SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA. September 13, 2024 – Saturday, September 28th marks a special National Public Lands Day for your Land Bank as we celebrate the much-anticipated opening of North Shore Preserve. Located near the northwest corner of Orcas Island, the 58-acre preserve offers forested uplands, wetlands, and over 1,800 feet of natural shoreline with prime nearshore habitat for juvenile salmon and the forage fish critical to salmon recovery.
In 2022, the Land Bank and the San Juan Preservation Trust joined forces to purchase the defunct Glenwood Inn Resort. That same year the Land Bank launched an exhaustive planning, permitting, and contracting effort that removed 13 structures and hundreds of tons of debris, and established parking and trails to support low-intensity recreational access. Among the Land Bank’s highest priorities was restoring the ecological integrity of the property through re-establishment of wetlands, removal of thousands of invasive plants, and extensive ongoing revegetation with native species. Although much work remains, the safe, scenic and ecologically rich North Shore Preserve is now yours to enjoy!
“This is a tremendous addition to natural public lands on Orcas on so many levels,” said Brian Wiese, the Land Bank Commission Chair. “For one, public access to the shoreline has been a huge priority for the community and this Preserve’s 1,800 feet of coastline is really unparalleled.”
What to expect: Explore the Preserve on your own or join a guided tour. Tour details can be found on the Land Bank’s online calendar. Refreshments and a short photo journal illustrating a “preserve-in-the-making” will also be available.
Due to limited on-site parking, we encourage use of the free, roundtrip shuttle service the Land Bank has arranged for this celebration. Park your car at Orcas Island High School, in the student and guest parking area only. The shuttle will pick up/drop off on the half-hour, starting with a 10:45am pick up at OIHS and concluding with a shuttle leaving the Preserve at 2:45pm.
Following the opening, we strongly encourage visitors to carpool or bike to the Preserve as there are only a few parking spaces available. And don’t forget - the Land Bank stewards four other Preserves on Orcas which also provide water access. Check them out on our website!
Contact: Tanja Williamson Outreach/Volunteer Coordinator, tanjaw@sjclandbank.org, 360-370-7655
About San Juan County’s Conservation Land Bank
San Juan County’s Conservation Land Bank, funded by a 1% real estate excise tax paid by purchasers of property at closing, acquires and preserves areas in the county that have environmental, agricultural, aesthetic, cultural, scientific, historic, scenic, or low-intensity recreational value. The Land Bank offices are located at 328 Caines Street, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. For more information about San Juan County’s Conservation Land Bank, visit www.sjclandbank.org.
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