Whatcom County moves to preserve a large tract of land in the Nooksack River floodplain
Whatcom County is protecting more than 100 acres of Nooksack River floodplain in the South Fork Valley and counting on a state grant to help pay for it.
Deputy County Executive Tyler Schroeder said the purchase involves some juggling of money from the Conservation Futures Fund to the General Fund, with the likelihood of state reimbursement once the money becomes available in the next few months.
“The state Legislature has approved capital acquisition money for this purpose. This is allowing us to move forward with the acquisition using the local funds, fully anticipating the reimbursement of this full amount from the state,” Schroeder said.
Total purchase price was $1.55 million and the sale closed June 5, said Chris Elder, a watershed planner in the Public Works Department.
Conservation Futures is a special property tax that Whatcom County uses to buy and preserve open space, agricultural land or forest.
It has been used to create Lily Point Marine Park in Point Roberts, Squires Lake Park in southern Whatcom County, and Canyon Lake Community Forest in the Mount Baker foothills.
On a 6-1 vote May 23, the County Council approved transferring $780,000 from the General Fund to Conservation Futures Fund for 124 acres along the river’s south fork near Acme.
Councilman Ben Elenbaas voted against the measure.
“I don’t think a good solution to flooding issues is buying up farmland so that it can flood. As we look at protecting agriculture, one of the most crippling things we’ve done to ag land is conservation easements,” Elenbaas said.
In addition, a conservation easement was being applied to 25 adjacent acres.
This story was originally published June 15, 2023 at 10:34 AM.
