrofitted storm water infrastructure near the City’s drinking water intake.

- Passed a phosphorus fertilizer ban and banned two-cycle boat motors.

- Restricted clearing and grading between September 1 and April 30.

- Promoted lake-friendly gardening.

- Collected more than 11 tons of household hazardous waste, including 2,200 pounds of P-fertilizer.

- Developed the Lake Whatcom Comprehensive Stormwater Plan.

- Dedicated three planning staff members to development permit review, site inspection, and follow-up monitoring.

- Pursued reconveyance of more than 8,000 acres of potentially harvestable Department of Natural Resources property to the parks department.

The high level of coordination between the city, county, water and sewer district and other interests in the watershed was demonstrated again last week as elected officials met to discuss Department of Ecology’s pending Total Maximum Daily Load finding for phosphorus and bacteria.

Everyone present recognizes that providing a safe, low-cost supply of drinking water and a clean lake in which to swim is not optional, it is a must. And it is an enormous challenge.