Peek Conservation Easement

San Juan Island

Year Protected: 1998

Land Protected: 21 acres

Shoreline Protected: 798 feet

Public Benefits: Shoreline, forest

In another great example of neighbors working together to conserve ecologically sensitive areas, neighbors Don and Katy Peek and Charles and Gretchen Lambert of San Juan Island joined forces to conserve over 1,100 feet of undisturbed shoreline along San Juan Channel. Concerned about the impact of nearby logging, together, the neighbors purchased ten acres of heavily forested uplands to add to their 21-acre shoreline holdings, effectively protecting 31 acres in total.

“We wanted very much to maintain the beauty of the islands and thought this would be a good way we could do something to protect this little part of San Juan,” said the Peeks at the time of the conservation easement donation. “We think the Preservation Trust’s program is excellent and our family does, too.”

The site of the existing Peek home and guest house are set behind the shoreline area.  The forested hillside that rises from the shoreline to Eureka Drive includes large Douglas fir and western red cedar trees more than a century old. Grottos lined with mosses and ferns are all that remain of limestone quarries abandoned at the turn of the last century. A seasonal stream attracts a variety of birds to the land which will remain in its natural condition as a haven for wildlife. The property is visible from San Juan Channel and is part of the San Juan Islands Scenic Ferry Corridor.