The success of streamflow restoration grants: Stewart Mountain Community Forest

Until recently, what is now known as the Stewart Mountain Community Forest was the site of a commercial timber operation harvesting and selling wood on the open market.

Now, the 2,166-acre stretch of woodlands in the Nooksack Basin is under community ownership thanks to the Stewart Mountain Community Forest Initiative.

A big part of that acquisition - about 1,600 acres - was funded by one of Ecology's competitive streamflow restoration grants to benefit streamflow, water quality and forest preservation.

The land will be managed for ecological, cultural, recreational and economic values, with an emphasis on long-term stewardship shaped by local voices.

A $5.5 million streamflow restoration grant funded Phase II of the project, adding to earlier acquisitions and building on a framework shaped by extensive public input through a series of community forums and surveys. Other funding included $3 million from the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office Community Forest Program. This was combined with funds and support from Whatcom Land Trust donors to reach the $9 million purchase price.

According to a recent Whatcom Land Trust press release, over the past 30 years Stewart Mountain has been owned and logged by six different companies, leading to large sections of clearcuts being replaced by young trees planted too densely for healthy forest succession. This intensive logging, combined with climate change and decreasing snowpack levels, has contributed to the South Fork Nooksack River's struggles with sediment buildup and low water levels in late summer.

"Research shows that restoring upland forests and protecting riparian (riverside) areas can help reverse these trends. Now, because of this groundbreaking partnership, Stewart Mountain Community Forest will be owned and managed by representatives from our community, for our community. Together, we can rebuild a healthy, functional forest that supports salmon recovery and restores critical wildlife habitat," said Rachel Vasak, Whatcom Land Trust Executive Director.

The Stewart Mountain Community Forest involved cooperation between numerous parties to become a reality.

Partners in the effort include Whatcom County, Whatcom Land Trust, Nooksack Indian Tribe, and Evergreen Land Trust, who all partnered to ensure in-depth public engagement and manage the complex land acquisitions which secured permanent protection of the forestland.

"By permanently protecting working forestland in the Stewart Mountain watershed, this project advances Ecology's streamflow restoration goals by safeguarding headwater functions, sustaining late-season flows and ensuring long-term watershed resilience for both people and fish," said Ecology grant project manager Jill Scheffer.

The Streamflow Restoration Act was passed in 2018, when the Washington Legislature authorized $300 million in bond funding over 15 years to support projects that improve streamflows. Including the current competitive round, lawmakers have authorized $180 million to date.

The fifth round of competitive streamflow restoration grants opened January 15 this year and will remain open to new applications until March 17.

Up to $40 million in funding will be available statewide to tribal governments, public entities and nonprofit organizations for water supply projects focused on improving streamflows. Updated funding guidelines outlining the grant award process are now available.

Priority will be given to projects identified in watershed plans adopted under the Streamflow Restoration Law, codified in RCW 90.94, or developed through related rulemaking processes. Additional priority points will be awarded to projects located in designated 90.94.040 metering pilot project areas; projects that actively manage water to provide measurable streamflow improvements; and projects that benefit native fish, aquatic species of concern or federally listed salmonids protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Projects that benefit overburdened communities or vulnerable populations will also receive priority consideration.

For more information, visit our streamflow restoration competitive grants webpage.