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The cleanup is expected to begin later this year and will take roughly three years for the entire site.
Over 3,500 acres have been purchased by the City of Bellingham since 2001 to protect the watershed as well as the wildlife and ecosystem around it.
The Bellingham nonprofit has now planted over 2,800 trees and protected nearly 323,000.
The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife says fishery managers are forecasting that just over 7,000 wild steelhead will return this year.
The closure is due to a norovirus-type illness impacting shellfish and is set to remain in effect until Jan. 27.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife announced that the season will open Jan. 18, but Skagit County will remain closed due to low counts in the winter.
The report mentions slight drought conditions in areas east of the mountain range but is more positive than last year’s outlook.
The emergency closure was announced due to reports of norovirus-like illnesses from oysters in the area.
The state is required to bring greenhouse gas emissions 45% below 1990 levels by 2030.
The city highlighted many different projects that helped protect and preserve the environment in 2024.