Of the northwest Washington case study watersheds, the area with highest projected residential growth is the Strait of Georgia watershed near the cities of Bellingham and Mount Vernon. Approximately 165 square miles of currently rural, forested lands are projected to reach exurban-urban housing densities (more than 64 housing units per square mile) by 2030. Several areas of moderate and low housing density away from population centers are also projected to increase in housing density by 2030.
Figure - Northwest Washington watersheds projected to experience moderate to high increases in residential development by 2030.
Figure -Year 2000 northwest Washington watersheds baseline housing unit density as identified for the USDA Forest Service “Forests on the Edge” project. Data sources: Theobald 2004a, Skagit County 2001, Snohomish County Planning and Development Services 2003, and Whatcom County Planning and Development Services 2005.
Figure -Year 2030 northwest Washington watersheds projected housing unit density as identified for the USDA Forest Service “Forests on the Edge” project. Data sources: Theobald 2004b, Skagit County 2001, Snohomish County Planning and Development Services 2003, and Whatcom County Planning and Development Services 2005.