Keep your eyes on the review of the Cherry Point amendments / Noisy Waters Northwest

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February 7, 2020  Dena Jensen

Don’t forget that it’s important to stay engaged in the ongoing Whatcom County Planning Commission review of the Cherry Point Comprehensive Plan and code amendments! Industry representatives and Labor Union members are definitely staying engaged. Some of their comments seek to represent themselves as the stakeholders regarding Cherry Point. There’s lots more of us, probably most of us, who are stakeholders in the health, safety, and cultural integrity of Cherry Point/Xwe’chi’eXen and we don’t want our elected officials to be losing sight of this.

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Whatcom Business Alliance’s new ‘project’ to protect Cherry Point refineries’ ability to expand fossil fuel operations / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Screenshot of the ‘Whatcom Coalition for Economic Growth’ Facebook page

December 13, 2019  Dena Jensen

This month, folks may have been seeing sponsored Facebook ads for the Whatcom Coalition for Economic Growth. This is a fairly new “project” of the Whatcom Business Alliance that seems to be putting on a full court press during this time that the Whatcom County Planning Commission is reviewing the Cherry Point Amendments. This WBA effort is not unlike Cascade Natural Gas’s misinformation campaign regarding the Climate Action Plan Task Force.
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Tony Larson and the Business and Commerce Committee campaign against Cherry Point amendments / Noisy Waters Northwest

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November 14, 2019  Dena Jensen

It is surely fitting for protectors of Native American treaty rights and the Salish Sea to be enjoying a collective sigh of relief due to the defeat of Tony Larson’s 2019 campaign to become Whatcom County Executive.  The particular disaster of a man becoming County Executive, who had championed a proposed coal terminal project at Xwe’chi’eXen that was in opposition to the wishes and treaty rights of Lummi Nation, was averted. Continue reading →

Whatcom County Planning Commission directs staff to consult with Cherry Point industries / Noisy Waters Northwest

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Click the graphic of a simple drawing of a white furry creature with big black eyes drinking from a straw in a glass of bubbly liquid to access the audio recording of the 9/26/19 Whatcom County Planning Commission meeting

October 4, 2019 Dena Jensen

That cute little graphic at the top of this post is displayed on a link to the Whatcom County Planning Commission’s not-so-cute 9/26/19 work session regarding the Cherry Point Comprehensive Plan and code amendments. I listened the the whole 3 hour – close to 4 – meeting. It was alarming and disappointing for a number of reasons I described in a letter to the Commissioners that I will post here. 

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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 →

Letter to BP’s Associate Director, NW Government and Public Affairs regarding Cherry Point Amendments / Dena Jensen

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policy 2CC-15 council proposal

You can view the full version of the Whatcom County Council’s September 14, 2017 Proposed Cherry Point Amendments by clicking the graphic above.

Saturday March 12, 2017  Dena Jensen

I am posting a letter that I sent on March 11, 2017 to BP’s Associate Director of NW Government and Public Affairs Pam Brady, who is on the Board of Directors of the Whatcom Business Alliance.  The Whatcom Business Alliance (WBA) is increasingly promoting their campaign against elements of the Whatcom County Council Proposed Cherry Point Amendments to our County’s long-term planning document, the Comprehensive Plan.   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 →

Larson’s WBA claim that “school districts” are members of their Cherry Point coalition / Facebook post, Sj Robson

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23 hrs February 5, 2017

I sent an email letter today to the Whatcom County Planning Commission and the County Council, regarding Tony Larson’s Whatcom Business Alliance’s (WBA) claim that “school districts” are members of the WBA Cherry Point coalition/stakeholder group. I looked into this matter and sent my findings to the Commission and Council. Continue reading →

Erin Anderson’s WBA comment on Cherry Point Amendments Policy 2CC-3 (2CC-2 in Council Proposal) regarding Lummi Nation / Facebook post, Coal Stop, Dena Jensen

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Page excerpt from “Protecting Treaty Rights, Sacred Places, and Lifeways: Coal vs. Communites,” presented by Jewell James, Lummi Tribal Member and Head Carver, Lummi Tribe’s House of Tears Carvers

January 14, 2017  Dena Jensen

At the most recent Planning Commission meeting on the Cherry Point Amendments this last Thursday, a lady spoke near the tail end of the comment section on the amendments who identified herself as Erin Anderson and said she was speaking on behalf of the Whatcom Business Alliance. Continue reading →