Protection of Blanchard Mountain
After a nearly 20-year effort, Blanchard Mountain is finally protected.
Located between Bellingham and Burlington off Chuckanut Drive, Blanchard Mountain is a hugely popular recreation destination visited by as many as 100,000 people from across the Puget Sound region each year. It is the heart of the newly-renamed Harriet Spanel State Forest. For decades, trails, recreation destinations and habitat were at risk of being closed or gravely altered by logging. Thanks to a collaborative effort by local groups, citizens and elected leaders, the core of the Forest around Blanchard Mountain is now permanently protected for future generations to enjoy!
Background
About 20 years ago, local conservation leaders began an effort to gain permanent protection for the scenic, recreational, and ecological gem that is Blanchard Mountain, heart of the then-named Blanchard State Forest. The land has long been managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for logging to generate revenue for Skagit County and other trust beneficiaries, and logging of key areas has been a continuous threat during this two decade period even as recreational use and other visitation grew rapidly. In 2008, the Blanchard Forest Strategy agreement was reached among a stakeholder group convened by the DNR. That agreement called for the protection of a 1,600 acre core zone that would be protected for recreation and environmental qualities and would no longer be logged for state trust lands beneficiaries. However, to implement the Strategy DNR needed funding to purchase replacement timberlands to offset those in the core zone. Due to the recession and other challenges, it took until spring of 2018 to secure the final increment of the needed funds. Now the mountain is safe and we can celebrate! Read more at: www.conservationnw.org/blanchard-mountain.
Located between Bellingham and Burlington off Chuckanut Drive, Blanchard Mountain is a hugely popular recreation destination visited by as many as 100,000 people from across the Puget Sound region each year. It is the heart of the newly-renamed Harriet Spanel State Forest. For decades, trails, recreation destinations and habitat were at risk of being closed or gravely altered by logging. Thanks to a collaborative effort by local groups, citizens and elected leaders, the core of the Forest around Blanchard Mountain is now permanently protected for future generations to enjoy!
Background
About 20 years ago, local conservation leaders began an effort to gain permanent protection for the scenic, recreational, and ecological gem that is Blanchard Mountain, heart of the then-named Blanchard State Forest. The land has long been managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for logging to generate revenue for Skagit County and other trust beneficiaries, and logging of key areas has been a continuous threat during this two decade period even as recreational use and other visitation grew rapidly. In 2008, the Blanchard Forest Strategy agreement was reached among a stakeholder group convened by the DNR. That agreement called for the protection of a 1,600 acre core zone that would be protected for recreation and environmental qualities and would no longer be logged for state trust lands beneficiaries. However, to implement the Strategy DNR needed funding to purchase replacement timberlands to offset those in the core zone. Due to the recession and other challenges, it took until spring of 2018 to secure the final increment of the needed funds. Now the mountain is safe and we can celebrate! Read more at: www.conservationnw.org/blanchard-mountain.