30 Jul Advocating for a More Resilient Working Waterfront – The Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County
Written by the National Working Waterfront Network
Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County – Origin Story and Vision
The Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County informally began in 2013, as a network of businesses and concerned citizens along the waterfront who wanted to ensure that future development enhanced water-dependent industries and maintained existing public access to water. Through many years of hard work and persistence – by all-volunteer members – the Coalition is a well-established and respected entity in the County, with leverage. They maintain a working relationship with the City and County councils , to ensure appropriate working waterfront development and policy decisions are made. They’ve also worked hard to cultivate a relationship with the Port of Bellingham, through contact at public meetings, partnerships, sharing community-based projects, and providing feedback to the Port on their ongoing initiatives and goals.
Since its inception, the Coalition has been doing advocacy work focused on the pressures of shifting waterfronts from marine trades to private non-water-dependent uses. As new entities and businesses move into the area without a strong maritime connection to the working waterfront, shipyards, and the trades industries suffer. As shipyard operating costs increase, fewer commercial vessels can afford their services, with some traveling all the way to Mexico to get yearly work done.
Introducing Dan Tucker – Managing the Coalition and their initiatives
Dan Tucker, program manager, of the Whatcom County Coalition, is an integral component. Alongside an all-volunteer Board of Directors, representing every maritime industry sector, Tucker is in charge of the group’s day-to-day operations and supports an impressive suite of short- and long-term initiatives to advance the working waterfront.
Tucker’s road to the Coalition involved working on tall ships around the world, which eventually led to work in the marine trades in Puget Sound, and finally landing in Bellingham, WA, working with the Coalition, “I got connected with Deb Granger (Coalition member) through a position posting, and felt like here’s the chance to advocate for something that really impacted me” referring to working waterfronts.
Tucker is passionate about the Coalition and all the work they do, “I cohost a radio podcast, Love Your Waterfront, help coordinate in-person meetups for anyone interested/involved in working waterfronts to share stories and ongoing projects, and prepare biweekly and triyearly newsletters.” The Coalition also helped to launch the ongoing Bellingham Dockside Market where local fishermen can sell their catch directly to consumers, and the Bellingham Seafest, to celebrate the Port’s seafood harvest each fall.
Northwest Maritime Apprenticeship program
The Coalition is dedicated to the maritime career field, and through their affiliated Whatcom Working Waterfront Foundation, a sister organization of the Coalition, and with the help of others in Whatcom County, the Northwest Maritime Apprenticeship Program was launched, to enhance opportunities for maritime education and workforce training.
The marine trades are unique. Tucker says. “You can often start somewhere with little to no experience and work your way up.” He continues, “I needed some direction following college, and maritime gave me direction.”
Tucker says the apprenticeship was “a direct result of member concerns including having trouble finding trained work while also needing to retain current employees.” It is in its 3rd year of being a state-registered apprenticeship program – not an easy task. Before its inception, there were years of hard work and planning by all volunteers, with the charge being led by Deb Granger. The program is currently directed by Sierra Oliver, and provides comprehensive marine trades education and training, with subject matter taught by industry experts. Tucker states that, “ We [the Coalition] intends to grow other programs alongside the apprenticeship program to enhance our trades and ocean education”
What’s happening now at the Port of Bellingham
In addition to workforce development, to address the issue of diminishing marine trades, and shipyards including lack of boat and dry storage, there is a planning effort underway by the Coalition and the Port of Bellingham to enhance the current shipping terminal and increase land for the marine trades at the working waterfront. Tucker mentions, “We want to ensure that trade vessels are coming in and out of the port to use our services” which keeps the demand up and helps to regulate prices.
The Port plans to remove historic contamination in the waterway through dredging and will then fill in to create 17 acres of new tidelands. The area is already zoned for marine trades, and plans include new pier infrastructure and access for launching and retrieving vessels. The current shipping terminal is also undergoing improvements to support a loading crane, which will enhance the types of breakbulk shipping it can handle and increase the opportunity for barges and ships to come in and get marine services, increasing revenue for the area.
This large effort will include an updated stormwater infrastructure and management system, and the design will implement fish passage in the new tidelands to protect essential fish habitat and salmon runs.
To follow and stay connected with the Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom Count, visit: https://www.whatcomworkingwaterfront.org/
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History of Whatcom County/Port of Bellingham
Whatcom County is in the northwestern corner of Washington state and bordered by Canada on the North. Within Whatcom County, are several working waterfronts including the exuberant Port of Bellingham. The North Coast Indians were the first residents of Whatcom County and prospered in the local rivers and tidelands, inhabiting the city of Bellingham and surrounding areas for thousands of years.
The Port of Bellingham was created in 1920 as a result of the urge from local businesses, owners, and residents, and to increase shipping abilities. Today the Port has expanded in many ways and is multipurpose (portofbellingham.com).
About Dan Tucker
Dan Tucker is a winner of the NWWN’s Spring 2024 photo contest (see his picture at the top). He is the Program Manager for the Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County. After going to college (for art), he found a position working on tall ships as a deckhand for an at-risk youth program. He worked his way up, on ships in California, the South Pacific, Australia, Fiji, Maine, Florida, the Bahamas, and Boston before landing in Puget Sound. Once there, he ventured into work for small Alaskan cruise ships and then switched to marine trades, beginning with marine fire inspections. He continued his marine trades work and moved up to Bellingham, Washington – a working waterfront community with a robust commercial fishing fleet. In Bellingham, he took a part-time position with the Working Waterfront Coalition of Whatcom County, and the rest is history. He believes in advocating for a balanced economy, with equity and diversity at the working waterfront and preservation of the maritime sector.
“The mission of the Coalition is a ‘waterfront that works for all,’ carrying on the original purpose of the Port Authority in advocating for a waterfront open to businesses and the public” – Dan Tucker
Connect with Dan Tucker @ dant@whatcomworkingwaterfront.org