08/19/2007: "Watmough Wild Campaign Requires $200,000 More"

The San Juan Preservation Trust today announced that it is $200,000 short of the $500,000 it needs to purchase and protect a 7-acre property susceptible to development inside Lopez Island’s largely protected Watmough Bight.

$175K Matching Grant in Effect Until September 7, 2007: Eight Lopez Island families have offered to match every individual donation made to the Campaign to Keep Watmough Wild, up to a total of $175,000 dollars. This means that each dollar donated will earn an additional dollar from the matching grant. Qualifying donations include gifts made to the campaign and payable before the September 7, 2007 deadline.

“We only have until September 7 of this year to raise the funds needed to protect this spectacular bay and to increase the area accessible to the public,” said Sven Haarhoff, director of charitable giving for the San Juan Preservation Trust. “So far, the response from the island community has been fantastic. But we have to raise another $200,000 in less than a month, and that’s no small task. The Preservation Trust encourages everyone who supports this land conservation effort to donate to the campaign and to encourage their friends and neighbors to do the same.”

“Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed to the project so far,” said David Perera, co-chair of the campaign steering committee. “Watmough is an important place to many people, and your contributions mean a great deal to everyone who cherishes it.”

About the Campaign to Keep Watmough Wild
The San Juan Preservation Trust and the San Juan County Land Bank formed a partnership to purchase and conserve the 7-acre property susceptible to development inside the largely protected Watmough Bight on Lopez Island’s southeast coast.

Local planning and development officials were prepared to approve an application to develop the 7-acre parcel adjacent to the beach at the head of the bay. That plan called for the removal of 60 percent of the trees on the property, including trees that are at least 400 years old. It also called for the construction of a house on the slope overlooking the public beach, rocky cliffs, and sensitive wildlife habitat that have already been protected by the Land Bank and the federal Bureau of Land Management

Recognizing the significance of Watmough Bight to the natural and cultural heritage of Lopez Island, Imogene “Tex” Gieling, a neighbor who owns the remaining private property within the bay, has offered to donate adjacent land to the public. This gift, along with the purchase of the property under threat, would keep Watmough Bight free of development and accessible to the public.

Keeping Watmough Bight undeveloped and open to the public requires a $1.225 million community fundraising effort. The Land Bank has committed $575,000 to the project, and the San Juan Preservation Trust will contribute $150,000 of its own funds. The Preservation Trust must therefore raise the remaining $500,000 from private individuals before the September 7, 2007 closing deadline.

How to Help Finish the Bight
To support the Campaign to Keep Watmough Wild, send tax-deductible donations to the San Juan Preservation Trust, Box 327, Lopez Island, WA, 98261. Make checks payable to the San Juan Preservation Trust/Watmough. To make secure online donations, go to www.sjpt.org. For each contribution of $100 or more, supporters may receive a campaign ball cap with the Watmough logo on the front and “Finish the Bight” on the back. For more information about this project, please contact Sven Haarhoff of the San Juan Preservation Trust at 360.378.2461.

About the San Juan Preservation Trust
The San Juan Preservation Trust (www.sjpt.org), known for its recent acquisition and protection of Turtleback Mountain on Orcas Island, is a private, non-profit land conservation organization that has permanently protected more than 200 properties , 26 miles of shoreline and 12,000 acres on 18 islands, including land now managed as public parks, private nature preserves, working farms and forests. The Preservation Trust was founded in 1979 by a group of island citizens concerned about the future of cherished island places.

About The San Juan County Land Bank
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.