Whatcom County Council advances Comprehensive Plan land use and acknowledgement policies

The Whatcom County Council Committee of the Whole met on May 12, 2026, to discuss Chapter 2 of the Comprehensive Plan, focusing on land use.

The council approved a motion to add Policy 2H-4, stating lands designated for agriculture under Whatcom County code will retain their agricultural designation and protections. These lands are to remain farmable regardless of whether they are in active production, unless they are de-designated to an Urban Growth Area (UGA) or another non-resource land use consistent with the Growth Management Act.

For industrial zoning, the council approved Policy 2U-11 to coordinate with the City of Bellingham to complete an annexation and land use compatibility plan. The plan will evaluate the compatibility of existing light and heavy industrial zoning with surrounding land uses. The evaluation will consider proximity to residential neighborhoods, zoning transitions, economic impacts, and cumulative environmental and public health impacts.

The council approved a motion amending Policy 2A-9, stating that where heavy industrial zoning is located within municipal UGAs adjacent to residential neighborhoods, the county should identify and implement measures to minimize neighborhood exposure to industrial pollution.

Regarding the Cherry Point UGA, the council approved a motion amending Policy 2CC-16. The policy states the county will use its adopted State Environmental Policy Act policies and permitting processes to identify and mitigate significant adverse impacts from new fossil fuel facilities, including crude oil, coal, liquefied petroleum gases, and natural gas facilities.

The council approved Policy 2QQ-3 to consider opportunities to coordinate and engage with tribes on relevant county planning and land use matters.

During a Special Committee of the Whole meeting on May 5, 2026, the council discussed the preface to the Comprehensive Plan.

The council approved a motion to include a land acknowledgement statement recognizing that Whatcom County is located on the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Lummi Nation, the Nooksack Indian Tribe, and other Coast Salish peoples.

The council approved a motion to amend the labor acknowledgement to recognize immigrant communities for their skills in developing agriculture lands. Further discussion on the preface was held until May 19, 2026.