WCD Board of Supervisors
Joe Heller -- Chair
Terry Lenssen -- Vice Chair
Larry Davis -- Secretary-Treasurer
Larry R. Helm -- Supervisor
Dick Yoder -- 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."
Larry R Helm -- Supervisor
Larry was raised on a small dairy farm, but spent his professional career as a State park Superintendent in California. Since all California rangers are Peace Officers most retire at 55. When he retired ten years ago he moved to Bellingham, purchased a small 20 acre farm on Squalicum Lake Road, and started raising beef cattle (registered Scottish Highlander), bees, chickens and fruit trees. The small farm and his wife’s import business keep Larry pretty busy. His park superintendent career educated him in the environmental sciences and provided Larry a good understanding of environmental goals.
Larry believes that most of the current planning schemes in Whatcom County are attempting to preserve farming through environmental regulation of farm land with little regard for the farmer’s profit. Without a healthy profit margin our farmers will continue to close their farms!
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.
Jayne Uerling -- Associate Supervisor
Jayne has a B.S. in plant science/horticulture from Cornell University, two associate degrees from Bellingham Technical College: one in surveying and mapping technology, the other in civil engineering technology. She is a qualified Wetlands/Critical Areas Specialist for Whatcom County.
She has worked in the land planning, land use, surveying and civil engineering professions for the last seven years. She has worked in stream, riparian/wetland, prairie, alpine and woodland restoration and natural disaster mitigation planning.
Jayne served on the Whatcom County Horticultural Pest and Disease Board.
As a child Jayne helped her uncles with peanut, cotton and soybean crops and assisted with pigs, cows and chickens, instilling an understanding and respect for the rural farming life which has promoted a deep appreciation for open spaces and natural areas. Jayne lives in the Welcome Valley foothills where she is currently developing a CSA.
