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03/30/2005: "Land Bank's Cady Mountain Management Plan Up For Comment"

Location Map Of Cady Mountain Land Bank Property

The draft Stewardship and Management Plan for the Land Bank's Cady Mountain Preserve is now available for public review and comment.

The San Juan County Land Bank's 80 acre Cady Mountain Preserve was acquired in January 2003 to protect important scenic and ecological resources and provide opportunities for low-intensity public recreation. This Stewardship and Management Plan is intended to guide management of the preserve in furthering these purposes.

The draft plan can be found on the Land Bank website:
www.co.san-juan.wa.us/land_bank/stew.html

Copies are also available from the Land Bank office, 378-4402. A community meeting to discuss the draft plan will be held on April 7th, 5 p.m. at The Grange, Friday Harbor. All are welcome. Comments are being accepted through April 21, 2005.


The 80 acre preserve straddles the upper reaches of Cady Mountain in one of San Juan Island's more remote sectors (Figures 1, 2, and 3). The property is largely forested, except for patches of rocky balds and rare Garry oak grassland found on its south-facing slopes. Terrain is uneven, rocky, and in some areas, quite steep. A seasonal stream begins on the property and flows south across the preserve, to exit at its southwest corner. A private access road, Cady Mountain Road, cuts through the middle portion of the property. Several vantage points provide views over San Juan Valley to the south, Mt. Baker to the east, and Jones, Spieden, Waldron, and other islands to the north. Preserve management will center around protecting the land's special habitats and other natural attributes, while enabling low impact, compatible public use. This Stewardship and Management Plan provides guidelines for the Land Bank's oversight of existing holdings, as well as any future land acquisitions on Cady Mountain, such as the adjacent 40 acre parcel owned by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) which the Land Bank is trying to acquire. While this plan is intended to serve for years to come, it is anticipated that there will be a need for periodic revision as environmental and social conditions change over time, and the Land Bank acquires new knowledge.