Waterfront Wednesday News

February 12, 2025

Working Waterfront presents at national conference

Coalition member Nate Thomas, owner and operator of Eska Bay Marine, presents to the national audience on how our Coalition operates. Photo: Dan Tucker

The Working Waterfront Coalition spent the last week in sunny San Diego for the National Working Waterfront Network Conference. The conference was a gathering of organizations, businesses, government agencies and individuals from across the country who are involved in projects to preserve, protect, and promote working waterfronts up and down both coasts, throughout the Great Lakes, and along the Gulf Coast. Coalition members, Board members, and staff attended, presenting on how we built our Coalition, the collaboration that we've done in our community between other organizations and the Port, and how we've developed unique workforce training programs here in the region. They also listened as delegations from a variety of states and regions spoke to the challenges posed by encroaching developments on limited waterfront-adjacent lands, conservation and ecology clean-up projects, and workforce changes within this sector.

The theme prevailing through the entire conference was: Economic opportunities matter, and the communities who we spoke too who had lost that infrastructure, revenue, and opportunity were facing significant hurdles of affordability, habitat loss and management, infrastructure maintenance, a loss of heritage in their community, and connection to the seas that impact us all.

If you'd like to know more about the Network, or to keep an eye out for the next conference, slated for 2027 or 2028, visit:

www.nationalworkingwaterfronts.com

Fairhaven Marine Industrial Park begins clean up operations

The Fairhaven Shipyard on Harris. Photo: Port of Bellingham

The Port of Bellingham and the Dept. of Ecology are beginning the clean-up project at the shipyard and marine industrial site in Fairhaven at the end of Harris Avenue. The project will begin the first phase of clean-up later this year. The $27 million project seeks to remove soil from 5 acres of the site in the first phase, and another 5 acres in the second phase beginning in 2027. 

The Port of Bellingham will be eligible for some reimbursement costs through state programs. You can read more about it from a recent article in the Bellingham Herald:

Public Comment Period Open

The Department of Ecology has opened public comments for the project beginning Monday, Feb. 10th and continuing through March 12th. The comment period is part of the consent decree with the Port of Bellingham and we encourage anyone interested or following the projects happening around Bellingham Bay  (twelve clean-up sites in total) to review and comment on the plans presented.

To leave a comment or review of the plan, follow the link below:

Public Walking Tour Scheduled

RE-Sources, along with the Port of Bellingham and the Dept of Ecology, is hosting a free walking tour of the site on February 26th, at 12:00pm, at the site (201 Harris Avenue). The tour will detail the project's scope. The Port and Dept. of Ecology will help answer questions on the plan. The public is encouraged to attend.

More details can be found on RE-Sources website: Harris Shipyard Clean Up Walking Tour

Engineers work to repair Ballard Locks

The Ballard Locks. Photo: Hiram M. Chittenden Locks

The Army Corp of Engineers is working hard to repair and maintain the aging Ballard Locks in Seattle, all while preserving public access to the space. Recently, Andrew Engelson of Cascade PBS highlighted the work being done in an article on their website. You may read about the details and see photos of the locks and equipment under repair via the link below:

Trackside Container Village, and the Waterfront District. Photo: Port of Bellingham

[Port of Bellingham] - The Port of Bellingham is pleased to announce its annual Whatcom County Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) progress report, highlighting significant achievements of community stakeholders and economic development partners across Whatcom County. This year’s report showcases key achievements that align with the goals set forth in the 2022-2026 CEDS strategy. To explore the full report, visit https://choosewhatcom.com/ceds/. CEDS highlights will be featured throughout 2025 on the Port’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

“The Port’s mission is to promote sustainable economic development and this report highlights the widespread partnerships and strategic initiatives, infrastructure development projects, innovation, and environmental stewardship that is taking place throughout our community,” said Port Economic Development Director Tyler Schroeder. “I’m proud of the work the Port and our project partners are doing to create jobs and build a stronger, more resilient Whatcom County.”

As the Associate Development Organization (ADO) for all of Whatcom County, the Port works in close collaboration with the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County to create a cohesive economic development strategy in partnership with the Washington State Department of Commerce. Together, the goal is to build a resilient regional economy that thrives on a dynamic, inclusive business community, living-wage jobs, equity, and a robust infrastructure that supports long-term success.

The 2022-2026 CEDS is a comprehensive plan crafted through broad input from a wide range of stakeholders, including higher education institutions, business and workforce advisories and councils, the incorporated seven cities, tribes, local chambers, municipalities, and service providers.

This year’s progress report highlights key accomplishments through 2024 that align with the six critical sub-goals of the CEDS: strengthening Whatcom County’s economic foundation, enhancing essential infrastructure, cultivating a skilled workforce, fostering regional and cross-border partnerships, advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, and supporting economic resilience and recovery.

View the full report via the link below:

Seaview Fairhaven Yard, with the new jetty visible. Photo: Anders Botterill, Seaview Boatyard

Coalition member Seaview Boatyard recently invited the Coalition out to Fairhaven to see new improvements to the property, and submitted this highlight of what's new over at Seaview Boatyard. Thank you to Phil & Tiel Riise, and Kyle Elsasser, for this article!

If you're a Coalition member and want to submit a highlight, please reach out to our staff at Info@whatcomworkingwaterfront.org.

Read about their new jetty, and plans for future operations, via the link below:

The Coalition's annual Tide to Table dinner is happening April 26th, at the Hotel Bellwether Ballroom, and tickets are now on sale! The dinner is our celebration of the Salish Sea and all it brings us with a seafood buffet, live and silent auction, and lots of good memories. Join us for this fun night with your best trackside derby outfits - big hats, garden-party attire, and mint juleps are all in season as our salmon race for the roses with our Kentucky Derby theme this year.

Tickets will be on sale through April 18th - so get your tickets today via the link below! 

Sponsorships Available

Your Coalition is growing. Your partnership and support make it all possible. You can help to sponsor the Coalition, our annual event, and the work we do to promote the economic vitality and diversity of working waterfronts here in Whatcom, and throughout the state. To see what sponsor packages are available, download the sponsor deck via the link below. If you'd like to build a custom package - reach out to our staff at Info@whatcomworkingwaterfront.org. 

Donate to our Auction

Looking for other ways to help the Coalition? We invite you to donate items to our live & silent auction! If you have gifts, experiences, or unique items that you'd like to go towards creating equitable economic opportunities in our region, preserving our diverse workforce, and helping keep our waterfronts working, consider donating them to our auctions for Tide to Table '25! 

To donate items, experiences, or gifts, please contact our staff at Info@whatcomworkingwaterfront.org. Please send your Item submissions by April 18th. Contact us today if you'd like to be a part of the auction for this fun evening.

Dungeness Crab. Photo: Alaska Fish & Wildlife

The Skagit Valley Herald recently reported on proposed rules changes for the Dungeness crab fishery to address several concerns. WA State Department of Fish & Wildlife will host an information and town-hall session on the proposed changes in a Zoom call on February 26th,5:00 p.m.

To read about the rules changes, and learn more, read the article from the Skagit Valley Herald below:

Check out the upcoming happenings related to our waterfront. Please click on the links to learn more. We hope to see you at some of these events!

Annual Coalition Member Appreciation Night - *Tonight* February 12th, 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Join us at the Squalicum Boathouse in Zuanich Point Park. This annual evening celebrates our membership and also serves as a member-wide meeting to get direct feedback from members on programs, initiatives, and to help elect Board of Directors. Stick around after, from 7-8 p.m. for a mixer hour to connect with other members! *Special for our members attending (and prospective members): One of our Port Commissioners will also provide a Q&A session regarding the discussion of 3 vs. 5 commissioners - so plan to come if you're interested in that discussion!

Crew Connections Mixer - February 26th, 5:30 p.m.

Happening at Structure's Brewing on Holly Street, downtown Bellingham. Are you interested in a job onboard a commercial fishing vessel? Are you a captain or operator looking to connect with potential crew? Ages 16+ event (Structures is all-ages friendly) Chat with operators and interested crew, make connections, and begin your maritime adventure!

Wild Seafood Connection - February 27th, All Day

Presented by the Port of Bellingham and additional sponsors at the Holiday Inn on Mitchell Drive near the Airport, this one-day conference is aimed at the independent commercial fisherman who wants to learn about marketing and direct marketing to restaurants, retailers, brokers and seafood buyers.
 

Tide to Table 2025 - April 26th, 5:30 - 9 p.m.

Join us for our annual Tide to Table event hosted this year at the Bellwether Ballroom. Tickets and info coming soon. Join us for a fun night of celebrating our working waterfronts and those women and men who work hard each day in/on/around our waterfronts.