WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A beloved conservationist’s legacy has been cemented in the great Whatcom outdoors.

County councilmembers voted last month to change the name of the main trail at Canyon Lake Park to the Rand Jack Trail.

Jack was one of the founding members of the Whatcom Land Trust, which has helped preserve over 28,000 acres across the county since its founding.

Executive Director Rachel Vasak says the location is particularly meaningful and appropriate for Jack:

“As I’ve had the opportunity to learn a lot of details about the legacy of some of these incredible conservation stories from Rand, it’s become very clear to me that out of all the good work he has been part of, this is the most special place to him,” Vasak told My Bellingham Now. “And a couple of former county park staff members and I started talking six months ago about the idea of doing something to publicly honor the conservation legacy that he’s created.”

Vasak also noted a number of other areas that Jack had a hand in preserving.

“Some of the main ones that folks might be familiar with are the Stimson Family Nature Reserve, the Point Whitehorn Marine Reserve, the Lily Point out at Point Roberts. There’s so many more. Galbraith Mountain, Lake Whatcom Park, you know, I could go on,” she said.

Jack currently sits on the board of the Whatcom Land Trust and is an avid woodcarver. In 2024, a collection of his wood carved birds were displayed at Bellingham’s Old City Hall.

The main access road to the park and lake was damaged from washouts, preventing vehicle access. Vasak said that the county’s public works department has been actively working to restore vehicle access to the lake and trail.

A map of Canyon Lake Community Forest and access points can be found on Whatcom County Parks and Recreation website.