Whidbey Camano Land Trust Contact:
Chris Hilton, Land Acquisition Specialist (360) 222-3310

Island County, WA -

The Whidbey Camano Land Trust announced today it has accepted the donation of a 27-acre conservation easement in Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve.  The donation is from long-time Coupeville resident John Moon.

“I’ve seen a lot of development occur since I moved here,” Moon said.  “I want to keep my property as I’ve enjoyed it and keep it useful for agriculture.”

The property, adjacent to the old Reuble Farm, a 113-acre farm now owned by the National Park Service, was purchased by Moon in 1957.  He and his family were looking for a place to settle after his Navy service and Moon was captivated by the farmlands, open spaces and sweeping views in Ebey’s Reserve.  After leaving the Navy several years later, he built a home on the property where he and his wife, Virginia, raised five children.  Virginia passed away in 1997.

Moon’s motivation in donating the easement was to protect the property’s agricultural and forest values and prevent the land from being subdivided and developed for residential or other purposes.  The easement will assure those goals are met.

A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a land trust or government agency that permanently protects the land for a variety of conservation purposes while the land remains in private ownership and management.  Conservation easements are legally binding and “run” with the land, regardless of who owns it in the future.  When a landowner donates a conservation easement to the Whidbey Camano Land Trust, the Land Trust assumes responsibility for ensuring the terms are followed by current and future owners.

Under the terms of the Moon easement, future owners of his property will be able to use the 17-acre field to grow hay, alfalfa or garden crops, or to raise cattle.   The easement also will protect 10 acres of second-growth forest that provides excellent habitat for raptors and for birds traveling between Crockett Lake and Penn Cove, both designated Important Bird Areas.

 “One of the things I really enjoyed about working with John was how carefully he considered the many ways future owners might want to use the land for agriculture,” said Chris Hilton, land-protection specialist for the Land Trust.  “We crafted the easement to give future owners flexibility to adjust their farming uses as they desire.”

The growing connection of protected properties within Ebey’s Reserve will help assure the future of agriculture in a place recognized for its high-quality soils. The combination of good soils and mild climate allows a wide variety of crops to grow exceptionally well.  “It’s smart to keep the most productive farmlands available for farming,” Hilton said.  “At the same time, conservation easements on these lands also protect the landscape, views, and wildlife people have enjoyed here for more than a century.”

According to the most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture census, 73 percent of the land that was being farmed in Island County in 1940 has since been converted to other uses.  The same report said that just during the period from 1997 to 2002, the number of farms in Island County declined by 11 per cent and the total acreage dedicated to agriculture declined by 23 per cent.

The Whidbey Camano Land Trust and its many partners are working to bring this trend to a halt, making protection of farmland and wildlife habitat within Ebey’s Reserve a top priority. The Ebey’s Reserve Trust Board, Island County, National Park Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington State, Whidbey Island Conservation District, and the Town of Coupeville are all working together to protect and preserve this historic agricultural, cultural and visual landscape.

As Ebey’s Reserve nears its 30^th anniversary in 2008, protection efforts continue.  The Whidbey Camano Land Trust recently secured four grants totaling more than $2.5 million to purchase conservation easements to protect other significant agricultural lands in Ebey’s Reserve. Once these projects and others are completed around mid-2009, the Land Trust will have added more than 700 acres of farmland and wildlife habitat to the land already protected in the Reserve.

“The Whidbey Camano Land Trust is an important partner to the Trust Board’s conservation work in the Reserve, and this project illustrates their deep commitment to protecting Island County’s farming heritage for future generations”, said Mark Preiss, Reserve Manager. “The Reserve was established 29 years ago to protect a working rural community, and this piece of land—now protected through the Moon’s vision—is critical in helping to keep farmers farming in the Reserve.”

The Whidbey Camano Land Trust, incorporated in 1984 as a non-profit land protection organization, thanks residents, such as John Moon, who have the vision and dedication to ensure that significant landscapes on Whidbey and Camano Islands remain available for others to enjoy long into the future.  To learn more about conservation easements and protecting private land, please visit its website at www.wclt.org or contact the Whidbey Camano Land Trust at 360-222-3310.