Joe Heller -- Chair
 Terry Lenssen -- Vice Chair
 Larry Davis -- Secretary-Treasurer
Dick Yoder -- Supervisor
Dr. Ed Stone, DVM -- Supervisor

The Whatcom Conservation District is governed by a board of five supervisors, who are all local residents. Formed in 1946, the WCD serves all of Whatcom County and is committed to fostering a healthy, sustainable relationship between people and the environment.

Supervisors Brochure ( 2.4 Mb PDF)

WCD Mission:

To serve present and future generations of Whatcom County through a natural resource conservation program of leadership, partnership, and technical, educational and financial assistance to foster a healthy, sustainable relationship between people and the environment.

Joe Heller -- Chair

Joe is a Whatcom County native raised on a dairy/beef farm in the Kendall area. Forestry Degree from University of Washington (1971) and recently retired after 35 year career with the U.S. Forest Service. Forestry experience with Timber Management, Watershed, Recreation and Wildland fire operations in Oregon and Washington.

Terry Lenssen -- Vice-Chair

Terry is one of the newest board members for the Whatcom Conservation District. He is a lifelong Lynden resident who grew up on a dairy farm near the border. Terry and his wife have two girls and live in town. Recently, he and his brother purchased the family farm from their parents. Terry says that, “This has made me more aware and concerned about the issues relating to farming. Over the last eight years, our operation has grown and continues to do so. By joining this board, I feel I am able to get involved with our community. Not only to protect the limited agricultural land base that we have but also to balance that with protecting the wildlife habitat around us. I look forward to serving the community with the great staff we have at the office.”

Larry Davis -- Secretary/Treasurer

Larry lives in Custer with his wife, Carolyn, a teacher for 35 years in the Lynden School District. He is an Eastern Washington native; born in Sunnyside, Yakima County. His family moved to Edmonds where he graduated from Woodway High School. Larry has an AA degree from Shoreline Community College and a BA in Political Science from Central Washington University.

Larry moved to Whatcom County after 26 years in public service in Thurston County (Olympia). He was Staff Coordinator and Senior Analyst for the Senate Education Committee for 11 years. Then, he served 12 years as Executive Director for the Washington State Board of Education. He currently works at the duty free store at the Lynden/Aldergrove border crossing.

‘I believe in the mission of the Whatcom Conservation District: assisting land managers with their conservation choices. Whatcom County is now my home. I am grateful for the opportunity to be on the board and help advance the conservation of natural resources in this community."

Dick Yoder -- Supervisor

Dick Yoder is a Custer area cattleman. During the 40 years Dick has farmed in Whatcom County he has been a dairy producer and a crop grower for the county’s once thriving frozen vegetable processing industry. Beef cattle are currently the mainstay of his farming operation, as he and his son maintain as many as 500 Herefords (200 cow-calf pairs plus replacements and bulls). Dick also grows bush beans and silage corn as rotation crops on some of their hay and pasture land.

Dr. Ed Stone, DVM -- Supervisor

Ed grew up on a farm in the Appalachian mountains of southwestern Virginia. Being around animals from an early age influenced his desire to become a veterinarian. He attended undergraduate school at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and graduated from The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1982 (where he met and married Dr. Schraeder). He practiced in New Jersey before moving to Bellingham in 1986. Ed and his wife, Michelle, own and operate Mountain Veterinarian Clinic on Mt Baker Hwy. His love of the outdoors drew him to this area and when he is not at the clinic, he is doing outdoor projects at home or hiking the mountains with the dogs.