Off-roading in the watershed? Building a rogue trail? Bellingham has eyes on you
Bellingham is adding teeth to its protections for land in the Lake Whatcom watershed, allowing it to seek prosecution for timber theft, illegal off-roading, unauthorized trail-building and other actions that harm the environment around the city’s drinking water source.
On a pair of unanimous votes Nov. 17, the City Council rescinded its former land management policy for Lake Whatcom and approved new regulations for activities on land that the city owns around Lake Whatcom.
Mike Parelskin, superintendent of Public Works Department’s natural resources field operations, told the City Council the new policy clarifies how city-owned land will be managed and will “clearly communicate to the public” what is against the law.
Matt Stamps, lawyer with the city’s legal staff said that the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office will provide enforcement because most of the city-owned properties are in unincorporated areas.
“The city is effectively just a landowner out in the county with most of these parcels. Some of them are in city limits, (but) the vast majority are outside in the county. So we’re essentially just formalizing the rules of the use of these properties,” Stamps said.
Since 2000, the city of Bellingham has bought more than 3,500 acres of land around Lake Whatcom to protect it from development. Its Lake Whatcom Land Acquisition and Preservation Program is funded through a surcharge on residents’ water bills.
“To maximize water-quality protection, recreation on these properties is limited,” Parelskin told The Herald in an email. “The resolution outlines how to recreate responsibly, recognizing that while some properties have authorized trails, other properties are not suitable for trail infrastructure or heavy recreational use. Unauthorized trails that do appear can damage vegetation, cause erosion, and increase sediment in Lake Whatcom and its tributaries.
The Public Works Department has crew of several workers who monitor protected lands in the watershed, looking for illegal activity and conducting restoration, Parelskin said.
There are also six mobile trail cameras that Public Works uses to identify illegal activities.
“On average, we identify up to five unauthorized trails per year, often catching them before they are completed. Restoration efforts follow any such discovery. We also partner with the Whatcom Mountain Bike Coalition to discourage unauthorized trail building and guide builders toward appropriate processes. Our approach prioritizes education and collaboration,” Parelskin told The Herald. “Illegal off-roading happens infrequently, but when it occurs, we close access to the area and, if necessary, coordinate with the Sheriff’s Office to trespass individuals.”
In a presentation to the City Council on Nov. 17, Parelskin showed photos of a dirt-bike rider using a hiking trail, a Jeep off-roading through a forest, and a man dressed in camouflage stealing timber.
“Unauthorized tree cutting is extremely rare but has occurred. It is a prosecutable offense. In the presentation slide where there is a person in camo on a steep hillside, they were cutting a maple tree and milling it,” Parelskin said.
