National park, wilderness, national forest, state and local land, land trusts and
conservation easements: how much of Whatcom County is protected, how
strongly, since when, and who looks after it. From the national Protected Areas Database, in plain language.
Darker green means stronger protection. Tap the map for what
protects that area.
Managed for natureManaged for nature, some interventionMultiple use, incl. loggingNo known conservation mandate
When protection came
Years for the major federal designations, as recorded in the database. Land trust
and local conservation grew gradually over the decades; a year-by-year view of that is planned.
Who looks after it
Owned or managed land and conservation easements, each acre counted once per manager.
Shares are of the county's land area (lakes and bays excluded).
What "protected" means here
The Protected Areas Database gives each place a protection level (its "GAP status"),
describing how the land is managed. Where protections overlap, as with wilderness inside a national
forest, this page counts each acre once, at its strongest level.
Managed for nature, natural processes allowed
Kept in a natural state, with fire, floods and other natural events allowed to run their course. Most
of the national park and the wilderness areas.
Managed for nature, with some intervention
Managed mainly for nature, but with some intervention such as fire suppression. Many preserves,
some state land and much land-trust land.
Multiple use, including logging or mining
Protected from being developed, but used for other purposes too, including timber harvest: national
forest outside wilderness, and state trust land managed by DNR, whose timber sales fund schools and counties.
No known conservation mandate
Publicly owned or otherwise recorded, but with no known commitment to conservation.