Whatcom County, Washington

Infobox U.S. County
county = Whatcom County
state = Washington




map size = 225
founded = March 9, 1854
seat = Bellingham
area_total_sq_mi = 2504
area_land_sq_mi = 2120
area_water_sq_mi = 384
area percentage = 15.34%
census yr = 2000
pop = 166814
density_km2 = 30
web = www.co.whatcom.wa.us

Whatcom County (pronEng|ˈʍɑtkəm) is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. Its name ultimately derives from a Nooksack word meaning "noisy water."cite web| last = Oakley | first = Janet |title=Whatcom County — Thumbnail History|url=http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=7327| date=July 31, 2005|publisher=HistoryLink.org] cite web | last = Johnson | first = Annie | title=Shifting Shorelines|url=http://planet.wwu.edu/winter06/archives/winter04/shiftingshorelines.htm| date=2004] As of 2000, the population was 166,814. The county seat is at Bellingham, which is also the county's largest city. Whatcom County's northern border is the international boundary with the Canadian province of British Columbia; adjoining the county on the north are four of metropolitan Vancouver's suburbs, Delta, Surrey, Langley and Abbotsford, with several shopping malls and other services in Bellingham and elsewhere in the county geared to cross-border shopping and recreation. The five crossing points are at Blaine (one at the Peace Arch, located on the Interstate 5 crossing, and the other a commercial and passenger crossing on the Pacific Highway at State Route 543), as well as at Lynden (SR 539), Sumas (SR 9), and Point Roberts (Tyee Drive).

Whatcom County was created on March 9, 1854.cite web |title=Milestones for Washington State History — Part 2: 1851 to 1900|url=http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=5380| date=March 6, 2003|publisher=HistoryLink.org] Whatcom County originally included present day Island, San Juan, and Skagit counties. [http://www.whatcomcounty.us/history.jsp Whatcom County History] ]

Government

The Whatcom County government is a municipal corporation operating under a County Charter. Voters approved the County Charter in 1978. The Charter acts as a county constitution. Whatcom County is one of only four counties in Washington to use the home rule charter provision of state law. Local government is split between the county, incorporated cities and towns, and special purpose districts. These local governments are established and operate according to state law. These local governments operate independently from the county government.

County Government

The Charter establishes the structure of Whatcom County government. The County Council holds legislative powers granted to counties. The council consists of seven members elected for a term of four (4) years. Council members are elected at the general election in November of odd-numbered years. Three council members are elected one year before a Presidential election; four council members are elected one year after a Presidential election. Two members are elected from each of three districts; the seventh member is an at-large member. [http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/council/index.jsp Whatcom County Council] ] The County Council also serves as the county board of health.

The executive branch consists of six elected officials, a County Executive and five department heads. The County Executive is similar to a mayor or governor. The Assessor, Auditor, Prosecuting Attorney, Sheriff, and Treasurer are elected independently from the County Executive and serve as department heads. These six officials serve four year terms. [http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/contact/officials.jsp County Elected Officials] ] [http://srch.mrsc.org:8080/code/template.htm?view=main County Code and Charter] ] . The county council establishes various departments by ordinance. The county council or county executive appoint department heads. These departments include administrative services, health, medical examiner, planning and development services, parks and recreation, and public works. [ [http://www.whatcomcounty.us/contact/departments.jsp Whatcom County Departments] ]

The judicial branch consists of a district court and superior court. The district court is a court of limited jurisdiction. The district court handles civil and criminal cases. Criminal cases are limited to adults charged with misdemeanor and/or gross misdemeanor offenses. State law specifies what cases are in the district court's jurisdiction. The district court operates a small claims court to resolve civil cases involving monetary damages not exceeding $5,000. No attorneys are permitted to appear in small claims court. Cases are heard using less formal procedures. [http://www.whatcomcounty.us/districtcourt/ Whatcom County District Court] ] The district court has two judges, a court commissioner, and a support staff. The superior court is a court of general jurisdiction. Superior court hears civil cases exceeding $75,000 or requesting nonmonetary remedies. [http://www.whatcomcounty.us/superiorcourt/ Whatcom County Superior Court] ] Superior court hears all juvinile criminal cases and all adult felony cases. Superior court also hears appeals from district court and municipal courts. Superior court staff include three judges, three full-time court commissioners, two part-time court commissioners, and support staff. District and superior court judges are elected by the county voters for a term of four (4) years. Court commissioners are appointed by and serve at the discretion of elected judges; commissioners have powers and responsiblities equal to elected judges.

Cities and Towns

Incorporated cities and towns provide municipal services. Each city or town has an elected council and mayor.

pecial Purpose Districts

Special purpose districts include cemetery, fire, hospital, library, school, and water and sewer districts. Each special district is governed by officials elected by voters within that jurisdiction.

Fire Districts

Unincorporated Whatcom County residents established 16 fire districts to provide fire prevention, fire fighting, and emergency medical services. Each fire district is governed by an elected board of commissioners. Most districts have three commissioners. Fire districts receive most of their revenue from property taxes. Fire districts rely on volunteer firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs). Some districts employ professional firefighters and EMTs. All fire districts use 911 for emergency calls. Whatcom County has one 911 call center located in Bellingham. Additional dispatching locations provide backup capacity to answer emergency calls.

Whatcom County Fire Districts are: [ [http://www.whatcomcounty.us/auditor/election_division/maps/fire_districts.jsp Whatcom County Fire Districts map] ]
* Fire District 1 serves Deming, Everson, Nooksack, and Nugents Corner.
* Fire District 2 serves Geneva and Sudden Valley.
* Fire District 4 serves the Northshore area near Lake Whatcom.
* Fire District 5 serves Point Roberts.
* Fire District 6 serves Chuckanut Drive area of Whatcom County.
* Fire District 7 serves areas near Ferndale and Cherry Point.
* Fire District 8 serves Bellinghm International Airport, the Lummi Nation, and Marietta.
* Fire District 9 serves Lake Samish.
* Fire District 10 serves the Yew Street area east of Bellingham City Limits.
* Fire District 11 serves Lummi Island Lummi Island
* Fire District 14 serves areas around SR 542 between Deming and Maple Falls, Washington, SR 547, and Sumas.
* Fire District 16 serves communities along SR 9 south of [SR 542.
* Fire District 17 serves Sandy Point.
* Fire District 18 serves southern Lake Whatcom and Glenhaven Lakes.
* Fire District 19 serves SR 542 from Maple Falls to the Mount Baker Ski Area.
* Fire District 21 serves northwest Whatcom County including Birch Bay, Blaine°, Laurel, and Lynden°.

° outside Blaine and Lynden city limits only. The Blaine Fire Department and Lynden Fire Department serve respective cities.

Fire Districts 2, 6, 9, and 10 have proposed forming the South Whatcom Fire Authority. The South Whatcom Fire Authority would enable these districts to pool resources, reduce overhead costs, and improve the level of services offered. This proposal is effectively a merger. Voters will approve or reject this measure on November 4, 2008.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of convert|2504|sqmi|km2|0, of which, 2,120 square miles (5,490 km²) of it is land and convert|384|sqmi|km2|0 of it (15.34%) is water, including Lake Whatcom, which empties into Bellingham Bay by way of Whatcom Creek. Physiographically, Whatcom County is an extension of the Fraser Valley or "Lower Mainland" area of British Columbia, which is essentially the lowland delta plain of the Fraser River - at some times in the past one of the Fraser River's lower arms entered Bellingham Bay near Bellingham via what is now the mouth of the Nooksack River.^{citation needed} A very small part of the county, Point Roberts, about convert|5|sqmi|km2|0, is an extension of the Tsawwassen Peninsula, which is bisected by the international boundary along the 49th Parallel. The highest point in the county is the peak of the active volcano Mount Baker at convert|10778|ft|m|0 above sea level. The lowest points are at sea level along the Pacific Ocean.

Geographic features

*Cascade Mountains
*Chuckanut Mountains
*Eliza Island
*Lummi Island
*Mount Baker, highest point in Whatcom County.
*Portage Island
*Bellingham Bay

Major highways

*Interstate 5 connecting with Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles and points south .
*State Route 20 connecting US 101 and Sidney, British Columbia with Newport, Washington via the North Cascades Highway. Farthest north highway thru the Cascade Mountains in USA.
*Alaska Marine Highway connecting Alaska highways to the Interstate Highway System.

Adjacent counties

*Okanogan County, Washington - east
*Skagit County, Washington - south
*San Juan County, Washington - southwest

Whatcom County also has land borders with two administrative units of British Columbia, Canada, which together comprise the region known as the Lower Mainland, and also a water border with a district on Vancouver Island:

*Greater Vancouver Regional District
*Fraser Valley Regional District
*Capital Regional District (water boundary only, across Strait of Georgia)

=State protected areas=

* Birch Bay State Park
* Lake Terrell Wildlife Refuge
* Larrabee State Park
* Lookout Mountain (DNR)
* Lummi Island (part) (DNR)
* Stewart Mountain (DNR)
* Lake Whatcom Watershed

=National protected areas=

* Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (part)
* North Cascades National Park (part)
* Ross Lake National Recreation Area (part)

Education

Primary and Secondary Education

Whatcom County residents are served by a number of public and private schools. These schools provide preschool, primary (K-5), and secondary (6-12) education. Public schools are operated by eight school districts. Each school district is an independent local government managed by an elected school board. Seven districts serve the western portion of Whatcom County. [ [http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/auditor/election_division/maps/school_districts.jsp School Districts in Whatcom County] ] One district serves the southeast corner of Whatcom County. The remaining portion of the county is national forest or national park land, which has no permanent residents.

These districts are:
* Bellingham School District serves Bellingham, Chuckanut, Lake Samish, and Sudden Valley.
* Blaine School District serves Blaine, Birch Bay, and Point Roberts.
* Concrete School District serves the county's southeast corner including Newhalem and Diablo.
* Ferndale School District serves Ferndale, Custer, Lummi Island, and the Lummi Nation.
* Lynden School District serves Lynden and surrounding areas.
* Meridian School District serves rural communities between Bellingham and Lynden.
* Mount Baker School District serves communities along the Mount Baker Highway and Nooksack River.
* Nooksack Valley School District serves Everson, Nooksack, and Sumas.

Numerous private schools operate in Whatcom County including Lynden Christian Schools, Bellingham Christian Schools, and the Waldorf School.

Higher Education

Whatcom County hosts five institutions of higher education. Two universities and two colleges are located in Bellingham. One college is located on the Lummi Nation (Lummi Reservation) west of Bellingham. Bellingham Technical College is a public technical and vocational college located in Bellingham. Trinity Western University (TWU) is a private, Christian university based in Langley, BC about 25 miles north of Bellingham. TWU operates a branch campus in Bellingham offering undergraduate courses and supports TWU's bachelors degree completion program. Western Washington University (Western) is the third largest public university in Washington. Western offers bachelors and masters degrees through seven colleges. Western enrolls over 15,000 students. Whatcom Community College is a public community college offering academic certificate programs and associates degrees.

Northwest Indian College is a college supported by the Lummi Nation and serves the Native American community. Northwest Indian College is located on the Lummmi Nation (Lummi Reservation) about five miles west of Bellingham.

Agriculture

Whatcom County is the top producer of raspberries in the state. According to the " [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/outdoors/2002380209_nwwlynden14.html Seattle Times] ", in 2004 Whatcom County growers produced 46 million pounds of raspberries, 85% of the state's crop. Given that the state itself is the #1 producer of raspberries in the country, with over 87.8% of the crop in 2002, this makes Whatcom County responsible for almost 75% of the nation's raspberry production.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 166,814 people, 64,446 households, and 41,116 families residing in the county. The population density was 79 people per square mile (30/km²). There were 73,893 housing units at an average density of 35 per square mile (13/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.41% White, 0.69% Black or African American, 2.82% Native American, 2.78% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 2.49% from other races, and 2.66% from two or more races. 5.21% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 15.5% were of German, 9.2% English, 8.2% Dutch, 7.9% Irish, 7.0% Norwegian and 6.6% United States or American ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 64,446 households out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.20% were married couples living together, 8.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.20% were non-families. 25.60% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 3.03.

In the county, the population was spread out with 24.10% under the age of 18, 14.20% from 18 to 24, 27.50% from 25 to 44, 22.50% from 45 to 64, and 11.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 97.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $40,005, and the median income for a family was $49,325. Males had a median income of $37,589 versus $26,193 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,025. About 7.80% of families and 14.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.20% of those under age 18 and 8.30% of those age 65 or over.

Census-recognized communities

Incorporated cities, in order of population (largest to smallest).

* Bellingham
* Lynden
* Ferndale
* Blaine
* Everson
* Sumas
* Nooksack

Other communities, in order of population (largest to smallest).
* Lummi Nation
* Birch Bay
* Sudden Valley
* Marietta-Alderwood
* Peaceful Valley
* Geneva
* Point Roberts
* Custer
* Maple Falls
* Acme
* Deming
* Kendall
* Glacier

Other communities

* Bakerview
* Blue Canyon
* Chuckanut
* Clearbrook
* Clipper
* Glenhaven
* Laurel
* Newhalem
* Pleasant Valley
* Saxon
* Snug Harbor
* Strandell
* Van Buren
* Welcome
* Wickersham

Former communities

*Fairhaven (former city, now part of Bellingham)
*Goshen (ghost town)

References

External links

* [http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us Whatcom County official website]
* [http://www.bellingham.com Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce & Industry] , the largest business and civic organization in Whatcom County.
* [http://www.bellingham.org Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism] , the official tourism agency for Whatcom County.
* [http://www.wcls.org Whatcom County Library System]
* [http://www.servinit.com Whatcom County Businesses Prepare for the 2010 Winter Olympics]
* [http://www.etcwa.com Whatcom County Workshops, Seminars and Community Events]
* [http://www.whatcomcountyguide.com Whatcom County Guide - Local, online business and community resource]