Left to right: SJPT Executive Director Angela Anderson, SJPT Director of Special Projects Kathleen Lewis, Conservation Land Bank Director Lincoln Bormann | Staff archive
This St. Patrick’s Day, SJPT staff weren’t just wearing green, we were celebrating it! After years of collaboratively navigating a complex conservation agreement, the San Juan Preservation Trust officially closed March 17 on the North Shore Preserve Conservation Easement. This milestone ensures permanent protection for 58 acres of upland forest, feeder bluffs, tidelands, and over 1,850 feet of shoreline on Orcas Island, safeguarding critical habitat while providing public beach access for generations to come.
The journey began in 2022 when the San Juan County Conservation Land Bank and the San Juan Preservation Trust partnered to purchase the former Glenwood Inn property. County residents, acting through the Conservation Land Bank, contributed $3.35 million towards the acquisition. The Preservation Trust contributed $3.8 million to the project, which we raised through our largest-ever grant from the Washington State Office of Recreation and Conservation, combined with gifts from generous private donors.
With these 58 acres in public ownership and a conservation easement now held by the Preservation Trust, the Preserve’s uplands will continue to support diverse plants, fungi, mammals, birds, amphibians, and insects, while eelgrass and forage fish vital to salmon and other marine life will continue to thrive in the nearshore area. Cultural preservation is also a key part of this project, with the site remaining accessible to Indigenous groups for cultural purposes.
This project was only possible thanks to the support of our generous donors and grant funders. Thank you for being part of this journey!
We invite you to visit the North Shore Preserve, enjoy its beauty, and help keep it unspoiled.
Above: Angela Anderson signing closing documents | Staff archive
Above: Recap video from the North Shore Preserve celebratory opening in September, 2024