Demopoulos Marsh on
Guemes Island preserved
posted 10/13/00
A $1.5 million gift from Priscilla Bullitt Collins to The San Juan Preservation Trust has assured preservation of the Demopoulos Marsh property on Guemes Island. The 43-acre property with 2,000 feet of shoreline lies directly across the Guemes Channel from the city of Anacortes.
The 13-acre freshwater wetland is used by herons, otter, raptors, and
many songbird species. A conifer forest of dense, old second-growth
buffers the marsh along South Shore Drive and provides an extensive green
belt on the Channel seen from Oakes Avenue in Anacortes.
The San Juan Preservation Trust has been working for several years to
purchase and preserve the shoreline, marsh, and upland forest
on the southwest shore of Guemes Island. The gift will be used to support
acquisition costs and long-term stewardship of the property.
In 1989, the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition nominated the
property for special protection due to its high ecological and open space value according to a press release from the trust. The Washington State Departments of Natural Resources and Fish and Wildlife, several Audubon Society chapters, andlocal conservation groups, park districts and property owners associations have all been interested in preserving the property.
With the donation from Collins, support from others, and work by several committed individuals, the trust has purchased the majority interest in the property. The trust plans to purchase the remaining interest in the future. The new preserve will be managed in accordance with the Trust's strict conservation ethic.
We could never have protected this spectacular property without the
enormous generosity of Patsy Collins. Her support and commitment have been
crucial for our success," says Trust Executive Director Bob Myhr.
Myhr also emphasized that, "Several other dedicated individuals have made significant contributions to the process. They include Guemes islanders
Ferdi Businger, Ann Magnano, Delphine Haley, and Joe Gaffney. They helped
do the groundwork, put together the information, made the contacts, and
never stopped believing this project could succeed. We are deeply grateful
to all."
The San Juan Preservation Trust was founded in 1979 to preserve the natural
and scenic values of the San Juan Islands. The Trust now holds
conservation interests on more than 8500 acres throughout the islands in
San Juan, Skagit, and Whatcom counties.
For more information, contact the Trust at sjptrust@rockisland.com or mail PO Box 327, Lopez Island, WA 98261 or call 360.468.3202. Information is also available on the trust's Web site: rockisland.com/~sjptrust/
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San Juan Preservation Trust
"We are extremely grateful the Holms and Mazzarellas for their donated
conservation easements," says Trust President Judy Moody. "They make
valuable additions to our conserved lands and protected habitat in the
islands."
With these conservation easements, The San Juan Preservation Trust now has
conservation agreements on more 8000 acres of private land throughout the
San Juans. The Trust sponsors periodic trips to visit much of this
privately-owned acreage. The Trust manages these conservation interests
through its stewardship program, funded, in part, by annual member
donations and gifts to The Trust Stewardship Fund.
For more information,
contact Orcas Island Trustee Alan Davidson or Lopez Island Trustee Mitchell
Hoyt, or the Trust office at Box 327, Lopez Island, WA 98261 or 360.468.3202.
Bob Myhr
Executive Director
The San Juan Preservation Trust
Box 327
(3157 Fisherman Bay Road)
Lopez Island WA 98261-0327
Voice: 360-468-3202 Fax: 360-468-3509
e-mail: sjptrust@rockisland.com
web page: rockisland.com/~sjptrust/
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