Shoreline Habitat Protected with Conservation Easement

— from San Juan County Land Bank —

An exceptional stretch of undeveloped coastline on Waldron Island’s north shore has been protected by the San Juan County Land Bank with a conservation easement funded through the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board.

The 34-acre property includes over 2,500 feet of barrier beach and feeder bluff – important shoreforms to support  juvenile Chinook salmon and other marine species that frequent Boundary Pass. A buffer of native forest extends inland, providing additional habitat richness and diversity.

Intact shoreline in San Juan County is critically important for salmon which depend on terrestrial food sources. Feeder-bluffs contribute nutrients into marine systems, and arthropods in the tree canopy, shrub layer, and soils comprise significant portions of juvenile salmon’s diet.

“The Boundary Pass/President Channel area has the highest salmon abundance and undeveloped shoreline in the county, and is a regional priority for salmon recovery efforts,” explains Land Bank Director, Lincoln Bormann. “We are very pleased to have secured a significant piece that connects existing preserved parcels, resulting in a total of over 6,300 feet of natural shoreline. The conservation easement will ensure that the ecological function of this land is maintained into the future.”