Letter to the Editor: Land Bank Preserves Natural Treasure

Our Land Bank is just such a wonderful institution!  It has preserved treasures such as Turtleback Mountain, Watmough Bight and Deadman Bay, providing incomparable recreation and inspiring scenic views in perpetuity.

It is difficult to imagine our islands without the secure protection the Land Bank can afford to wetlands and marshes, wildflower meadows, riparian areas, wildlife corridors, feeder bluffs, spawning beaches and young and old growth forests. These are biological systems we hope will remain safe from fragmentation, degradation and pollution for generations to come. I believe it gives a community a valuable sense of belonging to know that cherished lands will remain open to the public in perpetuity with the scientifically valuable, historic and healthy biological functions of those lands conserved.

Our islands are currently filled with exquisite forests, meadows and wonderful stretches of relatively undeveloped rocky shoreline or sand and gravel beaches.

Yet many, if not most, of these spectacular scenic views and natural areas will profoundly change as development continues. Today there exists in the islands roughly half of the development which is potential at buildout and open lands are vulnerable to conversion and development.

There is a great deal more for the Land Bank to do in order to protect even a semblance of the quality of life islanders take for granted now.

The Land Bank’s future work may also further enhance specific aspects of islanders’ health, safety and quality of life.  Presently there is public access to only one of the 77 miles of shoreline on Orcas Island. Though we have a vital community of food producers in the county, it is small and we are far from food self sufficiency. Arable land in the islands is scarce and farms and forests can provide long term local food stability and forest products only if protected.

I see the Land Bank as a remarkably successful and efficient institution for which I am grateful and which I will gladly vote to renew.

Maile Johnson
Orcas Island