Letter to the Editor: San Juan Preservation Trust Endorses Renewal of San Juan County Land Bank

Dear Editor:

The San Juan Preservation Trust, the non-profit land conservation group in the San Juan Islands, traditionally steers clear of political campaigns. With our private, market-based approach to protecting special places from development, the Preservation Trust’s constituency attracts people from every political persuasion. We understand that much of our appeal and our membership support are strengthened by standing apart from our County’s often-contentious political processes.

Despite this, the 20-member Board of Trustees of the San Juan Preservation Trust, representing a cross-section of islands and political perspectives, has unanimously agreed to endorse the renewal of the San Juan County Land Bank.

These two organizations are often confused. Both strategically protect landscapes that are particularly valuable to our island communities, but the distinction is as simple as the difference between public and private. The San Juan County Land Bank is a unique public agency that is authorized by our citizens to collect a 1% excise tax (from buyers in real estate transactions) to protect open space in San Juan County. The San Juan Preservation Trust, on the other hand, is a private organization that relies completely on private donations of land, conservation easements and money to protect important island land.

While both organizations have successfully completed a long list of remarkable projects on their own, a powerful synergy emerges when the Land Bank and the Preservation Trust come together in partnership. By blending public and private resources, we leverage our respective strengths and funding sources to acquire special places that we couldn’t dream of saving on our own. Beloved – and expensive – places like Turtleback Mountain (on Orcas Island), Watmough Bight (Lopez), Beaverton Marsh (San Juan), Disney Mountain (Waldron), Sundstrom Farm (San Juan) and the Henry Island Isthmus, to name just a few, have been permanently conserved by this productive partnership.

We all feel lucky to live in the San Juans.  But our ability to bequeath the beauty, health and character of these islands to future generations would be profoundly diminished should we lapse and let the San Juan County Land Bank slip away from us. On the November 8^th election ballot you will be asked to vote on the 12-year renewal of the Land Bank. On behalf of our many islands and their inhabitants – current and future, human and otherwise – the board and staff of the San Juan Preservation Trust are now asking you to vote “YES” on November 8 to RENEW OUR LAND BANK!

Please visit www.RenewOurLandBank.org to learn more about the San Juan County Land Bank and its renewal process.

Tim Seifert, Executive Director

Steve McKeon, President of the Board of Trustees

The San Juan Preservation Trust