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02/21/2008: "A Gift of Land On Orcas"

The San Juan County Land Bank has received a bequest of 36 acres on Orcas Island from William H. Halpenny of Riverside, California.

The parcel adjoins the Land Bank’s Entrance Mountain Preserve, expanding the protected natural area to over 120 acres. In the coming months, the Land Bank will complete ecological assessments and incorporate this acquisition into the Entrance Mountain Preserve Stewardship Plan.

Like other portions of the Preserve, the Halpenny addition has rugged, steep topography and is heavily forested. Of particular note is the prevalence of Sitka spruce and scattered areas of mature big leaf maple.


A small basin captures and holds runoff in a quiet pond fringed with emergent vegetation, and sedges and deer fern occur in pockets where cool, damp conditions persist in nearly perpetual shade. Numerous ancient stumps of old-growth, marked by fire scars and spring-board notches, slowly decompose to nourish a new generation of hardy seedlings. At higher elevations, slide chutes and boulders are coated in thick, lush moss, adding another element to the land’s many-textured features, while providing an array of opportunities for wildlife.

Land Bank Director Lincoln Bormann stated “We are deeply grateful for this generous gift of land from Mr. Halpenny. It will be an enduring legacy, cared for by the Land Bank, and benefiting all who treasure the beauty and environmental integrity of the San Juan Islands. “