After nearly a year of back-and-forth, Whatcom County and the Search & Rescue Council may have found a solution to funding a new facility in Everson — the county will pay the organization’s rent and operating costs for 10 years.
Whatcom County Search & Rescue Council, or WCSAR, is the administrative umbrella entity for the 200-some volunteers that make up six specialized search and rescue units. WCSAR is a private nonprofit organization but operates under the purview of the county sheriff’s office.
WCSAR was informed more than a year ago that its existing facility on Smith Road would be demolished in 2024 to make room for an expansion of the county’s Northwest Annex offices.
Members complained they were blindsided by the news and scrambled to raise funding for a new building. By early 2024, the nonprofit had secured a donated property in Everson and found a developer who was interested in building a space that could meet the team’s needs.
The Whatcom County Council had earmarked $1.1 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds for WCSAR’s relocation, but because the organization is not a public agency, the county has struggled with legal hurdles in dispersing the money.
Now, after months of negotiation, the funding is resolved, pending a formal agreement between the county and WCSAR.
At its Aug. 6 meeting, the county council agreed to a proposal approved by the prosecutor’s office: leasing the privately owned building and subletting it to WCSAR for 10 years, for a cost of around $1.5 million. The council also agreed to pay the increased operating costs of property taxes, insurance and utilities, around $32,000 a year. According to WCSAR’s proposal, there is not an expectation that the county would provide funding for the facility after 10 years.
Deputy county executive Kayla Schott-Bresler said there is no consistent pattern across the state regarding how other counties support their SAR organizations, but most counties do provide equipment and training space for the rescue teams.
The move-out deadline at the current location has been bumped to spring 2025 at the earliest. WCSAR treasurer Gwynne Gruizenga-Top told the council the contractor expected to begin building in three months, as long as there were funding assurances from the county.
So far this summer, WCSAR teams have responded to multiple calls off Highway 542 and around Mount Baker to assist injured hikers and even one late-season skier. Gruizenga-Top said she didn’t have exact call numbers but, “It feels like we’re busier than we were this time last year.”
She said once the building issue is resolved, she’s planning to advocate at the state level for better funding structures for SAR organizations, which are required by statute to operate under law enforcement offices but don’t have any revenue streams outside of private donations.
“This is a big problem for every search and rescue agency in this state,” she said.
Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com.
