— from Tanja Williamson —
The San Juan County Council is pleased to announce the appointment of Brian Wiese of Orcas Island, and Amanda Wedow, of Lopez Island, to serve as Land Bank Commissioners, effective immediately. Brian replaces Lisa Botiller, who served as Commissioner for six years, and Amanda fills the seat of Nancy Greene, who served as Commissioner for 14 years.
“I’m really pleased to be able to be part of the effort to steward the best of our natural land while providing opportunities for islanders and visitors to enjoy it,” says Wiese about his appointment by the County Council. Brian’s career has been in planning, open space preservation and public access, including having worked as a planner on the island of Nantucket, which had the first land bank conservation program of its kind on which San Juan County Land Bank is modeled after. Although he and his wife have owned property on Orcas since 2004, it wasn’t until his retirement last year that they were able to move to the San Juans permanently.
Wedow’s background in conservation began at Evergreen State College where she studied botany and environmental sciences and received a dual BA/BS. She has been active in island stewardship since moving to Lopez Island in 2010. Amanda currently serves as the Director of the Lopez Island Conservation Corps and says she is “committed to protecting island resources for future generations.”
Brian and Amanda join Land Bank Commissioners Jim Skoog (Chair), Amanda Azous, Christa Campbell, Doug Strandberg, and Matthew Wallrath.
The San Juan County Land Bank is a public agency that works with the community to preserve the natural heritage of the San Juan Islands. For more information please call 360-378-4402 or visit us online at sjclandbank.org.
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