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06/14/2006: "Turtleback Mountain May Be Saved From Development"

(Map of Turtleback property on Orcas Island)

A conservation partnership consisting of the non-profit San Juan Preservation Trust, the tax supported San Juan County Land Bank, and the private Medina Foundation has resulted in an agreement that will protect in perpetuity 1,587 acres on Turtleback Mountain on Orcas Island; one of the largest privately owned properties in San Juan County.

The sale by the Foundation to the partnership is scheduled to close later this year. In addition to the purchase price of $17 million, there is also $1.5 million the partnership will need to raise in order to establish a stewardship fund that will be used to maintain and manage the property. Approximately $12.5 million from both the public and the private sector has been earmarked for the project. The remaining $6.0 million will need to be raised by November of this year.

Under this newly formed conservation partnership, the San Juan Preservation Trust, the national Trust for Public Land, and the San Juan County Land Bank will raise funds needed to complete the purchase and support the long-term management of the site.

"The Medina Foundation is happy about a conservation solution that simultaneously advances our mission of funding social services, said McKay. "We simply could not have arrived at a better win-win."

Information about the partnership members:

Founded in 1979, the San Juan Preservation Trust (www.sjpt.org) is a private, non-profit land trust dedicated to helping people conserve land in the San Juan archipelago. The organization has permanently protected over 200 properties, 22 miles of shoreline, and 10,000 acres on 17 islands, including land now managed as public parks, private nature preserves, and working farms and forests.

Contact: Tim Seifert
Executive Director
(360) 468-3202
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The Medina Foundation (www.medinafoundation.org) was founded in 1947 by Norton Clapp, former chairman and president of the Weyerhaeuser Company, to help those in need through grants to organizations throughout Puget Sound that address such issues as homelessness, hunger, at-risk youth and families, and education assistance for those at risk of academic failure.

Contact: Tricia McKay
Executive Director
(206) 652-8783
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The Trust for Public Land (www.tpl.org) is a national, nonprofit, land conservation organization that conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, community gardens, historic sites, rural lands, and other natural places, ensuring livable communities for generations to come. Through its Puget Sound Shorelines Program, TPL is working to double the amount of shoreline protected as parks and natural areas in the next 15-20 years.

Contact: Roger Hoesterey
Northwest Regional Director
(206) 274-2910 – office
(206) 498-9878 – cell
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The San Juan County Land Bank (www.co.san-juan.wa.us/land_bank) was created by citizen vote in 1990 to help preserve the unique natural heritage of the San Juan Islands. Since its inception, the Land Bank has protected over 3,000 acres of land, including picturesque shorelines and ridges, historical buildings and working farmlands. This public program is funded by a one percent real estate transfer tax paid for by purchasers of property in San Juan County

Contact: Lincoln Bormann
Director
(360) 378-4402