Whatcom County is inviting residents to participate in the scoping phase of an Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed Ranch Quarry Mine, a planned open-pit rock quarry that would be located in the 5300 block of South Pass Road. A public online meeting is set for Wednesday, May 13, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m., where county staff will present information about the project and accept verbal comments from the public.
The project was first proposed by Cowden, Inc., which submitted applications to the county in 2023. Under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), major projects like this one require a formal Environmental Impact Statement before any permits can be issued. Whatcom County is serving as the lead agency and will evaluate public input alongside technical studies before making a final permitting decision.
Scoping is one of the earliest and most important public participation opportunities in the EIS process. During scoping, the county identifies what environmental topics and potential impacts the full study must address, from traffic and noise to groundwater and wildlife habitat. Comments submitted during scoping help shape the scope of that analysis and what alternatives the county must consider.
South Pass Road runs through rural Whatcom County south of Bellingham, in an area that includes agricultural land, residential properties, and forested terrain. A large-scale quarry operation in the area raises questions for nearby landowners and environmental advocates about blasting impacts, heavy truck traffic on rural roads, dust and noise, and effects on local water resources including wells and seasonal streams.
The Ranch Quarry project webpage on the Whatcom County website provides background on the proposal, the EIS timeline, and how the public can participate at each stage. A dedicated public comment site at ranchquarryeis.infocommunity.org is also available for written submissions.
To attend the online meeting on May 13, residents can register using the link Whatcom County provided at bit.ly/zoom-ranchquarryeis. Registration is necessary to join the Zoom session and have the option to make verbal comments.
County planners will be present to answer clarifying questions about the project and the EIS process itself, though this meeting is not a formal hearing and no permitting decisions will be made at this stage. The scoping comment period is focused specifically on what the environmental review should cover, not whether the project should be approved or denied.
After scoping closes, the county will prepare a Draft EIS, which will be released for another round of public comment before a Final EIS is completed. That final document must be certified before any development permits can be issued for the quarry. The full review process is expected to take at least a year, with multiple additional opportunities for public input along the way.
Residents who cannot attend the May 13 meeting but want their concerns on the record can still submit written comments through the county project webpage. All comments received during scoping become part of the official public record.
