Waterfront Wednesday News

April 10, 2024

WA Sea Grant Offering Safety at Sea Courses

Tide to Table Coming Soon - Get Your Tickets Now

This is your chance to win a Bellingham Bay-cation!

Tickets for the Whatcom Working Waterfront Coalition's annual gala dinner and auction are going fast. This year we're pleased the dinner will take place at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal (Alaska Ferry Terminal) in Fairhaven. Our auction this year will be hosted by Shannon Day, a professional auctioneer, joins us this year. Auction items include a chainsaw art piece by Proud Squirrel Art, a stay at the Hotel Leo with a kayak adventure, and a Hawaiian getaway. There will be opportunities for dining at Bellingham's favorite restaurants, vacation-stays in the San Juans, private cooking classes, and more! Bidding on some items will start the week prior to the event online, but to bid on our live-auction items, you'll need to roll up to this red-carpet event. 

Tickets are running out quickly - get your tickets via the button-link below.

Interested in being a Sponsor, Item Donor, or Volunteer?
We are always accepting sponsors, silent, and live action items, and volunteers to help us produce a fabulous event. If you're interested in helping out, please email Info@whatcomworkingwaterfront.org to learn more and get involved. Your sponsorships, donations, and participation all go to help support our programs, outreach, and advocacy on behalf of the over 6,000 individuals who are directly and indirectly sustained by our shores and waters. Thank you for your support.

We would like to thank our food and beverage sponsors this year, who are bringing you the best of the Northwest:

Climate Policy Workshop by People In Boots
- Not People in Suits

Are you a commercial fisherman or processor, or operate a commercial vessel in Whatcom?  Join Sarah Schumann of Fishery Friendly Climate Action this coming week at the Working Waterfront Offices and have your voice heard on climate policy and initiatives around low-carbon fleet transitions.

In this workshop, researchers affiliated with the project will present initial findings from interviews with fishing vessel owners throughout Alaska, the West Coast, and New England. Attendees will be invited to engage in a vigorous discussion about the options to power Bellingham's fishing vessels in a world where diesel may become scarcer and more expensive. Participants
will be asked to consider what kinds of public policies may be needed to build a bridge from today's diesel-powered fleet
to a low-carbon fleet of the future. Ideas generated during the workshop will inform the findings of the upcoming report on "Accelerating a Transition to a Low-Carbon Fishing Fleet” and will ensure that fishermen are in the driver’s seat of their own energy transition. Registration is encouraged, but not required.  Please register if you are able.

When

Tuesday Apr 16, 2024 ⋅ 12 - 3:00 p.m.

Location
Working Waterfront Offices

708 Coho Way, Bellingham

Bosun's Workshop Hosts Upcoming Free Workshops

Bosun's Workshop is a local non-profit teaching maritime trades skills and traditional vessel repair run by Capt. Calen Mehrer,
of the Schooner Zodiac. They're hosting a few upcoming courses and workshops that are free and open to the public. Feel
free to share this information with any friends, family or peers that may be interested.

Outboards 201

Sunday, April 14th from 12-3pm
Advanced engine troubleshooting & diagnostics

Blade Sharpening

Saturday, May 11th 12-3pm
Introduction to all things sharpening blades (knifes, chisels and other tools)

For more information on a class and/or to reserve your seat for a class, please email your name to info@bosunsworkshop.org

All classes are free to the public and they try to fit as much information into a 3-hour long class as possible.
Classes take place in their warehouse next to the Bellingham Cruise Terminal.

Silfab Solar Leaving the Bellingham Waterfront

Silfab Solar facility on March 21st. Photo: Hailey Hoffman, Cascadia Daily News

Silfab Solar, with their facility on Bellingham's waterfront since 2018, is consolidating its operation and moving to Burlington, as reported by Frank Catalano of Cascadia Daily News on March 29th.

The company has stated they've outgrown their footprint on the waterfront, and will be expanding in Burlington in a larger space. The move comes as Bellingham faces a shortage of industrial-zoned land, and facility buildings are at a premium. The Port is confident that another business will quickly take over the space at 800 Cornwall Ave, and its 48,000 square-foot building.

The move also highlights the challenges of having industrial zoning in short supply. The move will lose several living-wage jobs from the area, and the investment that Silfab brought to the city and the county. As the waterfront faces further pressures on industrial zones and businesses, it is a reminder of the need to preserve the industrial spaces we have, and to promote investment in the city and the waterfront with stable messaging and policy around zoning that allows investors to have confidence in starting and maintaining projects in the city. 

You can read more about the move via Cascadia Daily News in the link below:

Update on ABC Recycling Operations at Shipping Terminal

Recycling being loaded at the Port of Bellingham Shipping Terminal.

[Submitted by Michael Shephard, Port Commissioner, April 4th 2024] -

Dear Community Member,

This past week the Port Commission took action to terminate the lease of ABC Recycling at the Shipping Terminal. ABC has been storing and exporting used metal for recycling for the past year. During that time, they have struggled to meet our high standards for stormwater quality. Concerns about their current and future ability to meet our environmental standards were central in the decision to discontinue this lease. Over the past year levels of metals in stormwater have been elevated and I did not feel that the tenant was making the comprehensive investments needed to ensure that key pollutants were being kept out of Bellingham Bay. This decision was not taken lightly, as I value the union-wage employment that was created by these cargo operations. 

So, what can the public expect going forward and have there been any lessons learned from this experience? ABC Recycling will remove existing metal inventory over the next few months. We expect one ship in April and another in June. After those shipments, their operations at the Terminal will be concluded. Port and ABC staff will increase efforts to reduce the potential for stormwater discharge during these operations. The Port will continue to market the Shipping Terminal for cargo import and export. This publicly owned terminal represents a significant community asset and job creation opportunity. We will continue to look for tenants able to activate job creation at this facility while maintaining high environmental standards and minimizing community impacts. 

The Port will continue work to strengthen and modernize the Bellingham Shipping Terminal. As part of the modernization project, the Port is installing a new stormwater filtration system on the pier. This will help ensure that future operations have the best equipment to meet environmental standards. In the future, I will be looking for tenants that can operate cleanly, as quietly as possible, and activate job creation. Future cargo operations will also receive a full review by the Port’s environmental division to make recommendations about the compatibility of new cargo with environmental standards and community impacts. I appreciate that the public has been engaged in this issue and that many of you shared your views with me. We will continue to work toward operations at the Shipping Terminal that meet goals for economic development, job creation, environmental stewardship, and quality of life. 

Maritime Washington National Heritage Area
Partner Conference Convenes

Port of Seattle Commissioner Fred Felleman addresses a panel discussion at the MWNHA Partner event.

This last week, the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area convened their partner network in person for the first time.
The excitement and energy for the 3,000 miles of coastline under the federal designation was clear, with vibrant discussions,
in-depth panel discussions, and networking among the 40 partner organizations attending at the Port of Seattle's offices
on April 4th. The all-day conference featured information on grant funding, interpretive strategies, direct networking for specific regions and panel discussions for case studies in projects such as the University of Washington's old Shell House on Lake Washington, recently featured in the movie, "The Boys in the Boat".

The Coalition's own Program Manager, Dan Tucker, was able to attend, along with other Executive and Program Directors from many non-profits like Sound Experience, with Schooner Adventuress, University of Washington, Grays Harbor Historical Seaport, Lopez Island Historical Society, Northwest Maritime Center, Foss Waterway Seaport, and government entities such as Port of Seattle, Port of Kingston, Washington State Ferries, and representatives from the Department of Archeology and Historical Preservation.

Carson Meacham, Communications and Outreach Specialist for the MWNHA, said, "We left feeling energized by the day’s discussions, ideas, and connections. Our partners' dedication to their work and to strengthening maritime heritage is truly inspiring. We are proud to convene such an incredible group of people."

The next meeting is already being planned as the program continues to expand, sharing how our region was shaped by sea and story. To learn more about the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area and the organizations, places and stories
that it tells, visit the website linked below:

Spring Edition of On the Waterfront Available

The Whatcom Working Waterfront's Spring 2024 edition of our print newsletter, On the Waterfront, is now available at various locations, such as the HarborMaster's offices in Squalicum Harbor and Blaine as well as at the new Gate-5 bulletin board.

If you'd like to view the edition digitally, follow the link below:

Upcoming Waterfront & Coalition Events