Introduction
This is a guide to resources relating to the history of environmental activism & conservation in Whatcom County and the larger Pacific Northwest region. It focuses on primary source holdings available through Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, selected resources in the Western Library, links to local news sources reporting on environmental issues outside of the mainstream press, as well as to current activists & groups pages.
This list is not exhaustive and may not include newly-acquired holdings!
Contact Archives & Special Collections staff and/or Research staff & faculty in the Western Libraries Research/Writing Studio if you need assistance finding additional information.
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Related Guides - Western Libraries
Local & Regional Environmental Action & Improvement Groups and organizations, as well as news sources
- Chuckanut Conservancy: OnlineFocus: protection and restoration of the wildlands in the Chuckanuts-to-Cascades region of Northwest Washington."
- Conservation Northwest OnlineWorks to protect wildlife, connecting forests and wild areas from the Washington Coast through the Cascades Mountains to the British Columbia Rockies. Includes reports of other groups activities, such as Citizen Advocates for Lake Whatcom, and other regional environmental coalitions.
- Futurewise (Whatcom County )Local chapter of statewide land-use advocacy organization, Futurewise, works to protect forests, farms and shorelines by limiting development on critical rural and resource lands and habitat.
- Noisy Waters NorthwestReports environmental & development issues from City & County governments & departments, as well as news from non-mainstream sources.
- Nooksack Salmon Enhancement AssociationA community based nonprofit dedicated to restoring wild salmon populations & habitat in Whatcom County.
- Northwest CitizenLocal & regional political and environmental news & links to additional environmental newsgroups. Topics include current coal & oil transportation issues, local environmental issues.
- Sustainable Connections: OnlineLocal forum where businesses come together to transform and model an economy built on sustainable practices.
- Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan 2005 byCall Number: Western Library Haggard 3 - Washington/Canadian Documents WA 711 W556c 2005
Where Can I Locate Archival Resources at Western?
Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections house and provide access to a wide variety of rare, unique and archival resources. Don't hesitate to contact staff at the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Special Collections or WWU Archives and Records Center with questions about collections and how to access resources.
Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
- "Keep America Beautiful" Act of 1970: Keller, Robert H.Initiative 256 CampaignThe collection details Dr. Robert Keller’s attempt to promote a legally mandated return to deposits on beverage containers in Washington state. The collection documents a small part of the larger ecology movement of the early 1970's.
- Al Swift Congressional PapersThis collection contains records generated during Swift's 16 year career in the House of Representatives (1978-1994), documenting his operations in both Washington D.C. and in his district offices in Everett and Bellingham. Includes correspondence, press files, committee files, photographs, speeches, and project files. Records document important issues of the late 1970's through the mid-1990's including environmental issues such as clean air, nuclear waste, the spotted owl, old growth forests and hydroelectric power.
- Bellingham Centennial Oral History Project RecordsInterviews represent a cross section of the community, representing different geographic, ethnic, and econonic backgrounds. All the residents were born between 1910-1929. Among those interviewed are Pauline Hillaire, Lummi elder; Lois Garlick, local environmental activist; Betty Russell, one of the first women machinists at Boeing; and Gordon Tweit, pharmacist at Fairhaven Pharmacy. The topics covered in these interviews are just as diverse, dealing with local environmental issues. The focus leans heavily towards early Bellingham history, there is however, information concerning more current Bellingham issues with mention of recent environmental issues and Interstate 5 construction.
- Lake Whatcom Improvement Committee Records, 1953-1969 1964-1967.The primary mission of the committee was to investigate how best to secure a clean and pure water supply from Lake Whatcom while protecting the interests of area residents. Records document the activities and concerns of a citizen fact-finding group in Whatcom County, Washington. Committee members sought to determine how to obtain government help to meet these goals, and also sought community help in maintaining and preserving Lake Whatcom and its surrounding ecological resources. . Although the collection spans the period 1953-1969, the bulk of records are dated 1964-1967
- David Mason PapersCollection includes notebooks, journals, photographs, posters, programs, correspondences, reports, speeches and writings, clippings, and publications relating to the work of David Mason in the fields of biology, ecology, & more. As well as teaching, Mason pursued biological and ecological research... and led many local environmental activist projects, studied woody debris habitats, water quality studies of the Nooksack River, produced "Lake Alert", and many extended research projects about Georgia-Pacific's use of chlorine and mercury, and recycling efforts in Lynden.
- George and Lois Garlick Family PapersThis collection documents the lives and work of two long-time environmental activists and residents of Whatcom County.
- League of Women Voters of Bellingham/Whatcom County RecordsWhatcom County Chapter focuses on the education of voters...on political, economic and environmental issues, and actively lobbies at local, state, and national levels, on issues such as water quality & resources, growth management, shoreline management, County Comprehensive Plan, etc. Search the Inventory List for environmental topics within the collection.
- Jack Metcalf PapersThe collection documents ongoing conflicts between environmental and commercial interests over protection, use and development of local resources, including National Park and National Forest Land, fisheries, waterways, and industrial clean-up sites. Whale and Marine Mammal files detail Metcalf’s active opposition to whaling by the Makah Indian Tribe in Neah Bay, Washington, while Water and Shipping files record his bipartisan efforts to enact the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative (1998). The collection contains press clippings, correspondence, statements, hearings transcripts and reports documenting the aftermath of the June 10, 1999 gas pipeline explosion at Whatcom Creek in Bellingham, Washington, and subsequent attempts by legislators and community organizations to enact pipeline safety legislation.
- Mount Baker Club RecordsThe Mount Baker Club collection contains detailed records of the Club’s activities and interests from its formal inception in 1928 through 2001. The minute books comprise an especially valuable resource for researchers, documenting Club interests and activities between 1928 and 1995... and also reflect the Club’s later concerns with conservation.
- Nesset Farm Environmental Stewardship Project RecordsProject records were generated during a 1999 environmental stewardship project led by Professors Wendy Walker and John McLaughlin of Huxley College at Western Washington University. The collection comprises student reports, photographic negatives and proof sheets, audio tape interviews, and VHS interviews.
- Vic and Mae Olsen Conservation Corps CollectionThe Civilian Conservation Corps Collection documents the history and legacy of the CCC and their achievements in Washington State. Host to over 200 CCC camps in Washington State, Roosevelt’s “tree army” was involved in forest and soil conservation, construction of roads, bridges, telephone lines, and park and recreational facilities.
- Point Roberts Newspapers, 1960-1969.The collection contains copies of Point Roberts newspapers including Ocean Star and All Point Bulletin, as well as subject-based research files covering various environmental and public utilities-related issues. Includes a small number of photographs.
- Rand Jack PapersThe Rand Jack Papers document aspects of the legal and environmental work of Bellingham lawyer and long-term Fairhaven College professor Rand Jack.
- Waterfront Oral History Project RecordsThe Waterfront Oral History Project was a collaborative effort between Western Washington University’s History Department and the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies. Collection includes oral histories from interviews with eighteen former employees of the Georgia-Pacific Corporation pulp mill in Bellingham, Washington.
- Whatcom County Nuclear Freeze RecordsWhatcom County Nuclear Arms Freeze records document the activities of this local branch of the national anti-nuclear proliferation organization that was active in the early to mid 1980s. Material includes newsletters, newspaper clippings, information regarding the pairing relationship with Bellingham's sister city, Nakhodka USSR, as well as informational articles that pertain to nuclear weapons.
- Whatcom Creek Pipeline Explosion: Decade of Healing recordsDocuments the 2009 commemoration of the June 10, 1999 pipeline explosion on Whatcom Creek in Bellingham, Washington. The collection includes writings, posters, publications and news clippings. Two City of Bellingham reports: "Whatcom Creek Restoration Project 2007-2008" and " Whatcom Creek: Ten Years After Summary Report" from 2009.
Archives & Special Collections
Archives & Special Collections
Contact:
Special Collections, 6th Floor Wilson Library, 360-650-3193
University Archives and Records Management, Goltz-Murray Building, 360-650-3124
Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Goltz-Murray Building, 360-650-7534
Website
University Archives and Records Management, Goltz-Murray Building, 360-650-3124
Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Goltz-Murray Building, 360-650-7534
Archives & Special Collections
OUR MISSION
The Archives & Special Collections unit provides for responsible stewardship of and access to unique and archival resources in support of teaching, learning and research at Western Washington University and beyond. The Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Special Collections, and WWU Archives and Records Center work together to document the culture and history of Western, the local community and Pacific Northwest region, and to promote public and scholarly access to holdings.