Letter to the Editor: Land and Discourse Give Value to Orcas

Editor/BullWings Readers,

My wife and I are relative newcomers to Orcas Island.  We purchased our property on the East side about 10 years ago, and built a vacation abode which recently became our primary residence. One of the main reasons for selecting Orcas as our home was the beauty of the land, and its accessibility for recreation.  We first learned about the Land Bank when we noted, and questioned, the 1% real estate excise tax collected in escrow for our original land purchase.  It was a significant amount, but when we discovered that the money was reserved for the acquisition and maintenance in perpetuity of beautiful and historical parcels on the Island, we deemed it well worth our investment. From that perspective, the investment has continued to pay ample and even expanding dividends, as we have come to explore and love the existing preserves and fantastic new ones, such as Turtleback Mountain.

Another reason we selected Orcas as our home is the quality of the dialogue that surrounds issues of public policy.  It is generally civil, and conducted with the overarching goal of enhancing the Orcas community.  Even when neighbors disagree, they seem to be working toward the common good (which can’t always be said about public policy dialogue).We hope the debate over renewing the Land Bank can be kept friendly and factual, without rancor.  There are good reasons to disagree with the renewal proposition, which have been and we hope will continue to be articulated with the best interests of Orcas in mind.

For our part, we hope the Land Bank will be renewed, to maintain the current preserves and acquire new ones in the future for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.

Steven Jung
Susan McBain
Olga, WA