What We Believe

Our concerns center on how we manage the water resources of Whatcom county. Water is essential for all life, and we find our county’s fresh water supply is at risk. We recognize our community is challenged by seasonally variable water supplies with extremes from flooding to drought. This raises concerns in particular for Farms (central to rural communities), Fish (central to Lummi Nation, Nooksack Indian Tribe, and the rest of us) and Communities (homes, jobs, food).

These are amplified by risks posed in: escalating climate change impacts; increasing impacts from seasonal weather extremes; statutory and regulatory constraints; and continued watershed conversion for development.

We urge policymakers to draw lessons from the collaborative framework used in the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan and other watershed-scale initiatives. Community leaders must together identify the appropriate forum for eventual negotiations to supplement the adjudication process. We need this multilateral approach, where we are all willing to compromise to create a better future for all of us.