A Plea for Support by the Squalicum Valley Conservation Association

Dear Friends and Neighbors;

Twice our opponents have tried to prevent our participation in an appeal of Whatcom County’s issuance of a Land Disturbance Permit that will allow the construction of a road that will serve 26 new houses in the Lake Whatcom Watershed without requiring an Environmental Impact Statement. Both times the judges ruled that SQVCA has standing.

In addition to its location in the watershed, the proposed road and the development it will serve is located in areas that have been designated as a critical aquifer recharge zone, as geologically hazardous, and as a wildlife and fish habitat conservation area according to Whatcom County’s Critical Areas Ordinance Maps.

Apparently neither the county nor the Department of Ecology (DOE) considers these designations significant.The DOE has Issued a Stormwater Construction Permit for construction of this road contrary to its mission to protect the environment for the people of Washington State or its findings that existing development needs to be reduced to protect Lake Whatcom from additional phosphorus loading. Add the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to this list, as they approved a Forest Practices Application that permits the clearing of 19 acres of forest to accommodate this road. To their credit the developers have agreed not to harvest any trees until June 1, 2012.

It is necessary to go before the Pollution Control Hearings Board to appeal the permits issued by the DOE and DNR. The process is tedious and expensive. SQVCA needs to raise $30,000 to fund our appeals. Please go to squalicum.org and donate. Please give as generously as you can. Thank you for all of your past support as well, because without it we would not have been able to come as far as we have.

In addition to litigation, SQVCA is actively building partnerships that will enable us to acquire and preserve the Squalicum Mountain and adjoining properties that are threatened by this proposed development. 

Thank you for your continued support.