Olsen Creek contains roughly 1,000 acres of unprotected legacy forest—an increasingly rare resource in Whatcom County. These forests are overwhelmingly hardwood-dominated, an uncommon composition on DNR lands. Because DNR’s criteria for “structurally complex” forests are biased toward conifer stands, many of Olsen Creek’s most ecologically valuable hardwood forests are not recognized or protected. The Olsen Creek watershed drains directly into Lake Whatcom, the drinking-water source for the City of Bellingham, and borders Lake Whatcom Park.

Protecting the nearly 1,000 contiguous acres of legacy forest in the Olsen Creek State Forest would safeguard one of the most beautiful and intact second-growth ecosystems in the region. This landscape presents a rare opportunity to conserve a continuous forested watershed that supports clean water, wildlife habitat, and long-term ecological resilience.