In 2021, Ann Hibner Koblitz and Neil Koblitz donated their sixty-two-acre commercial forest to the City of Bellingham for water quality protection. The parcel was commercially forested until the Koblitzs purchased the property in 2011. To encourage further protection of this unique property, the Koblitzs chose to work with the Whatcom Land Trust and the City for protection in perpetuity.
The Koblitz Preserve’s steep south/southeast facing slope exhibits an array of cliff bands that are unique to the early Tertiary Chuckanut Formation. The steepness of these slopes is common for the Lake Whatcom watershed and imperative that mature vegetation be maintained to protect from natural disaster such as fire and landslides. As the Koblitz Preserve continues to recover from a past of commercial forestry, its resilience to extreme weather events and natural system functions will continue to improve. The Koblitz Preserve is also adjacent to the re-conveyed Lookout Mountain preserve, adding to the contiguous protection in the Lake Whatcom watershed, which is important for wildlife corridors.
Total Acres
- 62 acres; 4 units removed from development
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