San Juan County: The Next Nantucket?
||| FROM LISA CROSBY GUARD |||
I’ve long been drawn to Nantucket, often compared to Friday Harbor, where I’ve lived as a native islander and farmer. My family has lived in the San Juans for over seven generations. In September 2022, a trip to see fall colors on the East Coast finally brought me there, and I ensured we included Nantucket in our plans.
Though lodging was pricey, we settled on a motel for convenience. Arriving via fast ferry from Hyannis, we quickly discovered that Nantucket is a beautiful yet expensive destination, much like Friday Harbor.
We opted for a guided tour of the island, learning from our guide—who fell in love with Nantucket years ago—about its rich history and attractions, including the impressive Whaling Museum. However, what troubled me was the impact of the Nantucket Land Bank, which owns over 9,000 acres—30% of the island. While aimed at preserving open space, this approach limits locals’ ability to remain on the island. Recent measures to exempt first time homebuyers from transfer fees are steps in the right direction, but more needs to be done. Notably, San Juan County’s Land Bank is modeled after Nantucket’s.
When I inquired about farms on the island, I learned there were only a few goats and one farm owned by the Land Bank. This situation mirrors what I see at home, where local farms like Zylstra Lake, historically called “Wooden Shoe Farm” are barely operational due to Land Bank ownership.
We must recognize that without local farms, we risk losing our food security. We cannot rely solely on ferries for our sustenance. It’s crucial that careful consideration be given before approving future land bank acquisitions without a concrete farm and food plan. We need to explore innovative solutions to support new farmers and ensure that agricultural land remains in the hands of those who will cultivate it. The future of our food depends on it.
I urge you to consider a NO vote for the Land Bank. It will continue for the next two years and can be reimagined to serve islanders rather than work against them.
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Our Land Bank and Local Farms
Lisa Crosby Guard, glad you got to visit Nantucket, but sorry you are so misinformed. I lived and worked as a planner on Nantucket for a number of years, so I think I know what I’m talking about.
In FACT, the Nantucket Land Bank owns just over 3,000 acres–about 10% of that island’s land. A larger share–about three times that–is owned by the private, locally supported Nantucket Conservation Association. However, that 10% should be regarded as a measure of the Land Bank’s success. By contrast, San Juan County’s Conservation Land Bank owns only about 4 1/2% of land in these islands.
Another interesting FACT is that when Nantucket’s Land Bank was approved in 1983 it was given a 2% REET–double our own–permanently. They don’t go back for renewal. The Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank, on Nantucket’s sister island, got a similar approval. There will always be a need to conserve and steward the land–“in perpetuity.”
But you were talking about farms and food. In FACT, the Nantucket Land Bank owns half a dozen farms, which it leases to local farmers https://www.nantucketlandbank.org/mission/agriculture/. Likewise, saving farmland from development and making it available to local farmers is a key part of our land bank’s mission. The Land Bank owns 700 acres of prime farmland and leases 500 acres back to local farmers. In addition, it protects 1,300 acres of private farmland and working farms through conservation easements, guaranteeing that they will remain working farmland and not be turned into private estates https://www.renewourlandbank.com/working-farms. (See the accompanying letter in this issue about the Land Bank’s recent lease to the San Juan Island Grange and their exciting plan to use that lease cooperatively with a number of growers https://theorcasonian.com/letter-to-editor-grange-says-yes-to-land-bank-renewal/). Here on Orcas, the Land Bank’s lease of the Coffelt Farm Preserve to the Lums is a great example of how the Land Bank supports local farmers and they, in turn, give back to the whole community.
You say, ” It’s crucial that careful consideration be given before approving future land bank acquisitions without a concrete farm and food plan.” Then you urge a NO vote for the Land Bank. Before making a plan? If you mean what you say and care about local farms and food self-reliance in the Islands, I urge you get together with the right folks (Ag Resource Committee?) and make a plan. The Land Bank has a plan: saving farmland and making it available to farmers; and they’re acting on it.
Thank you, Brian! Please everyone, vote yes on the land bank!
Thank you Brian! We appreciate the facts to counter the misinformation. Please vote YES and RENEW OUR Conservation Land Bank. It’s what makes living here so incredibly special.