Dear Watchers

Dear Watchers:

Thank you for publishing the opposing views on the issue of power boats using Lake Whatcom—the articles were illuminating. Coincidentally, I noted the appearance of a letter to the editor of the Bellingham Herald on the same day I received my Whatcom Watch that parroted several arguments from the “Boats On” advocates, and went on to heap praise on those “protectors of the right to power boat.” The fact that this letter came from BIA executive vice president Bill Quehrn lends further support to what many of us knew all along: the pseudo-community “Boats On” groups Lake Whatcom Stewardship Association (LWSA) and Healthy Community Campaign (HCC) are no more than thinly veiled shills for the real estate and building industries.

Let’s have a look at some of their absurd arguments: They say a lack of power boats would make the lake unsafe. I would wager that a very large percentage of accidents on Lake Whatcom directly involve power boats. I can personally attest to the death of one of my high school classmates from a power boat accident on the lake in the 1970’s. I have also nearly been run over by combustion powered craft on several occasions when out on the lake in human-powered craft. These are just the incidents I am familiar with—I have no doubt there would be far fewer accidents on the lake, and it would be a safer place, in the absence of power boats.

As if that weren’t enough, they have, in their Whatcom Watch article, gone so far as to claim that the city is negligent in protecting the lake because it hasn’t released enough water from the Middle Fork Nooksack diversion lately. Let’s see, “the solution to pollution is dilution,” and we can pollute the lake as much as we want, but we need to come up with more water to dilute it—is that the argument?

I have some news for these folks: the Middle Fork Nooksack is not part of the Lake Whatcom watershed. The lake did fine for thousands of years without it, and that should still be the case. If not, then we clearly need to take action to reduce pollution—not increase dilution. The Middle Fork water properly belongs in the Nooksack basin, where it is needed by the people, fish, and other life that depends on that river.

If the “Boats On” folks thought not enough water had been released from the Middle Fork last year, just wait until this year. Our dry spring likely indicates even less water from the Nooksack system will make it into Lake Whatcom. This means that efforts to actually protect the lake and its watershed are more important now than ever. I am sure you won’t see any such efforts come forth from the LWSA or the HCC.

I can’t imagine more than a few hundred people would be negatively impacted by a power boating ban on Lake Whatcom. Given that small minority, along with the large potential profits for real estate brokers, builders, and land developers in the watershed, the revelation of the real backing behind the “Boats On” movement should come as no surprise at all. It would appear that “Boats On” differs not a whit from “Cut All The Trees and Pave It.”

Dear Watchers:

In a report dated 4/27/04, park arborist James Luce writes, “Cornwall Park is a Bellingham city park of approximately 66 acres. It is predominately a second growth native forest dominated by Douglas fir, western red cedar and western hemlock. There are also significant specimens of grand fir, big leaf maple, as well as some Sitka spruce, red alder and birch. There is a wide variety of other native shrubs, and herbaceous plant species. The park’s forest is an island of native ecological diversity within the developed city. The park is a refuge for wildlife such as hawks and owls that nest in the tall trees. Squalicum Creek flows through the north end of the park. The stream and its riparian zone add to the diversity.”

In l998, Bellingham park planners considered Cornwall Park to be underutilized park property. They then located a nine-hole disc golf course amidst fine groves of immense old trees. When some of these trees were seedlings poking through the forest floor, Washington was still a territory, not yet a state.

The game of disc golf is played with specially designed, hard edged, weighted plastic discs. These discs are thrown with great force, and often smash into tree trunks. Large areas of bark are slowly being cut from the trees. As group after group of golfers walk through the forest, the native under story vegetation is obliterated. The soil is compacted, and tree roots are damaged.

His professional staff has informed city park director Paul Leuthold that serious damage is occurring. Two hundred eighty-seven trees show visible impacts to the trunks. Even the very thick bark of the Douglas firs has been chipped away to show damage to the living part of the bark. Approximately three acres of soils have been denuded of vegetation and compacted. Five trees have been completely destroyed. There is no regeneration of the forest. The few existing young trees have been destroyed. Seedlings cannot survive. The established vegetation is continually reduced and no regeneration is able to take hold. Director Leuthold is reluctant to stop the destruction, because disc golf has become a very popular sport.

Park arborist Luce’s April 2004 report states the following; “Today I revisited the areas of Cornwall Park impacted by disc golf. In July of 2001, I submitted a report expressing concern for the forest health due to the impacts. The amount of damage has increased markedly in the three years since the last report. It is unfortunate that park forest conditions were not documented before the degradation had reached its current state…Park administrators must choose for what values these areas are to be managed. Managing for a healthy forest is not compatible with managing for disc golf in the same area.”

As Bellingham grows, there is ever increasing competition among interest groups, which want to utilize park property. Groups who want softball fields, soccer fields, rugby fields and off-leash dog areas confront the park director. These groups also lobby elected officials to get what they want. It was a local disc golf club that pressured the park director for use of Cornwall Park.

By allowing this park to be managed as a disc golf course, rather than a healthy native forest, park administrators have devalued the many citizens who treasure the inspiring natural beauty of this park. Decisions on parkland use must include consideration for preserving the precious natural landscape, that survives amidst the asphalt and concrete of this growing city.

With its towering 130-year-old trees and its salmon-bearing stream, Cornwall Park gives us a tiny glimpse of what this land once looked like. This landscape is a place of wonder, and a natural legacy, which should be cared for and passed on to future generations.

Readers interested in preserving this “island of native ecological diversity within the developed city” should call the mayor, the city council (phone numbers on page 14) and the park department, and let your views be known.