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WMTP Tree Protection Project
Facilitating Forest Purchases for Habitat Preservation
Assisting Local Organizations to Purchase & Preserve Key Forests & Habitats
WMTP Successes to Date
Worked closely with Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) to purchase 2 county parcels that protects approximately 13,625 trees.
Facilitated the City of Bellingham’s acquisition of 867.6 acres of prime Lake Whatcom watershed forestland from a local logging company, thereby protecting nearly 200,000 trees for perpetuity.
For details about any of the above, see below.
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Introduction
Local businesses and agencies who want to actively support our local environment are increasingly considering local, conservation-oriented forest purchases. It’s a way to at least partially offset their carbon footprint and/or to support the health of key local watersheds and habitats.
Whatcom Million Trees Project, in partnership with Whatcom Land Trust, connects such organizations to local landowners who are interested in selling their property. It’s another potent way to protect mature trees and habitats in our region for perpetuity.
A Missing Piece of Most Sustainability Plans
Sustainability plans typically strive to reduce emissions (Scope 1-3) via systems/hardware and operational changes. That’s important, of course, but enhancing our region’s natural sequestration of carbon emissions is also needed to provide a truly sustainable future. Why? Because…
(a) greenhouse gases must be drawn down in our atmosphere — emission reductions alone cannot do that, and
(b) healthy trees/forests and habitats offer many other sustainability benefits besides carbon capture — such as biodiversity support, water filtering, flood reduction, natural cooling, fresh air, health and wellness benefits, and more.
A Compelling Alternative
Working with us to create validated local carbon offsets is a compelling alternative to purchasing poorly-verified ‘paper’ carbon credits for projects elsewhere in the world. Recent studies have shown, for example, that 90% of rainforest carbon credits are worthless in creating a positive carbon impact.
In contrast, local forest purchases for conservation…
- are easily verifiable as real and beneficial,
- can showcase an organization as a locally-focused sustainability leader,
- are far more meaningful to customers/clients than overseas projects,
- support numerous sustainability benefits (described above).
- provide positive hands-on engagement opportunities for staff and volunteers, and,
- may create hiking trails, ecological corridors, nature education settings, or other community assets.
Seen as a complementary piece of an organization’s overall sustainability response, local forest purchases can provide solid long-term return/benefits to an organization’s investment.
WMTP Forest Purchases Successes
WTA Carbon Offset Forest Purchases (2024-25)
WMTP worked closely with Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) to explore potential offsets via local forest purchases. After conceptual interest was established, we invited Whatcom Land Trust to identify candidate properties. When two properties (one next to Lake Terrell and the other next to Kinney Creek) became finalists, WMTP directed a carbon offset analysis prepared by Sum. During Fall 2024, the WTA Board approved both purchases, protecting 13,625 trees on those properties.
Real World Equivalents of WTA’s Forestland Acquisitions
~187 metric tons of carbon sequestered per year, on average, over 50 years. That will offset the annual emissions of:
- 2.5 diesel buses, or
- 4.5 hybrid buses, or
- ALL WTA administration/support vehicles PLUS the estimated CO2 pollution from charging 12 electric buses.
Depending on species and growing conditions, planting 1,000 additional conifer trees at these properties would sequester 50-80 additional tons of carbon per year, on average, over 50 years. That roughly equal to the annual emissions of an additional diesel bus, or two hybrid buses.
Lake Whatcom Watershed Acquisitions (2023-2025)
WMTP has held discussions with commercial loggers to facilitate and encourage forest purchases by the City of Bellingham’s Lake Whatcom Land Acquisition and Preservation Program. After we facilitated a two-year negotiation process, this resulted in City purchases during 2023 and 2025 from Nielsen Brothers of 867.6 total acres of prime forestland. It is located primarily in a sensitive, high-priority southeastern portion of the watershed very near Lake Whatcom itself. Conservatively, this WMTP-facilitated result protected approximately 196,914 trees for perpetuity!
Volunteer Opportunities
• Are you a landowner or real estate agent wanting to sell and preserve a sizable (10+ acres) forested property in Lake Whatcom watershed? Please contact us!
Related Links/Resources
Guardian Report About Rainforest Carbon Credits
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