- Whatcom County (/ˈwɒtkəm/, /ˈhwɒtkəm/) is a county located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Washington, bordered by the Lower Mainland (the Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley Regional Districts) of British Columbia to the north, Okanogan County to the east, Skagit County to the south, San Juan County across Rosario Strait to the southwest, and the Strait of Georgia to the west. Its county seat and largest population center is the coastal city of Bellingham, comprising the Bellingham, WA Metropolitan Statistical Area, and as of the 2020 census, the county’s population was 226,847.
- Tahoma Forest Natural Resources Conservation Area (dnr.wa.gov)
This 230-acre conservation area within the Tahoma State Forest protects mature, structurally complex forest and contributes to habitat connectivity for northern spotted owls within the surrounding landscape. The conservation area includes mid-elevation old-growth forest communities ranging from 100 to well over 200 years of age. Douglas fir and western hemlock dominate the forest overstory, but silver fir and noble fir are also common. The forest understory includes species such as beargrass, red huckleberry, Pacific rhododendron, vanilla leaf, cutleaf goldthread and queencup beadlily.
