Located 30 miles east of Bellingham, Washington, Stewart Mountain area covers nearly 28,000 acres of forest, river, and floodplain habitat. Of the greater area, the Stewart Mountain Community Forest maintains the goal of protecting 5,500 acres of forest and habitat along the South Fork of the Nooksack River. The health of the forest, riparian habitat, and water quality of the South Fork watershed are priorities in the management of the Stewart Mountain Community Forest Initiative. This past June, Whatcom County Council allocated funding for the initial purchase for the first 550 acres of Stewart Mountain, an exciting sign of things to come.

Through continued collaboration with Evergreen Land Trust, the Nooksack Indian Tribe, Western Washington University, Whatcom County, and other regional partners, Whatcom Land Trust will hold responsibility for purchasing and implementing ecologically sound management for ensuring forest diversity, ecological and water quality, and maintaining the conservation easement agreement that includes cultural uses by the Nooksack Indian Tribe. Partners will work together to create a long term forest management plan for  the health of the South Fork watershed. This planning process began in 2017, when a timber management organization reached out to Whatcom Land Trust, expressing a willingness to transition management of the forest.

This video project was supported by the generous contributions of Whatcom Land Trust paired with the partnership and financial assistance of the United States Forest Service through the Community Forest & Open Space Conservation Program. This institution is an equal opportunity provider. We would like to thank all additional community partners involved in the collaboration, input, and support that is making this video, and the Stewart Mountain Community Forest successful.