SAN JUAN PRESERVATION TRUST

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Preservation Trust celebrates with Myhr

posted 11/18/02
Seventeen years and 9,000 acres later, Bob Myhr stepped down as executive director of the San Juan Preservation Trust. He's ready to turn the reins over to new director Tim Seifert. "There's a lot more work to be done," Myhr said. "It is a very rewarding job."

The San Juan Preservation Trust is a non-profit organization. Its mission is to: preserve and protect open space, forest, agricultural lands, habitats, wetlands and shorelines in the San Juan Islands through private voluntary action. The trust was established in 1979 and Myhr was hired as its first paid director in 1985. He saw his job as three-fold - increase membership, build a firm financial base and transition to new leadership.

He accomplished all three goals. There are now more than 1,400 members. Fundraising efforts and donations have resulted in the preservation through conservation easements of 8,200 acres and through ownership of 720 acres.

Mike Cooper, the trust's fundraising and outreach manager, said, "Bob has done an excellent job of educating the public about the tool (conservation easements) and establishing an impeccable reputation through integrity, responsiveness and attention to detail."

While most of the conservation easements have been donated, Myhr realized the trust needed to add an additional tool to its toolbox. In 1999, 200 acres of waterfront property on Waldron was available for sale, conservation easements were not an option. The trust raised $1 million of the purchase price. The county Land Bank put in $200,000. The result: the preservation of the Disney property which includes one mile of waterfront and is adjacent to land preserved by the Nature Conservancy. "It was a milestone for the organization," said Cooper.

Reflecting on the trust's accomplishments over the years, Myhr mentioned several of the larger easements - the Gann property in San Juan Valley, the Kimball property on Decatur, the Ellis property on Lopez. Besides the large easements, Myhr said, "There are a lot of wonderful easements that protect little jewels."

More information about conservation easements and the San Juan Preservation Trust is available on the trust's Trusts's Web site or by calling 360.468.3202.

New director named for San Juan Preservation Trust

posted 08/12/02
A third-generation resident of the San Juans, Tim Seifert, will become Executive Director of San Juan Preservation Trust, effective September 1, 2002. Seifert will succeed Bob Myhr, who is retiring after 17 years of service to the Trust. "We got the right person," says Myhr. "I'm looking forward to working side-by-side with Tim to assure a smooth and successful leadership transition."

Located on Lopez Island, the Trust is a non-profit organization that solicits private donations to acquire land and assist landowners to permanently protect their land.

Seifert joins the Trust with over 15 years of diverse marketing, business development, international management, and executive leadership experience in the forest products, internet, and environmental consulting industries.

Seifert earned a Master's degree in Business Administration from Duke University in Durham, NC, and has a BS degree in Forest Resource Management and Land Use Planning from the University of Washington. He was formerly Vice President of Marketing and International for Fox River Paper Company, with offices in both Seattle and Appleton, Wisconsin.

"Tim's rapid ascent to international and executive leadership in the corporate world caught the eye of the Search Committee," said Alan Davidson, president of the Board of Trustees of the Preservation Trust, "and his knowledge and passion for both land conservation and the San Juan Islands really impressed us. He's got a remarkable breadth of world-wide experience, but deep down he is truly an Islander."

Recognized for his pioneering work in the areas of paper recycling, chlorine-free pulp manufacturing, alternative ("tree-free" papermaking, and forest carbon sequestration, Seifert has dedicated his career to integrating environmental sensitivities into natural resource-intensive business management. "I really believe that market forces can be wisely directed to promote - and sustain - environmentally responsible practices, and have proven this throughout my career," says Seifert. "That's what excites me about the conservation land trust movement. While advocacy and the political process are very important, organizations like The San Juan Preservation Trust are providing powerful mechanisms for people to voluntarily protect the places they cherish--forever."

A native of western Washington, Seifert's roots run deep in the San Juan Islands. "My grandparents, Sam and Agnes Fleming, established a home on Waldron Island over 50 years ago, and I've been coming up here regularly since the mid-1960's. With my mother now living on Orcas, I consider myself a third-generation Islander. My personal environmental ethic emerged from the people and natural wonders of these islands. With responsible stewardship, the San Juans will provide similar inspiration for countless future generations. I see this incredible opportunity to lead The San Juan Preservation Trust as nothing less than a call to duty."

The San Juan Preservation Trust is a private, nonprofit, 501(c)(3), conservation land trust serving the islands of San Juan, Skagit and Whatcom counties in Washington State. Founded in 1979, the Trust is governed by a 21-member volunteer board of trustees from 8 islands in the archipelago. A five-person staff manages the programs of the Trust throughout the San Juans from its office on Lopez Island. Financial support is from voluntary contributions from more than 1600 members.

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