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PRESS RELEASE
Land Transfer Protects Part of Maxwelton Valley
June 22, 2007
Whidbey Camano Land Trust
Greenbank, WA
The Whidbey Camano Land Trust and South Whidbey Parks and Recreation today announced that 200 acres in the Maxwelton Valley have now been permanently protected thanks to the state Trust Land Transfer (TLT) program.
The deed signed by Governor Gregoire transferring ownership of the Maxwelton TLT lands to South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District was recorded today in Island County. The property, at the headwaters of one of only three salmon streams in Island County, features mature forest and trails and was appraised at $3.8 million. The Whidbey Camano Land Trust, with tremendous involvement from local citizens, has worked for more than three years to protect more than 500 acres of at-risk forest lands and nearly 4,000 feet of waterfront on Whidbey Island under the Trust Land Transfer program.
“This transfer represents tremendous progress towards our goal of protecting all the remaining state school lands in Island County in permanent conservation status,” said Land Trust Executive Director Patricia Powell. “We are thrilled that the first of 12 remaining transfer transactions to be completed by the Department of Natural Resources is one that has incredibly important natural habitat values and forms a greenbelt along both sides of Highway 525.”
“The acquisition of this property could not have come at a more opportune time in the District’s history,” said Parks & Recreation District Director Terri Arnold. “We have just completed a recreation needs assessment in our community and a draft trails plan for the new property. When asked to consider what type of land to acquire in the future, the number one response in our survey was for “Natural Areas” of 40-200 acres with 55% of respondents considering it a high priority.” Arnold added: “This is exactly the kind of property identified in the survey. In preparation for the transfer, we have been working with a steering committee for the past year to plan for the long-term use of this property.”
The TLT program allows the legislature to transfer state school lands with special values to local or state governments. They then protect the lands as parks, natural areas or wildlife habitat. A bipartisan group of state leaders initiated the TLT program in 1989 as an innovative approach to school construction funding with multiple benefits. The program helps address the urgent need for school construction, protects Washington’s natural heritage, and upgrades school trust assets to generate long-term revenue for school construction.
Eleven additional properties are currently approved and awaiting transfer to Island County, provided funding remains available. These include a waterfront property in Central Whidbey featuring 11 acres of mature forest, more than 1,300 feet of shoreline, and critical habitat for fish and wildlife; a waterfront bluff with scenic views of Cultus Bay and wildlife habitat; and mature forested parcels with critical wildlife and open space values.
To date, more than 3,400 acres in Island County have been transferred to protected status under this program, including large acreages that are now part of Fort Ebey, South Whidbey and Deception Pass State Parks. For more information on the TLT program and the remainder of the DNR school trust properties on the transfer list, please visit the Land Trust’s website at www.wclt.org
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