WE DID IT!
By October, 2009, the San Juan Preservation Trust, the Skagit Land Trust, and other Save Guemes Mountain Campaign leaders and supporters succeeded in raising $2.2 million to purchase and permanently protect Guemes Mountain, 70 acres of rocky balds and conifer forest rising serenely over picturesque Guemes Island.
An amazing outpouring of support from the Guemes
community and beyond (including more than 550 donations from individuals, families, foundations, and businesses), made this campaign a success. In addition to donations, volunteers gladly stepped to the plate to host or assist with many varied events-- from house parties to the rollicking "Picnic in the Park"-- helping raise awareness of this special piece of land and encourage people to invest in their own backyard. A big round of thanks to the fabulous steering committee for leading the charge.
So...what's next for the Mountain, now that it has been saved from development? Skagit Land Trust will own the property, while the San Juan Preservation Trust will hold a conservation easement on the land. A neighbor of the property has agreed to donate a trail easement allowing access to the mountain, and both land trusts will work together to establish walking trails to favorite view sites (be sure to return to this page in the future for updates on the public access plan). While we have received some funds for stewardship (read below), we are still seeking donations for long-term care of the property.
Campaign Donor List
We are tremendously grateful to the people who supported this campaign. Every effort has been made to ensure the names and salutations are correct in this list of donors and volunteers, but please do let us know if there are any mistakes. We will correct them promptly.
Campaign Received Important Grant Support
$200,000 matching grant awarded to Skagit Land Trust and San Juan Preservation Trust by the Northwest Wildlife Conservation Initiative.
This initiative of the The Nature Conservancy and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation helps to conserve wildlife habitat identified in the State Wildlife Action Plans. The Guemes Mountain Project was selected for funding due to its high value connecting and protecting wildlife and fish habitat and the strong community involvement. This grant was formerly listed as anonymous. The grant matched gifts to the campaign at a 1:1 rate, and motivated a tremendous response that helped make the campaign a complete success.
Boeing Supports Guemes Campaign
The Save Guemes Mountain campaign was awarded a $50,000 gift from the Boeing Charitable Fund to help with stewardship and restoration on Guemes Mountain. We are honored by this partnership and gift that will help to ensure that Guemes Mountain is managed in a sustainable way.
HOW CAN I HELP?
- To make a donation for stewardship costs through the San Juan Preservation Trust, or for all online donations, click here: The Campaign to Save Guemes Mountain.
At the bottom of the donation form, click the box "Saving Guemes Mountain" under "Type of Gift". - To make a donation through the Skagit Land Trust, please download this form and mail your donation to them directly.
PROJECT OVERVIEW:
The San Juan Preservation Trust partnered with the Skagit Land Trust and the islands community to permanently preserve Guemes Mountain, the highest point on Guemes Island.
This private property rises above more than 560 acres of surrounding preserved land and serves as an important watershed area to nearby wetlands and marine reserves.
Until now it has remained undeveloped, rewarding generations of families with wildflower blooms, peaceful walks and unbeatable views of surrounding islands and mountains, as well as providing habitat for a variety of wildlife. This campaign seeks to permanently preserve the public access, wildlife, and floral splendor of this amazing summit. The campaign began as a $2.8 million dollar effort, but a successful price renegotiation reduced this amount to $2.2 million.
ISLAND COMMUNITY KEEPS WATMOUGH WILD
The San Juan Preservation Trust announced that it has raised the $650,000 needed to purchase and protect a 7-acre property that was susceptible to development inside Lopez Island’s Watmough Bight. This acquisition ensures that Watmough Bight will remain an undeveloped conservation area accessible to the public for generations to come.
“The island community responded in a big way in a very short period of time,” said Sven Haarhoff, director of charitable giving for the San Juan Preservation Trust. “The overwhelming support of this conservation project from throughout San Juan County — and beyond — underscores the importance of this dramatically beautiful, ecologically sensitive, and much loved bay. Thank you to everyone who took part in making this land conservation project a success.”
The San Juan Preservation Trust contributed $150,000 from its reserves (Funds previously donated by members of the Preservation Trust) and raised an additional $500,000 from more than 650 individuals, families and businesses. The San Juan County Land Bank, a public agency, contributed $575,000 to the $1.225 million project. The Land Bank will own and manage the Watmough Bight conservation area while the Preservation Trust will hold a conservation easement to ensure it remains in its natural state and publicly accessible in perpetuity.
“Much of the success of this project is due to the amazing generosity of Tex Gieling, a neighbor who owns the remaining private property inside the bay,” explained Tim Seifert, executive director of the San Juan Preservation Trust. “Tex made this an attractive two-for-one deal by donating her land adjacent to the 7-acre property, giving the public even more acreage to enjoy. Her gift will be appreciated by the community for generations to come.”
“Once again the Land Bank and the Preservation Trust have worked together to protect a spectacular property that will be available for public enjoyment” said Lincoln Bormann, director of the San Juan County Land Bank. “It is a great legacy for the Islands.”
Click here to read the entire press release.
Learn more about our efforts to “Finish the Bight” by downloading our brochure and reading the press release announcing the campaign.
Photo by David Scherrer
Lummi Island Heritage Trust, the San Juan Preservation Trust, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife have succeeded in permanently protecting the 435 acre Baker Ranch on the west side of Lummi Island. This conservation partnership raised the $3.67 million necessary to complete the project with the help of Heritage Trust and Preservation Trust members, state and federal grants, and a league of private donors.
The Baker Ranch was one of the largest and most visible unprotected shoreline properties in the San Juan Islands. The Ranch includes a diverse mix of old growth and mature forest, grassy balds, wetlands, farmland, and over one mile of saltwater shoreline. As of July 18, 2007, conservation easements limit residential use of the 435 acre property to one house and one guest house and ensure permanent protection of the land’s natural values. The San Juan Preservation Trust holds conservation easements on 355 acres of the Ranch and the Department of Fish and Wildlife holds a conservation easement on the remainder of the property.
Creating the Baker Preserve
An 80 acre portion of the Ranch is now owned by Lummi Island Heritage Trust and will become a nature preserve. A member of the Baker family will continue to manage the rest of the property, which is not open to the public. At the end of the landowner’s lifetime, approximately 269 acres of the Ranch will be added to the Heritage Trust’s Baker Preserve.
The Heritage Trust is developing a management plan for the Baker Preserve. The new preserve will include 49 acres previously owned by the organization and will open in summer of 2008. Currently, the property is not open to the public. Once trail construction is complete, the Baker Preserve will be accessible to the public by permit available at the Heritage Trust Resource Center on Lummi Island. For more information, please call the Heritage Trust at 360-758-7997.
Combined with land previously protected by Lummi Island Heritage Trust and the Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Baker Mountain Ranch conservation partnership has created a contiguous protected area of more than 1,000 acres on the wild western coastline of Lummi Island. Thank you to all who helped make this extraordinary land conservation effort possible!
TURTLEBACK MOUNTAIN SAVED
$18.5 Million Fundraising Campaign Succeeds
A partnership of conservation organizations that includes the San Juan Preservation Trust, The Trust for Public Land and the San Juan County Land Bank announced today that it has successfully purchased Turtleback Mountain on Orcas Island, one of the largest and most familiar properties in the San Juan Islands. This acquisition, the result of a six month, $18.5 million fundraising campaign, ensures that the mountain will remain an undeveloped conservation area accessible to the public.
Outpouring of Support
This $18.5 million effort represents the largest fundraising campaign ever undertaken in San Juan County. More than 1,500 donors from throughout the Puget Sound region and beyond responded to the appeal. Local schools, social groups and businesses sponsored special events and promotions for Turtleback, and an outdoor rally held in September at the base of the mountain is believed to be the single largest community gathering ever in the San Juan Islands. A Turtleback-inspired cartoon was created for the campaign by Gary Larson, creator of “The Far Side” comic strip, and was used to expand interest beyond the islands.
“This is a realization of a community dream,” said Tim Seifert, executive director of the San Juan Preservation Trust. “Turtleback Mountain will be a gift from our generation to those that will follow.”
Managing the Mountain
The San Juan County Land Bank, a public agency, contributed $10 million to the project by bonding against future revenues. The San Juan Preservation Trust contributed $1 million, and with The Trust for Public Land raised the remaining funds from private sources. The Land Bank will own and manage the 1,578-acre Turtleback Mountain conservation area, while the Preservation Trust will hold a conservation easement to ensure it remains in its natural state and publicly accessible in perpetuity. As part of the campaign, a $1 million stewardship fund was raised to build trails and support the long-term management of the property.
Visible from throughout the islands, the mountain is especially well-known for providing dramatic views over the San Juan archipelago, the Canadian Gulf Islands, the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges, and numerous waterways in between. “Turtleback Mountain now becomes public land that will be available to all of us,” said Lincoln Bormann, director of the San Juan County Land Bank. “The Land Bank will be seeking input from the public regarding use and management of the property. Until hiking trails can be constructed, the existing logging roads will provide visitors with access to the mountain.” Bormann added that the property will be open officially for pedestrian access as soon as parking has been designated and signage installed in approximately two weeks.
The 1,578-acre Turtleback Mountain property was assembled by Norton Clapp, benefactor of the Seattle-based Medina Foundation, starting in the 1950s. Upon his death in 1995, the property was granted to the Foundation, which put the property up for sale in August of 2005 to support its philanthropic work. The property had been actively pursued by residential and private resort developers before an agreement was reached with conservation interests to acquire the property.
“This is a milestone for land conservation,” noted Roger Hoesterey, northwest regional director for The Trust for Public Land. “By permanently protecting Turtleback, we have made a tremendous contribution to the health and identity of the entire Puget Sound region.”
Our eternal gratitude goes out to everyone that supported this effort. This could never have happened without you…
WE DID IT!!
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some answers to frequently asked questions about the project and the future of the Turtleback Mountain conservation area. We will update this web site as more information becomes available. If you have any other questions, please call the San Juan Preservation Trust at (360) 468-3202 or the San Juan County Land Bank at (360) 378-4402.
Click here for a press release announcing this decision.
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| Thanks to the many contributors to this campaign, Turtleback will remain forever dark at night |
Just one of the many beautiful views from the slopes of the mountain |
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| The hiking trails on Turtleback beckon you to explore this island treasure | Turtleback's breathtaking vistas can now be enjoyed by all |
The Campaign to Save Turtleback Mountain Project Partners (in conjunction with the San Juan Preservation Trust):
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