Preservation Trust and Conservation Land Bank staff visiting Beaverton Marsh Preserve, San Juan Island | Staff archive
As the election quickly approaches, the San Juan Preservation Trust supports the renewal of the San Juan County Conservation Land Bank, and we hope you will too this voting season.
Created in 1991 by a citizen-driven response to increased development, the Land Bank operates under county mandate and is funded by a 1% Conservation Area Real Estate Excise Tax (REET), paid by buyers of real estate during closing. Renewed by voters twice before, a third conservation REET renewal will be on the ballot in November. The Preservation Trust’s board of directors has voted unanimously to endorse the renewal campaign, which an all-volunteer group is leading.
This November, there’s even more reason to support the Land Bank’s renewal: By state law, a 0.5% affordable housing REET is tied to the 1% Conservation Area REET, administered by the Land Bank. Revenue from the housing REET is projected to generate $15.2 million over a 12-year period to develop, produce, and/or preserve affordable housing in San Juan County.
Supporting the Renew Our Land Bank campaign is crucial for continued conservation AND affordable housing efforts—two essential components of healthy island communities. If the Land Bank REET is not renewed, the 0.5% affordable housing REET will also expire, and future conservation projects will become significantly more difficult for our islander community to accomplish.
Together, the Preservation Trust and the Land Bank create a double layer of protection for the islands. To date, the two organizations have collaborated on some 27 conservation projects, including Turtleback Mountain and the (newly-opened) North Shore Preserve on Orcas; key portions of Watmough Bay on Lopez; Point Disney on Waldron; and Mount Grant, Beaverton Marsh, and Zylstra Lake on San Juan.
The acquisition of conservation land is just the beginning for both organizations. Stewarding the land then becomes a forever-responsibility that allows the implementation of management practices that improve water quality, forest health, salmon habitat, and regenerative local farming capabilities, among many other benefits. This is essential work that will never truly be finished.
For all of this and more, the board and staff of the San Juan Preservation Trust ask you to vote “YES” to renew our Conservation Land Bank in November!
Above: Youth attend a learning landscapes educational session with SJPT and Conservation Land Bank staff on Turtleback Mountain | Staff archive
Below: Conservation Land Bank-SJPT joint trail opening event | Staff archive
