||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS |||
The public is invited to join the San Juan County Conservation Land Bank (Land Bank), the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and representatives of area treaty tribes on March 23, 2026, to learn about a collaborative proposal for allowing limited opportunities to hunt deer on two Orcas Island preserves: Turtleback Mountain and North Shore.
“We welcome the opportunity to work with WDFW and the tribes to find ways to bring deer populations into better balance and maintain an important cultural connection to the land,” said Lincoln Bormann, Land Bank Director.
At the meeting, managers will share details about this proposal and be available to answer questions. “Research in the San Juan Islands shows that when deer populations get too dense, they can over-browse native plants and negatively impact habitat many birds and other species depend on,” said Kurt Licence, WDFW wildlife biologist for San Juan County. “Carefully managed hunting is one of the most effective tools wildlife managers have to keep deer at healthy levels for the ecosystem as well as reducing disease risk and improving long-term health for deer themselves.”
The current hunting proposal includes opening a select area of Turtleback Mountain to state hunters during early-modern season and offering roughly a two-week period on either preserve for tribal hunting.
“Partnerships like this not only honor our commitment to co-management and conservation but also provide an opportunity to reconnect with a landscape our people have stewarded for thousands of years,” said Valentino Villaluz, wildlife program manager for the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community.
Public scoping meetings are intended to help area residents and other stakeholders learn more about specific Land Bank management proposals and to help identify potential issues or concerns. This meeting will be held in-person at the Orcas Island Fire Hall from 5pm to 7pm. Community members may also join virtually via Zoom.
Please register here to join the March 23 Public Scoping Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.
A recording of the meeting will be made available for those who can’t attend. Written comments will be accepted until 5pm on Monday, April 6, by emailing erinh@sjclandbank.org.
More information and background resources on hunting in the San Juan Islands is available from WDFW as well as in the Washington hunting regulations.
About San Juan County’s Land Bank
San Juan County’s Land Bank, funded by a 1% real estate excise tax paid by purchasers of property at closing, acquires and preserves areas in the county that have environmental, agricultural, aesthetic, cultural, scientific, historic, scenic, or low-intensity recreational value. The department offices are located at 328 Caines Street, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. For more information about San Juan County’s Land Bank, visit www.sjclandbank.org.
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