Protected Habitat & Parks

$10 million from the federal civil penalties was returned to the local community because of strong efforts from the Washington State Department of Ecology, the City of Bellingham, and citizens. That money funded the following programs and projects:

$4 million to the City of Bellingham to create environmental trust fund
$1 million to the City of Bellingham for Squalicum Creek and park
$4 million to create the Pipeline Safety Trust
$1 million to the Whatcom Land Trust for South Fork property acquisition and salmon habitat

The Department of Ecology’s original civil penalty on the pipeline company $7.5 million, but that ultimately was reduced to $2.5 million as a result of the Olympic Pipe Line Co. filing bankruptcy. That money funded the following programs and projects:

$1 million to Whatcom Land Trust for Point Whitehorn property acquisition
$0.5 million to Whatcom Land Trust for Fenton property acquisition (north county, along Haynie Creek)
$0.5 million to Whatcom Land Trust for Lilly Point acquisition
$0.3 million to City of Bellingham Fire Department for communications improvements
$0.2 million retained by the Department of Ecology’s Spills Program to develop response plans for pipelines