SENATE RESOLUTION
8678
By Senator Shewmake
1 WHEREAS, In November of 2021, the Nooksack River saw historic
2 flooding that devastated parts of Whatcom County and took a life; and
3 WHEREAS, Whatcom County and the greater community came together
4 to save lives during the flood, rebuild lives in the aftermath, and
5 are continuing a longer project to build a safer and more resilient
6 Whatcom County; and
7 WHEREAS, Community members, local mayors, first responders, and
8 farmers rescued flood victims from imminent harm by calling their
9 neighbors and using all the available resources including personal
10 vehicles and equipment; and
11 WHEREAS, Whatcom Strong, later becoming Whatcom Long Term
12 Recovery Group, partnered with the Whatcom Community Foundation,
13 Sustainable Connections, local faith groups including Sumas Advent
14 Christian Church, Valley Church, Haven Church, Sumas Christian Reform
15 Church, Sunlight Church, Guru Nanak Gursikh Gurdwara, Gurdwara Guru
16 Nanak, North County Christ the King, Calvary Creekside, Habitat for
17 Humanity, World Renew, Samaritans Purse, Team Rubicon, UMCOR, Everson
18 Lions Club, Lynden Lions Club, Sumas American Legion Post 212,
19 Everson Food Bank, and local businesses and restaurants and
20 individuals, to remove debris, feed flood victims and work party
21 volunteers, and provide clothing donations, diapers, household items,
22 and other necessities for those who lost their homes; and
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 1 WHEREAS, The Whatcom County River and Flood Division has
2 repaired flood infrastructure and developed an acquisition and
3 elevation program to help get vulnerable structures out of
4 harm's way, and acquired properties needed for future flood
5 risk, obtaining $34.4 million in federal funding and is
6 currently pursuing an additional $50.8 million in federal
7 funding; and
8 WHEREAS, The Floodplain Integrated Planning Flow Split Reach
9 Team is continuing and accelerating their collaborative work to
10 identify integrated options for addressing the flow split in
11 Everson by bringing together Whatcom County, the Nooksack Indian
12 Tribe, the Lummi Nation, the City of Everson, the City of
13 Ferndale, the City of Lynden, the City of Sumas, the Nooksack
14 River farm community, diking districts, subzones, Watershed
15 Improvement Districts, the Washington state Department of
16 Ecology, the Washington state Department of Natural Resources,
17 the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Federal Emergency
18 Management Agency, the United States Army Corps of Engineers,
19 the Trans Mountain Pipeline, the University of Washington
20 Climate Impacts Groups, and private consultants; and
21 WHEREAS, The Whatcom County River and Flood Division
22 executed The Nooksack River Flood Disaster Mitigation Plan
23 Agreement, signed by the Whatcom County Executive and the Mayors
24 of Blaine, Everson, Ferndale, Lynden, and Sumas; and
25 WHEREAS, The ongoing flood recovery and mitigation work in
26 Whatcom County would not be possible without the commitment and
27 collaboration of local elected officials, public servants, and
28 community members who devote their time, talents, and love to
29 Whatcom County;
30 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate express its
31 gratitude to the Whatcom County River and Flood Division, the
32 Whatcom Long Term Recovery Group, and the greater community for
33 their tireless recovery and mitigation work on behalf of the
34 people of Whatcom County.
35 I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of the Senate,
36 do hereby certify that this is a true and
37 correct copy of Senate Resolution 8678,
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1 adopted by the Senate
2 February 20, 2024
3 SARAH BANNISTER
4 Secretary of the Senate
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