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How Neighbors Were Blocked, Land Was Altered Without Permits, and the Rules Quietly Changed Environmental protections only work if they are applied consistently. Wetlands either matter, or they don’t. When the same land is regulated one way for one owner and another way after ownership changes — especially when unpermitted work has already occurred — the integrity of the regulatory system itself comes into question. This article examines what happened at 9524 Freedom Place, B

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Throughout this story, I might refer to an "investigation" or comments related to it. Please know that we have an entire story coming up next that goes in-depth on it. I'll give you the punchline first: It was designed to protect the county and the corrupt planner, not to seek justice or to pay any attention to the VICTIMS. Planning Departments Have Far More Power Than You Think In our first article, we exposed how corrupt Whatcom County Natural Resources Plan

When the Gatekeepers Become the Profiteers There is only one entity that controls what is built, where, from whom, in what numbers, and ultimately what it will sell for—and that entity is your local planning department . Want to split your lot? Not if you don't agree with your planning department. You pay thousands for a wetlands study from a licensed company, and your planning department can simply reject it–– not because it's invalid, but because they aren't on the "approve