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Whidbey Camano Land Trust
History:
The Whidbey Camano Land Trust was founded in Coupeville in 1984 as an independent, community-based, non profit organization dedicated to protecting special lands in Island County. The impetus for the organization was the sale of an 80-acre parcel of scenic forest for development along what is now the Ebey's Bluff Trail between Fort Ebey State Park and Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve. Three initial conservation easements protecting critical lands established the new land trust. The first conservation easement protects a 200-foot wide corridor along forest and bluff on part of the Ebey's Bluff Trail. Shortly afterwards, a second easement of archaeological significance was obtained on Polnell Point. A third major conservation easement, on approximately 100 acres of forest, agricultural and open space land on North Whidbey, established the Land Trust as a growing and effective organization for land conservation.
From 1984 through 1998, the Land Trust acquired four additional easements on Whidbey Island. In 1999, the 24-acre Maxwelton Wetlands Habitat Preserve was donated. In 2001, the Land Trust took a giant leap, raising over $750,000 with the community for the Saratoga Woods Preserve. In the wake of that action, the Land Trust's board of directors concluded that if it was going to accelerate the conservation of land in Island County, it needed a paid staff and an office.
Following a national search, Patricia Powell was hired as the Land Trust's Executive Director and first staff in late 2002, and an office was opened in the Sears House at Bayview Corner. These steps marked a turn in the Land Trust's capacity and effectiveness. The organization was able to take a proactive, strategic approach to land conservation, not simply a reactive approach to opportunities. With expert staff, it was able to initiate and complete multiple and complex land conservation projects.
2003 marked the year that the Land Trust truly became a county-wide organization when the Davis Slough Heronry was purchased and protected. This first project on Camano Island expanded the Land Trust's base of support, with more than 530 donors far and wide rallying to save one of the five largest Great Blue Heron colonies remaining in Puget Sound.
By the Land Trust's 20th anniversary in 2004, the board of directors undertook a strategic planning process that called for developing the organization's infrastructure and expanding capacity needed to establish the Land Trust in a leadership role in land conservation in Island County. In addition, a series of open houses held on both islands not only helped build membership, but provided broad local input needed for the board to establish protection priorities. Matching islanders' input with areas identified in the Land Trust's natural resource inventory work, led to the Land Trust's "Greenprint" land protection strategy.
Today, the Whidbey Camano Land Trust is one of the more than 1,500 land trusts across the nation and is recognized as the most effective land conservation organization in Island County. But there is still much to do. Permanent changes to our islands' landscapes are accelerating and the next few years will be pivotal to the future of our islands and our quality of life.
The Whidbey Camano Land Trust was founded in Coupeville in 1984 as an independent, community-based, non profit organization dedicated to protecting special lands in Island County. The impetus for the organization was the sale of an 80-acre parcel of scenic forest for development along what is now the Ebey's Bluff Trail between Fort Ebey State Park and Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve. Three initial conservation easements protecting critical lands established the new land trust. The first conservation easement protects a 200-foot wide corridor along forest and bluff on part of the Ebey's Bluff Trail. Shortly afterwards, a second easement of archaeological significance was obtained on Polnell Point. A third major conservation easement, on approximately 100 acres of forest, agricultural and open space land on North Whidbey, established the Land Trust as a growing and effective organization for land conservation.
From 1984 through 1998, the Land Trust acquired four additional easements on Whidbey Island. In 1999, the 24-acre Maxwelton Wetlands Habitat Preserve was donated. In 2001, the Land Trust took a giant leap, raising over $750,000 with the community for the Saratoga Woods Preserve. In the wake of that action, the Land Trust's board of directors concluded that if it was going to accelerate the conservation of land in Island County, it needed a paid staff and an office.
Following a national search, Patricia Powell was hired as the Land Trust's Executive Director and first staff in late 2002, and an office was opened in the Sears House at Bayview Corner. These steps marked a turn in the Land Trust's capacity and effectiveness. The organization was able to take a proactive, strategic approach to land conservation, not simply a reactive approach to opportunities. With expert staff, it was able to initiate and complete multiple and complex land conservation projects.
2003 marked the year that the Land Trust truly became a county-wide organization when the Davis Slough Heronry was purchased and protected. This first project on Camano Island expanded the Land Trust's base of support, with more than 530 donors far and wide rallying to save one of the five largest Great Blue Heron colonies remaining in Puget Sound.
By the Land Trust's 20th anniversary in 2004, the board of directors undertook a strategic planning process that called for developing the organization's infrastructure and expanding capacity needed to establish the Land Trust in a leadership role in land conservation in Island County. In addition, a series of open houses held on both islands not only helped build membership, but provided broad local input needed for the board to establish protection priorities. Matching islanders' input with areas identified in the Land Trust's natural resource inventory work, led to the Land Trust's "Greenprint" land protection strategy.
Today, the Whidbey Camano Land Trust is one of the more than 1,500 land trusts across the nation and is recognized as the most effective land conservation organization in Island County. But there is still much to do. Permanent changes to our islands' landscapes are accelerating and the next few years will be pivotal to the future of our islands and our quality of life.