Whatcom County lies on the edge of a large Mediterranean climate zone that gives Bellingham and the surrounding area the alluring temperature climate that we all enjoy as as residents. Warm, mild winters and hot, dry summers, coupled with high annual precipitation, ranging from 75 cm near the coast to 580 cm in the mountains, have made the region a prime location for dense forests (Van Pelt, 2007). Prior to Euro-American settlement, all of western Washington was forested, except for approximately 10.3% which included land above the alpine treeline and grassland or areas moist, non-forested areas. Of the 89.7% forests, approximately 96% were conifers (Van Pelt, 2007). The major coniferous forest types historically present in Whatcom were western hemlock, Pacific silver fir, mountain hemlock, and alpine forest. The latter three were all primarily located in the North Cascades and the rest of the county was dominated by western hemlock. In the Whatcom hemlock forests, a mixture of tree species, including Pacific silver fir, Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, noble fir, and western red cedar, were present. Mature stands were characterized, and continue to be today in old-growth stands, by light understory and diversified vertical and horizontal cover. In simpler terms, the trees grew at different heights, which provided a greater number of habitat niches that could support greater biological diversity than is possible with monoculture stands. This type of forest composition is often called a “climacic community” and represents a stable set of species. However, no natural system is ever static and stands have been maintained by natural disturbances such as wind and wildfires. Wildfires in the Whatcom area were not always natural and often had an assist...... middle of paper......, 1978, January 1 http://nwda.orbiscascade.org/ ark:/80444/xv85165 (Accessed May 5, 2014) (NARA) National Archives and Records Administration. “The San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906.” National Archives and Records Administration, (nd) http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/sf-earthquake-and-fire/ (accessed May 13, 2014). Van Pelt, R. 2007. “Identifying Mature and Old Forests in Western Washington.” Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Olympia, WA. “Coniferous Tree Species that are Dominant in Washington” and Washington Forest Protection Association. http://www.wfpa.org/forest-policy/washington-forests/tree-species/Wilma, D. “John Dolbeer Invents the Donkey Engine and Revolutionizes Logging in August 1881.” History Link 2003, 1st March http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5331 (accessed April 28, 2014)