Whatcom County needs more shovel-ready industrial land — nearly twice as much as we have now. To prosper over the next 20 years, the county is projected to require between 782 and 917 acres of “fully served” industrial land.

We currently have 485 acres.

What’s “fully served”? It means land that is:

• along truck freight corridors that connect industrial areas to Interstate 5;

• ready-to-develop, industrially zoned property within a half mile of an I-5 interchange;

• at least five acres in size, with some parcels at least 20 acres; and

• able to be coordinated among local governments, the Port of Bellingham, and providers of water, sewer and power.

All this is from the Port of Bellingham’s recent study that identified what high-wage businesses here need to grow.

Here’s the nuance in that study: Whatcom County does have enough industrially zoned land for growth through 2045, but it’s not fully served. Utility access, parcel size and transport currently limit its use.

So, work needs to be done. Tyler Schroeder is director of economic development at the Port of Bellingham. His job is to retain and expand living-wage jobs, so he has a clear understanding of what’s needed: Expand wetland mitigation, improve freight corridor infrastructure, promote consistent regulations and preserve space for established and emerging industries.

A few obstacles

Let’s look at wetlands first — and wetland mitigation banking. That’s a system that provides for the establishment or preservation of wetlands to compensate for unavoidable impacts elsewhere. “Nearly half of the industrially zoned land in Whatcom County has a wetland and associated buffer that can’t be developed,” Schroeder said. (The city of Bellingham is working on establishing a wetland mitigation bank.)

Next, freight corridors. The recent study will act as a baseline document for the future improvement and expansion of corridors, Schroeder said. This can be done through coordination with the Whatcom Council of Governments to identify a regional freight network using existing and forecast truck volumes, adjacent land use and roadway design.

What about consistent regulations and preserving space? Schroeder said the study has been received favorably by port, county and city leadership. Consistency requires aligning zoning with desired industries, prioritizing high-wage businesses, identifying allowed uses that don’t contribute high-wage jobs, and eliminating non-industrial uses in industrial zones.

One way to bring that about is a “target employment” method used by other cities. “A business could seek endorsement if they are bringing in or retaining targeted employment,” Schroeder said. “We as a community would define those targets.” If the business wins an endorsement, it could get expedited permitting, lower fees, grants or loans.

“Responsive state and local governments and expedited permitting are important for site selection for businesses and consultants,” Schroeder said.

How do we compare?

How competitive is Whatcom County in keeping and expanding high-wage industrial jobs compared to our neighbors along I-5? Compared to counties such as Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis, King, Kitsap, Skagit and Snohomish, Whatcom’s manufacturing employment is decreasing, with no new facilities for manufacturing built here since 2010. A bright spot is that Whatcom’s food and beverage processing sector is growing, supported by improvements in refrigeration and other developments in cold storage buildings, Schroeder said.

Whatcom shows a strong advantage in marine industries, with more than 6,000 jobs — including commercial fishing, trucking and logistics, recreational boating, and the chandleries and other businesses that cater to them, Schroeder said. “More than a thousand of those jobs are commercial fishing-related jobs that not only provide for fishermen and their families but also provide a bounty of wild-caught fish that Whatcom County residents enjoy at restaurants and grocery stores.”

Even the tech industry, often thought to be distant from the marine trades, is impacted by the maritime economy here. Schroeder points to the local examples of Corvus Energy, a marine battery energy storage company, and All American Marine, a commercial aluminum boatbuilder that in 2022 delivered the 70-foot Sea Change, the world’s first hydrogen fuel cell commercial ferry with that specific configuration, to the Bay Area.

In Washington, the tech and maritime industries intersect in a “blue economy,” where technology is developed and applied to improve the maritime sector.

Another economic strength in Whatcom is agriculture — especially raspberries, blueberries and dairy (or “berry and dairy,” as old-timers say).

Recent successes in Whatcom’s manufacturing growth include Marcon Metal, which has created dozens of family-wage jobs, Schroeder said. Corvus Energy established its first US manufacturing in a port-owned building in Fairhaven.

The Port of Bellingham continues to work with existing businesses, Schroeder said. “We have a couple of exciting opportunities with local businesses that we hope to be able to announce in the near future.”