Property Tax Search
Home › Comp Plans › Whatcom County › Recreation
Whatcom County · WC-CP-2021 · Pages 1-13

Recreation

Chapter 9 establishes goals and policies for the provision, expansion, and management of parks, trails, shoreline access, specialized recreation areas, activity centers, and camping facilities throughout Whatcom County. The chapter coordinates with the Comprehensive Parks, Recreation, and Open Space (CPROS) Plan, the Whatcom County Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan, and the Natural Heritage Plan to guide recreational facility development and open space preservation over a 20-year planning horizon. It also addresses financing strategies including user fees, public-private partnerships, and park impact fees to sustain and grow the county's recreational infrastructure.

Parks & Recreation Economy Environment Social

“Only 4 of 63 Recreation policies (6%) include a concrete, measurable commitment.” Real Record SAY vs DO analysis · Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan

About this analysis

Real Record applies the SAY vs DO accountability framework to every chapter of every Washington comprehensive plan we publish. Each policy in the chapter is read individually and scored into one of four buckets:

  • Measurable — the policy names a specific target, deadline, dollar amount, or action that can be verified later.
  • Strong — binding action language (“shall,” “will adopt,” “require”) without a measurable threshold.
  • Aspirational — encouraging or supportive language (“encourage,” “support,” “consider”) with no enforcement.
  • Monitor only — policies that commit to tracking or reporting but not to action.

The accountability score shown in the sidebar is the share of policies in the chapter that landed in the “Measurable” bucket. A score of 0–19 (red) indicates most policies use aspirational language without concrete accountability; 20–49 (orange) is mixed; 50 or higher (green) means the chapter is dominated by measurable commitments.

The underlying text comes from the official adopted comprehensive plan published by the Whatcom County planning department. Scoring is performed by Real Record analysts using a structured rubric; the raw policy text and bucket assignments are archived in the Real Record civic data warehouse.

Read the full methodology, sources, and rubric at Real Record · About.

What the Plan Promises
Formal targets adopted in the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan.
acquire minimum 15% of saltwater shoreline and adjacent tidelands for public access
Goals (9 total)
  • Goal 9A: Address countywide recreational needs by adequate provision of regional parks.
  • Goal 9B: Provide multi-use camping parks to serve county resident needs as well as provide a tourism draw.
  • Goal 9C: Expand outdoor recreation opportunities for county residents by providing enjoyable trails for hiking, horseback riding, bicycling, walking, boating, and other trail activities in a safe environment.
  • Goal 9D: Provide specialized recreation areas taking advantage of unique opportunities to serve both county residents and visitors.
  • Goal 9E: Recognize the shoreline as one of Whatcom County's unique assets and provide adequate physical and visual access for present and future generations.
  • Goal 9F: Coordinate with the DNR to provide ORV opportunities.
  • Goal 9G: Encourage multi-use indoor activity centers to meet the needs of the population, using public and private partnerships where possible.
  • Goal 9H: As economically feasible, continue to implement the CPROS Plan goals and policies through adoption of the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan Six-year Capital Improvement Program.
  • Goal 9I: Develop a stronger financial base for recreational services.
Stronger Policy Language (30 policies in this chapter)
  • Policy 9A-4: All parks must be designed to create a minimal impact upon surrounding property and to the site itself.
  • Policy 9C-16: Implement the goals, policies and recommendations of the latest Whatcom County Pedestrian and Bicycle Plan that are consistent with this plan and within the County's fiscal capabilities.
  • Policy 9C-27: Nooksack River Trail - Develop and implement a plan to acquire Rights of Way for a trail corridor and picnic areas along the Nooksack River between Ferndale and Glacier.
  • Policy 9G-2: Continue the cooperation between the County and the Cities and Point Roberts Park District on ownership and management of the existing senior/community centers.
  • Policy 9H-3: Develop and maintain facilities at a high standard in accordance with the CPROS Plan and the Whatcom County Comprehensive Plan.
Show all 30 stronger policies
The four examples above are a representative sample. The remaining 26 stronger policies are catalogued in the Real Record civic data warehouse and indexed by policy number against the adopted plan text. See how policies are scored →
Aspirational / Monitoring Language (29 policies in this chapter)
  • Policy 9D-2: Explore need for community parks as undeveloped areas of county increase in density.
  • Policy 9I-2: Explore new innovative methods of financing facility development, maintenance, and operating needs.
  • Policy 9D-3: Encourage development of sport field complexes to meet the needs of organized recreation activities, using public and private partnerships where possible.
  • Policy 9I-4: Seek to design and develop facilities that will encourage tourism.
  • Policy 9C-15: Sharing of corridors for major utilities, trails, and other transportation rights-of-way is encouraged when not in conflict with goals to protect wildlife, public health, and safety.
Show all 29 aspirational / monitoring policies
The four examples above are a representative sample. The remaining 25 policies in this bucket use language like “encourage,” “support,” “consider,” or “monitor” — phrasing that does not create an enforceable commitment. See how policies are scored →

SAY vs DISCUSS: Did this come up in meetings?

Real Record has not yet indexed any Whatcom County briefings tagged to this chapter’s topics. Browse all Whatcom County council and planning briefings to see related discussions in context.

View Whatcom County Briefings →

SAY vs DO: Where the Money Goes

Departments related to Recreation in Whatcom County — what the city actually funds, year over year.

Budget analysis for this chapter is in progress. Real Record has mapped 3 Whatcom County departments to this chapter, but the FY2006 / FY2025 line-item totals are not yet loaded into our civic data warehouse. In the meantime, browse the city-wide budget comparison on the index page.