9/12/17 Whatcom County Council meeting: Please come speak at open session RE the need to send the CAO back for more review / Facebook post, Whatcom Hawk, Wendy Harris

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3 hrs  September 11, 2017  Wendy Harris

I have been informed that “Liberty Road” has invited private property rights advocates to swarm the County Council Public Hearings and Open Session tomorrow night. Among the purported offenses are public hearings for an Ordinance amending Whatcom County Code 8.13, Solid Waste Disposal District, regarding the Solid Waste Excise Privilege Tax (AB2017-244) and an Ordinance amending Whatcom County Code Title 20 Zoning and the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan relating to cumulative impervious surface coverage standards (AB2017-195). Continue reading →

Planning Commission, With Help From Friends In Ag, Undermine Court Required Compliance With Hirst Decision / Facebook Post, Whatcom Hawk, Wendy Harris

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Click the graphic above to view the full April 5, 2017 Memorandum from Gary Davis,  Whatcom County Senior Planner, “Impervious Surface and Animal Husbandry Proposals”

4 hrs  April 9, 2017  Wendy Harris

While the county continues to seek state legislative fixes to the Hirst decision, and at all costs avoid its obligation to actually plan, the county is still under a court imposed obligation to come into compliance with the GMA, and protect rural water quality and quantity. (Yes, somehow with all the hysterical theatrics that surrounds this decision, it is easy to forget that it is, after all, a GMA compliance case). Continue reading →

Biggest Bullshit Not Called Out During Ericksen Town Hall Meeting: In Defense of Trees / Facebook post, Whatcom Hawk, Wendy Harris

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Click the above graphic to view the full report: “The Economic Benefits of Old-Growth Forests in the Pacific Northwest, An Overview” prepared for Earthjustice by ECONorthwest

38 mins  March 5, 2017  Wendy Harris

I have heard this meme before… trees take up more water from the ground than a single family residence. That is not the issue. The issue is how that water is then used to help or hurt the environment. Continue reading →

General Overview of Problems With Critical Area Ordinance / Facebook post, Whatcom Hawk, Wendy Harris

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10 hrs  February 22, 2017  Wendy Harris

Will the council approve a Critical Area Ordinance (CAO) that does not comply with the GMA? It is looking more and more likely. I am sick to my stomach thinking that after just one “general issues” work session, council will be ready to vote on the updated Critical Area Ordinance. It really did not help that few people participated, but how could they when there was no real training provided on such a technical issue? Perhaps if the CAO was not improperly separated from the Comp. Plan update, it would have been easier to obtain public input. Continue reading →

Why Was County Staff Not Disclosing Relevant CAO Information?/ Letter to Whatcom County Council, Facebook post, Whatcom Hawk, Wendy Harris

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5 hrs  January 10, 2017  Wendy Harris
Dear County Council,
As you are aware, it is a fatal flaw in the CAO that the county lacks baselines standards to help measure and monitor the county’s success in meeting no net loss standards. Thus, I had begun reviewing this information on my own in an attempt to help the county better achieve GMA compliance. Continue reading →

The Whatcom County Planning Commission Presents Theater of The Absurd: The Cherry Point Amendments / Facebook Post, Whatcom Hawk, Wendy Harris

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Click the graphic to view the November 1, 2016 Cherry Point Memo and attached documents which are part of the meeting materials for the November 10, 2016 Planning Commission work session on the Cherry Point amendments

4:25am  November 5, 2016  Wendy Harris
The County Planning Commission is meeting on Thursday, the 10th, (6:30 PM in council chambers) and I was extremely disappointed to review on the agenda the ridiculous “alternative approaches” for the SEPA review, trumped up by the administration in the hopes of derailing the Weimer Cherry Point amendments. Continue reading →

The Samish Crest Logging Application; SEPA Review (Comments Due 10.19.16) / Facebook post, Whatcom Hawk, Wendy Harris

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Click the graphic to access City of Bellingham Current Planning Notices, where this notice and accompanying documents are about halfway down on the webpage at the date of this post.

 

6:00am  October 17, 2016  Wendy Harris

The Samish Crest Logging Application; SEPA Review
(Comments Due 10.19.16)

Need another reason to be concerned about an attempt to log 30% of this undeveloped habitat corridor in advance of eventual multi-million dollar homes?

How about this? Old Growth Forest. Continue reading →

Obstruction of council members’s abiltiy to carry out their obligations to the public / Letter to the Whatcom County Council, Dena Jensen

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July 22, 2016  Dena Jensen

Dear Whatcom County Council:

I have been involved for 5 years in working in opposition to projects at Cherry Point that do or will adversely affect the air, lands, waters, life forms, and/or cultural and spiritual resources located there or the treaty rights of affected tribes, which in turn have or will have an adverse effect on the rest of our region.  The only question has ever been, whether those adverse effects can be lightened to some degree acceptable to either the Lummi and Nooksack Nations or the majority of people in our community. Continue reading →