We are pleased to announce that The Nature Conservancy has transferred ownership of two iconic Waldron Island nature preserves on Waldron Island to us — the 269-acre Cowlitz Bay Preserve and the 208-acre Bitte Baer Preserve.

Purchased separately in the early 1970s with the support of donations from the Waldron Island community, these two properties were among the very first private lands to be permanently conserved in San Juan County. The Bitte Baer Preserve, which is adjacent to another 216-acre preserve previously purchased by the San Juan Preservation Trust, includes the sandstone face of Mount Disney and hosts one of the largest intact Garry oak ecosystems in the San Juan archipelago. The Cowlitz Bay Preserve, which was acquired in 1971 to thwart a proposed subdivision, hosts extensive high-quality wetlands and almost 4,000 feet of beachfront, including tidelands with forage fish spawning habitat and eelgrass beds.

“The San Juan Preservation Trust and the people of Waldron Island are the ideal partners to care for these iconic lands,” said Karen Anderson, the Conservancy’s Washington director. “We know that these preserves will be well-stewarded into the future.”

In addition to transferring the two preserves, The Nature Conservancy has also conveyed a stewardship endowment to the Preservation Trust that was created by donors at the time these properties were originally acquired. The preserves’ long-time resident caretaker, Tony Scruton, will also be retained by the Preservation Trust.

“Ownership may have changed hands, but The Nature Conservancy’s commitment to preserve and care for these inspiring preserves will continue in perpetuity under our watch,” said Tim Seifert, executive director of the Preservation Trust. “We’ve had a successful history of land conservation on Waldron, and we look forward to working with the island community to ensure that these places will remain in their healthy and natural state. Forever.”

Accreditation Awarded by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, announced in late February that the San Juan Preservation Trust has been awarded national accredited status. With this news, the Preservation Trust joins a prestigious group of 157 other land trusts (out of 1,700 nationally) that have achieved this distinction since this new accreditation program was launched in the fall of 2008.

“Accredited land trusts meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever,” said Commission Executive Director Tammara Van Ryn. “The accreditation seal lets the public know that the accredited land trust has undergone an extensive, external review of the governance and management of its organization and the systems and policies it uses to protect land.”

“With 33 years of history and over 270 properties under our protection, the accreditation application process turned out to be a herculean effort for us,” said Tim Seifert, executive director of the San Juan Preservation Trust. “But as our staff revisited old project files and as our board debated our policies and priorities, it quickly became evident that this was exactly what we needed to do to ensure the long-term viability of our projects and our organization.”

The San Juan Preservation Trust may now display the land trust accreditation seal, a mark of distinction that indicates to the public that the organization meets the highest national standards for excellence, upholds the public trust and ensures that conservation efforts are permanent.

“Receiving this seal of approval from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission is really just the beginning of a perpetual responsibility,” said Steve McKeon, the president of the Preservation Trust’s board of trustees. “This should help to assure everyone that supports the San Juan Preservation Trust that the conservation work we’re doing today is truly positioned to stand the test of time.”

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ABOUT THE LAND TRUST ACCREDITATION COMMISSION

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, based in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., awards the accreditation seal to community institutions that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. More information on the accreditation program is available on the Commission’s website, www.landtrustaccreditation.org. More information on the Alliance is available at www.landtrustalliance.org.

Spring Street School in Friday Harbor provided an enthusiastic group of young conservationists on Thursday, February 9 on SJPT’s Hunter Preserve on Mt. Dallas. Ms. Massey’s 8th grade class came out to help Kathleen Foley, SJPT’s program director, install nest boxes to encourage diversity among the birds that use the preserve. The boxes provide artificial nesting cavities for Western bluebirds, saw-whet owls and flickers.

Several years ago, the caretaker for a shoreline property along San Juan Island’s west side discovered a beautiful little golden flower.

Golden Indian Paintbrush by Kurt Thorsen

This flower, which was on land protected by a San Juan Preservation Trust conservation easement, appeared after a large patch of snowberry and Nootka rose was cleared from a portion of the property that exhibited remnants of native prairie.

The wildflower was quickly identified as Golden Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja levisecta), which is currently listed an endangered species in Washington State. Working together, the landowner, the Preservation Trust, the US Fish & Wildlife Service, the Washington Natural Heritage Program and other native plant enthusiasts developed a management plan to assure that this rare little flower, which only grows in a few places in the San Juan Islands, would be able to thrive.

And thrive it has! After several years of mowing and clearing away competing underbrush, the population continues to expand. Seed collected from the plants growing on this property have been used to propagate additional plugs. This fall, some of these plugs were returned to San Juan Island and – with volunteer help – have been planted on this (and neighboring) properties, ensuring that this delightful little denizen of our disappearing prairies maintains a footing in the San Juan Islands.

The paintbrush planting crew on San Juan Island

A report released today by the U.S. Department of the Interior has outlined an agenda for near-term Wilderness and Conservation Land designations. The report recommends the San Juan Islands, and 17 other “backcountry areas”, as deserving of congressional protections.

Community leaders have been seeking protections for the San Juan Islands for years. “We appreciate the Bureau of Land Management and Department of Interior’s recognition of the importance of protecting the proposed San Juan Islands National Conservation Area (NCA). We want to ensure that these lands receive the high degree of protection and stewardship they deserve. The National Conservation Area designation is a way to achieve this which honors the community’s desire to have direct input into the management of these lands. Our island environment is a unique complement to BLM’s special landscapes,” said Lopez Island resident and member of Islanders for San Juan Islands NCA member, Sally Reeve.