Saturday, May 30, Noon to 4 p.m., Mount Grant
— from Barbara Courtney, San Juan Preservation Trust —
The San Juan Preservation Trust and San Juan County Land Bank invite the entire island community to join in celebrating the kick-off of the Campaign to Save Mount Grant on Saturday, May 30, from noon to 4 pm. The event is free and open to the public. Music, refreshments, and guided tours will be provided.
Campaign co-chair Karin Agosta issues this hearty invitation to all: “Come join us for the community celebration. And if you have not yet been on Mount Grant, prepare to be wowed!”
The event will celebrate progress so far on this important project and will allow our community to see, first-hand, the 141-acre Mount Grant property that has long been considered a gem of the islands. Expansive hiking trails are planned through dense forest up to a summit area with incredible vistas. For those not able to hike to the top, a road provides auto access so that people of all ages and physical ability can enjoy the spectacular, 360-degree views that span the horizon from Mount Baker to the Canadian Gulf Islands with regional island vistas as well.
Local naturalists will be on hand to point out the many delightful features of Mount Grant and to identify landmarks visible from the summit. Marimba Kubatana will perform, and hot dogs, lemonade and other treats will be served. Representatives from the 22-person campaign steering committee, the Preservation Trust, and the Land Bank will be on hand to answer questions.
Parking is limited and carpooling is strongly encouraged. If you plan to visit the Preserve on May 30, please consider using the free shuttle van for a ride to and from the event. It will depart from 1st Street North at the corner of Court Street, in front of the Courthouse, every 30 minutes from noon until 3 pm. Transportation will be available to shuttle non-hikers to the summit, but no other cars will be allowed up Mount Grant during the event. (The road will be opened on selected days and hours once safety upgrades have been completed.)
For more information about The Campaign to Save Mount Grant or the May 30 kick-off, please visit www.sjpt.org/mountgrant or call the San Juan Preservation Trust at 360/378-2461.
Please excuse my ignorance, but I would be interested to know just what the threat is from which Mount Grant is to be saved.
Hi Fred,
Perhaps your question is best answered by saying not what the threat is (10 housing sites), but that this beautiful San Juan Island property is being saved for current and future generations to enjoy its natural splendors which include native grasslands, rocky balds, dense forest with old growth, and habitat for wildflowers, birds and other species. It is saving extraordinary 360-degree views so that everyone can enjoy them. And we mean everyone, because the road to the summit will be maintained for public access. There is nothing like this on San Juan Island.
Check out the website, or better yet, join us on May 30 to see this property for yourself!
By the way, there will be a free shuttle running every 30 minutes from noon – 3:30 pm, so that folks coming from other islands can walk on the ferry. The shuttle will meet people across the street from the Courthouse in Friday Harbor.
I gather that allowing this site to be carved up into ten 14 acre lots would be seen as a real loss.
Without intending a direct challenge to your efforts, there are options for maintaining scenic vistas, public trails and access, and protecting the natural environment other than direct purchase which results in removing the land from the County tax base.
Sadly there are only a couple of examples of creative land planning in San Juan County which utilize concepts such as common open space, trail and view easements, various covenants, tightly restricted and pre-designated building sites, and perhaps some architectual controls.
I suspect that most folks would be amazed at what environmentally-conscious, skilled design professionals can achieve.
Barbara,
I hope lots of Orcas Islanders will head on over to San Juan Island to tour the proposed Mt. Grant park. If the Preservation Trust’s campaign is successful, it will make this gorgeous ridge line permanently accessible to the public, and not only to those who are hearty enough to make the climb but also those who need transport to reach the spectacular viewpoints. This project has the potential to provide SJI with its own version of Orcas’s wonderful Turtleback Mountain preserve, and I think most of us understand what an addition that has been to our quality of life. Tally ho!
s