Commentary: The Samish Crest Open Space is home to deer, bobcats, coyotes, cougars, a variety of birds and more. This forest is deeply spiritual to me.
My husband John and I moved from San Diego to Bellingham in 2003, exchanging the deserts of the Southwest for the lush rainforests of the Northwest. He was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, a particularly tragic turn of fate. Instead of remaining in San Diego and simply witnessing his decline, we chose to change our lives while we still could. We closed the San Diego chapter of our lives and moved north.
We found our home on a five-day house-hunting trip. We loved the beauty of our new home and yard, though we knew little about the neighborhood — a true leap of faith. Our son volunteered to drive his dad up from San Diego while I stayed behind for two more weeks to finish work, securing a better pension. While I was away, John began exploring the neighborhood and discovered we lived near a lake. Our first evening together in Bellingham, we walked down to Lake Padden, sat on the dock and watched an osprey fishing. Oh! The joy of discovering this treasure!
Curious about other natural wonders nearby, we began to explore. At the top of our street, we discovered a trailhead inviting us into the woods. I rose early to walk our dog and entered the woods, immediately captivated by their magic. I wandered through miles of forest trails, encountering coyotes, hawks, eagles, migratory songbirds and watchful owls.
Years later, after John’s death, I found comfort in the quiet serenity these woods offered. I have walked these trails almost daily, adopting the forest as my extended backyard.
The Samish Crest Open Space is home to deer, bobcats, coyotes, cougars, a variety of birds and more. I enjoy foraging for huckleberries, salmonberries, thimbleberries, black raspberries and the ever-present blackberries, which I harvest to make jam. In winter, I follow animal tracks through the snow and have come across abandoned campfire rings, a makeshift wooden tepee and an old, stripped-down car. Three overlooks provide breathtaking panoramic views of the Salish Sea, the San Juan Islands, Vancouver Island to the west and Mount Baker to the east.
This forest is deeply spiritual to me. Walking among the trees, I sense a universal presence that welcomes me, dissolving the boundaries between myself and the natural world. I feel a profound connection to all living things.
Despite its beauty, Samish Crest Open Space faces threats from a growing population. I have spent much time contemplating how to balance protecting wildlife corridors, trails, and scenic views with the need for more housing. With thoughtful planning, I believe it is possible to achieve both objectives.
With the help of fellow forest lovers, I acted to help protect these woods in 2011, when the area was threatened by development. The southern part of Samish Crest Open Space lies within Lake Padden’s watershed and was an Urban Growth Area (UGA) then, making it a target for annexation and development by the City. Our goal was to protect the lake’s water quality, which would suffer from clearcutting and development.
Despite the county’s recommendation for annexation and the financial incentives for development, our group — People for Lake Padden — undertook scientific studies of the lake and its watershed with support from the Sierra Club, Western Washington University’s College of the Environment. For two years Western interns collected and analyzed water samples and a geology student conducted an analysis of the watershed’s geology.
Our studies revealed that much of the land in the lake’s watershed is undevelopable due to many critical areas, steep slopes, and ravines, and that the lake’s condition would worsen with further development. We shared these findings with the public and local decision-makers. Ultimately, People for Lake Padden succeeded in having the remaining undeveloped watershed land’s UGS status removed and rezoned as Urban Reserve—a victory for science over politics.
Much has happened to this forest over the intervening years. Portions of it were clearcut in 2017. The City purchased several tracts and plans to create a Greenways trail that joins Whatcom Falls Park to Lake Padden through these woods.
The Samish Crest Open Space is again under threat. Washington counties are required to periodically update their comprehensive plans and development regulations, revisiting growth projections, UGAs, and community priorities. This process is now underway. Currently, a high population-growth projection is favored and developers are speaking up, wanting this land for development.
Once more, those of us who cherish this forest are coming together to strategize ways to preserve it, seeking solutions that allow for necessary urban development without sacrificing this irreplaceable natural treasure. Friends of Samish Crest Open Space has begun leading the public and local decision makers on guided walks in these beautiful woods. To know them is to love them, and to love them inspires us to make every effort to protect them.
— By Betsy Gross
Also read in Salish Current:
• “Bellingham adds 66 acres to Samish Crest green space,” April 8, 2025
• “Commentary: Neighbors offer vision for Samish Crest,” March 20, 2025
• “Commentary: Saving the Samish Crest,” Aug. 11, 2023