Community Spotlight: Semiahmoo

Semiahmoo Resort Association (SRA) members and neighbors with Wildfire Resilience Specialist, Robert Walters, celebrating their initiation into Firewise USA®.

Residents across Whatcom County are becoming increasingly aware of the wildfire risks facing Western Washington as summers become hotter, drier, and smokier. In the Semiahmoo community, the dedicated residents decided to take action together to help protect their homes, neighbors, and shared green spaces from wildfire. At the end of 2025, Semiahmoo Resort Association, St. Andrews Green 1 & 2, Boundary Ridge, Gleneagle Villas 1 & 2, and Prestwick Village officially became recognized Firewise USA® sites.

Residents of St. Andrews Green holding their new Firewise USA® sign for their neighborhood.

Firewise USA® is a nationwide program through the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) that helps neighbors work together to reduce wildfire risk in their communities. To become a Firewise USA® site, communities identify resident leaders and volunteers to work alongside local wildfire mitigation specialists, complete a community wildfire risk assessment, take collective action to improve community resilience, and report it in a national database. In Whatcom County, communities work directly with Whatcom CD Community Wildfire Resilience Specialist Robert Walters throughout the process.

Whatcom CD’s Robert Walters congratulating the resident leader of Gleneagle Villas and presenting him with their new Firewise USA® neighborhood sign.

The Semiahmoo community is a great example of how consistent outreach, education, and some committed residents can lead to significant change. It began when several community members recognized their shared wildfire risks and reached out to Whatcom CD for guidance. Community presentations and conversations about wildfire preparedness sparked interest throughout the neighborhood and ultimately led to 31 home wildfire risk assessments. From there, many residents began taking steps to reduce hazards around their homes and properties.

“Our special thanks to Robert Walters and Alexis Bryson for their presentations at our Semiahmoo Resort Association June 2025 Town Hall.  It brought awareness to our members of the importance of this preventative work, which resulted in approval of a 2026 budget for wildfire mitigation.”- Delia Alberstein, President of Semiahmoo Resort Association

The SRA cleared the dry, understory vegetation along Semiahmoo Parkway to reduce their communities' ladder fuels and protect their greenspace from wildfire ignition.

As interest continued to grow, leaders from across the Semiahmoo community came together to form five separate Firewise USA® communities. Over the past two years, these neighborhoods have worked extensively to improve the safety of their shared spaces, particularly around roadways and egress routes. Residents and volunteers removed invasive blackberry, limbed up low tree branches, and thinned dense understory vegetation that could contribute to wildfire spread.

The SRA cleared the dry, understory vegetation and invasive Himalayan blackberries along Drayton Harbor Road to reduce risk of ignition and protect their community ingress/egress routes.

The communities also successfully utilized Firewise micro-grants available through the Washington Department of Natural Resources (WA DNR) to help support portions of their mitigation work. This past month the Semiahmoo Resort Association was the recipient of a $25,000 grant from WA DNR to implement fuels reduction projects that were planned, but did not have sufficient funding to occur this year. These projects not only improved wildfire resilience but also enhanced the appearance and accessibility of community spaces.

“We have received many compliments and thanks for the accomplishments that have been made this year. Our community is not only safer, but also more attractive.”- Delia Alberstein, President of Semiahmoo Resort Association

Residents of Prestwick village with their new Firewise USA® sign that recognizes their neighborhood as an official site

The work happening in Semiahmoo demonstrates how neighbors working together can make a meaningful difference in reducing wildfire risk across an entire community. Through education, volunteer effort, and long-term commitment, these five Firewise USA® sites have helped create a safer and more resilient place to live.

If you are interested in learning whether your neighborhood could become a Firewise USA® site, or if you would like to schedule a FREE wildfire home risk assessment, visit Whatcom Conservation District Wildfire Program.