Meet & Greet for New National Monument Manager

Wednesday, March 12, 3–6 p.m., San Juan Preservation Trust

— from Sally Reeve, Islanders for the San Juan Islands National Monument —

Marcia deChadenedes (BLM San Juan Islands National Monument Manager), Nick Teague (BLM Recreation Specialist) and Patos Bill at the 2013 Patos Lighthouse birthday party, Patos Island. Photo provided by BLM.

The Islanders for the San Juan Islands National Monument on March 12 are hosting a Meet and Greet for the new Manager of the National Monument, Marcia deChadenedes. Daniel Picard, BLM’s Spokane District Manager, will also be at the event which is being held at the San Juan Preservation Trust office, 468 Argyle Avenue, Friday Harbor from 3 to 6pm.

All are invited to come by to meet Marcia and Daniel and talk with them about the San Juan Islands National Monument, the resource management planning process for the monument and the Resource Advisory Committee which is now in the process of accepting applications.

Marcia served for four months as interim monument manager last fall and on March 9 joins the BLM’s Spokane District staff full-time in the monument manager position. She has worked in management positions with BLM’s National Conservation Lands for 11 years, as the program lead at Colorado BLM, on the California Coastal National Monument, on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, as Heritage Tourism lead for New Mexico, and at the Camino Real International Heritage Center.

She is a BLM national resource for the Partnerships Program, Heritage Tourism, and the Artist in Residence Program. She is a folklorist, Certified Interpretive Planner, and museums specialist, with a Master’s Degree from the University of Oregon. Marcia will join Nick Teague, BLM Recreation Specialist, at the BLM Lopez Island Office, (360) 468-3754, and reports to BLM’s Spokane District Office.

Marcia comments about her new position as San Juan Islands National Monument manager, “To have the opportunity to be part of this community’s unsurpassed momentum to accomplish conservation collaboratively, that is an honor – the stuff my dreams are made of!”

The new monument comprises BLM’s 980 acres in the archipelago in San Juan, Whatcom and Skagit Counties, including Patos Islands, Indian Island (Orcas), Posey Island, Blind Island (Shaw), Kellet Bluff (Henry), Cattle Point Lighthouse (San Juan), Turn Point (Stuart), Iceberg/Chadwick/Point Colville/Watmough Bay preserves (Lopez), and Carter Point (Lummi).