THIS IS HOW BELLINGHAM KILLS WILDLIFE / Facebook Post, Whatcom Hawk, Wendy Harris

11722181_10152960183790978_199958796458384265_o16 hrs  July 13, 2015  Wendy Harris

The Cow Beach project is full of manure. The city continues to assert that wildlife, habitat, people, pets and recreation are all compatible uses throughout the waterfront, finding consultants who reach conclusions that contradict Best Available Science. Some of the greatest damage is done through impacts to forage fish, which form the lynchpin of the aquatic food web on the Pacific coast. Continue reading

Kudos to Our Police / NorthwestCitizen, Dick Conoboy

Use of Force Model from the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center

Mon, Jul 13, 2015, 5:38 am  Dick Conoboy

On July 7, two Bellingham police officers confronted a homeless man with a knife outside a McDonald’s restaurant on Bakerview Rd. You can read the Herald article on this incident here. In many communites in the U.S., that man would now be lying in a morgue, a victim of bad police training and a “shoot first” mentality. Continue reading

How The Waterfront Is Really Being Sold / Facebook post, Whatcom Hawk

waterfront toursYesterday at 7:58pm  July 12, 2015  Wendy Harris

Well, the city and port propaganda machine is in full swing selling the public on the waterfront deal and how everything about it is going to be so great, great, great..from the sale to Harcourt, to the clean-ups, the demolition of historic structures, and of course, public access, which in Bellingham somehow increases habitat function. (Hooray for the Camelot that is Bellingham.) Continue reading

What Is An “Intensity of Use” Impact? And Why Should I Care? / Facebook post, Whatcom Hawk

11741194_10152956899635978_7495579539570191703_o19 hrs  July 12, 2015  Wendy Harris

An intensity of use impact is generally used to refer to disruption of wildlife from human presence, activities and land use. The greater the intensity of use, the more humans present, the more disruption to normal wildlife behavior, and the more likely there will be loss of biodiversity because many animals will naturally avoid areas with humans and pets. Continue reading

it’s your choice… / The Boynton Blog, community creativity from Whatcom County, Washington…and beyond

Whatcom Writes!July 1, 2015

Once again, it’s time to start thinking about your submission to Whatcom WRITES!

Each year, Whatcom County, Washington, selects a book for Whatcom READS! that will be read and discussed at libraries and in book groups throughout the region, culminating with local appearances by the author. The 2016 title is A Tale for the Time Being: Continue reading