Herrera to Create Stewardship Plan for Bellingham’s “Hundred Acre Wood”

By bitsadmin

Herrera is proud to be working with the Chuckanut Community Forest Park District (CCFPD) to create a Stewardship Plan for the “Hundred Acre Wood” property. This plan will provide recommendations for the long-term conservation, restoration, and monitoring of the site through a science-based framework.

The Chuckanut Community Forest Park District’s mission is to ensure the “Hundred Acre Wood” property remains protected in public ownership and in perpetuity, with respect to its ecological, recreational, and educational functions. Since 2011, the CCFPD has served as the fiscal mechanism through which southern Bellingham residents, via a tax levy, have nearly fully repaid the City of Bellingham for the Greenways Endowment Fund Loan used to purchase the property.

Following the acquisition of 82 acres by the Greenways Program, a conservation easement was established between the CCFPD and the City of Bellingham. The easement aims to protect the property in perpetuity, ensuring any future recreational enhancements or educational elements do not negatively impact the park’s unique environmental features or conservation values.

The Stewardship Plan will build upon many years of ecological analysis work prepared by others and Herrera’s 2017 pro bono engineering work with Recreation Northwest to replace an informal muddy trail connecting the property to Fairhaven Park with a stable gravel trail and boardwalk through a wetland.

Herrera looks forward to coordinating with the CCFPD and the City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department to develop a Master Plan for the site and updates to the conservation easement in anticipation of the retirement of the loan.   

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Bellingham, Community, Restoration, Sustainability, Uncategorized, Washington