New DNR Requirements for Sumas Mountain

To celebrate 20 years of publishing Whatcom Watch, we will be publishing excerpts from 20 years ago. David Laws has been generous enough to volunteer to review the Whatcom Watch from 20 years ago to find suitable material to reprint. The below excerpts are from the September 1993 issue of Whatcom Watch.

Two representatives of Friends of Sumas Mountain (“Friends”) were part of a meeting in May at the Department of Natural Resources (“DNR”) to discuss future timber harvesting on Sumas Mountain. Also attending were representatives of the Nooksack and Lummi Tribes, Department of Ecology, Department of Fisheries, Department of Wildlife, and the land and timber owners in the area. The big outcome of the meeting is that the DNR has imposed significant new requirements for all future Forest Practice Applications (“FPA’s”) on Sumas Mountain, between the Swift Creek and Dale Creek gorges.

The DNR also has now acknowledged that “timber harvest in this area has the potential to exacerbate slope stability problems” and is requiring timber owners to submit, along with each incoming application, both geologic and hydrologic studies conducted by qualified scientists. These studies must address “the potential of proposed timber harvesting to impact hillslopes and downstream resources through (a) mass wasting; (b) surface erosion; and (c) hydrologic changes (including rain-on-snow processes).” The DNR also strongly recommends that timber owners utilize the Watershed Analysis process as the methodology of evaluation. In addition, the DNR will require engineered road plans for those areas where slope stability could be significantly impacted by road construction.

Despite these encouraging events, Friends remain cautious in our enthusiasm as we know that the real test to these new DNR requirements for FPA’s on Sumas Mountain will be in how thoroughly they will be adhered to and carried out by the DNR staff. The timber owners have plans for many more hundreds of acres to be cut in this area and they are not happy about the added time and expense of these studies. It’s not unlikely that they will attempt to challenge the DNR’s new requirements. Friends will continue to monitor all new permits for this area, which are now being sent to us directly, and continue to maintain close communication with the DNR and timber owners. [...]

Friends is also in the process of having some zoological and botanical studies conducted in the area to better educate ourselves and the community about the ecosystem existing here.

In the meantime the timber harvest of the Trillium/TAT site on Sumas Mountain that was appealed last fall by Friends, the Nooksack Tribe, and Whatcom County has been completed. Member of Friends have followed the activities closely, including monitoring walks with the timber owners throughout the process and maintaining close contact with the DNR regarding the 23 conditions on the permit. We know that our close scrutiny and involvement in the process of this clear-cut has resulted in a far better forest practice than had w not been voicing our concerns and watching the activities closely. […] We have documented this entire process and will be closely watching for signs of negative impact which may result.