Critical Land Added to Deception Pass State Park
For Release – September 14, 2007
Whidbey Camano Land Trust
Contact: Pat Powell, Executive Director, (360) 222-3310
Greenbank, WA
The Whidbey Camano Land Trust, a local land trust that protects land in Island County, announced that a strategic 52-acre property on Hoypus Hill has been added to Deception Pass State Park. The recent addition was the result of a close partnership between the Land Trust, Island County, Washington State Parks, the property owners and the community.
The Land Trust worked successfully with the five property owners and the two agencies to put together the real estate transaction and the acquisition funding package. “This partnership is a continuation of our commitment to protect special places on Whidbey and Camano islands to ensure that a land legacy is passed on to future generations” explained Pat Powell, director of the Whidbey Camano Land Trust.
"We are delighted to have been able to partner with the Whidbey Camano Land Trust, Island County, and so many supportive neighbors to protect this special part of Whidbey Island," said Jack Hartt, manager of Deception Pass State Park.
The park addition is designated as a “Resource Recreation Area,” which allows a variety of non-motorized recreational uses, including equestrian and biking activities. Construction of loop trails and a small trailhead to serve the local area is planned for the future.
Describing the importance of the park addition, Hartt explained that "Park users will enjoy a more cohesive recreational experience, and the old-growth forest will be better preserved from the impacts of future development. This parcel was long identified as a critical addition to the park to create an environmentally defensible boundary. The double protection of state park ownership and Island County conservation easements will ensure that the long-term values of the property are preserved."
The Board of Island County Commissioners approved using $752,000 of county Conservation Futures funds to buy a conservation easement that protects the property in perpetuity by extinguishing all development rights. "The Hoypus project is a perfect example of the long-term value Island County's Conservation Futures fund program holds for us now and far into the future," said Island County Commissioner John Dean. "It is also another historic testament to the genius of Whidbey Camano Land Trust's Executive Director Pat Powell and her staff, again demonstrating their ability to broker public and private win-win partnerships that assure conservation of prime property and future professional management of our treasured island resources."
The county funds were combined with a recent $459,000 grant to Washington State Parks from the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (administered by the state Recreation and Conservation Office) that covered property, acquisition and closing costs. A funding gap of $9,000 was closed by a contribution from the Land Trust, which received donations from a generous community, allowing the transaction to be completed.
