07/20/2006: "Turtleback Mt. Steering Committee Formed To Raise $"

The San Juan Preservation Trust, The Trust for Public Land, and the San Juan County Land Bank today announced that 32 community leaders have volunteered to serve on the steering committee for the Campaign to Protect Turtleback Mountain.

The following people serve on the Turtleback Campaign Steering Committee:

Mary Riveland, co-chair and trustee of the San Juan Preservation Trust
Martha Wyckoff, co-chair and board member of The Trust for Public Land

Rachel Adams; Chris and Cynthia Bayley; Frank Bayley, Tom Cowan; Peter Evans; Malcolm Goodfellow; Pete Helsell; Bob Henigson; Tom Hughes; Gary Larson and Toni Carmichael;
Bob Lundeen; Steve McKeon; Jay Neukom; Tom and Sally Reeve; Winifred Rhodes; Slim and Mimi Sommerville, Tad and Jeanne Sommerville; The Youngren Family (Eric & Dacia & Jim and Kathy); Howard Wright and Kate Janeway; Jonathan White; Fred Whitridge; Lisa Wolford.

To purchase and successfully protect the mountain, this partnership of conservation organizations must raise $6 million by November 15 of this year – the deadline for purchasing the property from the Medina Foundation, a Seattle-based philanthropic organization. http://www.islandguardian.com/archives/00000800.htm

"We are grateful to each of our steering committee members for their keen interest in protecting Turtleback Mountain, and for their willingness to help us raise the millions of dollars it will take to protect this spectacular property from development, and to open its gates to the public," said Tim Seifert, executive director of the San Juan Preservation Trust.

"A land conservation project as important as Turtleback requires the time, special talents, experience, knowledge, and energy of many dedicated people," added Roger Hoesterey, northwest regional director of The Trust for Public Land. "This dedicated team, along with the support of the community, will help us save Turtleback."

Long Way to Go, Short Time to Get There
To save the mountain from development and provide the public with access to its many treasures, the partnership still must raise $6 million by November 15.

"Some islanders think that we have already protected the mountain, but that's not the case," explained Mary Riveland, co-chair of the newly named steering committee. "We are working night and day to raise the $6 million needed to close this deal in November. There's a long way to go and a short time to get there."

Campaign Goal
The goal for the Campaign to Save Turtleback is $18. 5 million. Turtleback's purchase price is $17 million, and the partnership seeks to raise an additional $1.5 million for trail building, site restoration work, long-term stewardship of the property, and transaction costs. To date,
$12.5 million have been committed from private and public sources, including $10 million from the San Juan County Land Bank.

A Conservation Priority
For several decades, Turtleback has been considered the most significant unprotected property in the San Juan Islands. With native grasslands, Garry oak savannah habitat, an unusually large mixed-species forest (including old growth), ancient European markers and possible Native American cultural sites, high public recreation potential, important hydrological (surface, groundwater, and marine) influences, and an expansive undeveloped ridgeline visible from throughout the islands, Turtleback is a signature wild landscape within our rapidly-changing archipelago.