||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS |||
Join the San Juan County Conservation Land Bank on Zoom OR in person for our Spring Community Conversation series. The Land Bank will host public meetings on Wednesdays – April 12, April 19, and Tuesday, April 25, 2023, from 6:30 pm – 8pm.
For more information or to register for the online meeting(s) visit our Community Conversations webpage.
Meeting Schedule:
District 1 – Wednesday, April 19 – Beaverton Marsh Preserve Update
(San Juan, Brown, Stuart, Henry, Pearl, Johns, and Spieden Islands)
Join on Zoom OR in person at the San Juan Island Library Meeting Room located at 1010 Guard Street in Friday Harbor.
District 2 – Wednesday, April 12 – North Shore Property Update
(Orcas, Armitage, Bell, Blakely, Cliff, Crane, Obstruction, Sucia, and Waldron Islands)
Join on Zoom OR in person at the Orcas Fire Hall located at 45 Lavender Lane in Eastsound.
District 3 – Tuesday, April 25 – Watmough Preserve Update
(Lopez, Decatur, Center, Trump, Frost, and Shaw Islands)
Join on Zoom OR in person at the Lopez Island Family Resource Center located at 23 Pear Tree Lane in the Village.
For more information, questions, or to submit questions/topics of interest prior to meeting date, contact Tanja Williamson, San Juan County Land Bank Outreach/Volunteer Coordinator, tanjaw@sjclandbank.org.
Public meeting attendees need a free registered Zoom account and the Zoom application on their device.
- Create a Free Zoom account here: https://zoom.us/freesignup/
- Download the Zoom application here: https://zoom.us/download
Media Contact: Tanja Williamson, Outreach/Volunteer Coordinator, tanjaw@sjclandbank.org, 360-378-4402
About San Juan County’s Conservation Land Bank
San Juan County’s Conservation Land Bank, funded by a 1% real estate excise tax paid by purchasers of property at closing, acquires and protects special places in the Islands including coastlines, farmland, forests and wetlands. The department offices are located at 328 Caines Street, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. For more information about San Juan County’s Conservation Land Bank, visit www.sjclandbank.org.
What is that headline referring to?
@Ken Wood
I really hope they are not claiming that the Land Bank costs each San Juan County citizen only $15 per year. That would be incredibly disingenuous, not to mention insulting.
The Land Bank is primarily funded by a one-time 1% excise tax when someone purchases property. The $15 figure represents the amount paid in annual property taxes by the owner of an average valued property in San Juan County due to the removal of Land Bank properties from the tax rolls. Come to the meeting to learn more!
@Lincoln Bormann: Did it ever occur to you that working class people also purchase modest land and homes in San Juan County? We do, and we do so with great difficulty. Let’s at least be honest with the people you serve, shall we? Many of us have paid your organization thousands or even tens of thousands through this mandatory tax – money we really could be using for our families and renovations. It’s much more than your $15/year figure.
This hubris is a good reminder that it may be time to wind down Land Bank operations and turn over management of the parcels to a leaner, more accountable county organization such as San Juan County Parks.
Mr. “FUBAR” (an obvious derogatory and fake name in violation of the Orcasonian comment policy) doesn’t seem to understand the value of conservation. The value of SJPT and the Land Bank to this county is of incalculable benefit to both residents and visitors. It is one of the best things about living here.
Additionally on one hand you’re saying that your holdings are modest; if so, your taxes would be too. There’s no way you’ve paid tens of thousands of dollars if your property purchase was modest. A 1% excise tax would be $10K on a $1 million purchase. If you can afford a $1 million property then you have a lot to be grateful for and should probably spend less time on comment boards and more time on the trails and beaches.
What’s not apparent in the headline or press release is that there will be a presentation with updates on our island’s preserves including conceptual plans for improvements at the North Shore Preserve (Glenwood Inn) property. We’ll then open up for Q&A and also would love to hear any ideas or concerns you have about your local public lands.