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Heath Conservation Easement on Ebey’s Landing Bluff Trail
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Status |
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Protected in 1984
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Location |
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Central Whidbey Island along Admiralty Inlet
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Acreage |
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90 acres
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Public Benefits |
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Wildlife habitat, public access and trails, scenic vistas
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Description |
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The Whidbey Camano Land Trust helped the original landowner, Albert Heath, preserve a scenic, 90-acre view corridor along the popular Ebey’s Landing Bluff Trail by creating a setback for future home building. This conservation easement ensures that homes do not intrude into the wonderful and scenic hiking experience while walking the bluff trail in Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve.
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PROJECT STORY
Heath Easement/Ebey’s Bluff Trail – putting it together for the benefit of all
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Ebey’s Landing in the starting point for a Whidbey Island trail that many people consider the most spectacular shoreline hike on Puget Sound. It is also an excellent example of a public/private partnership to preserve land and the use of voluntary conservation easements to buffer trails.
The trail at the top of the bluff, above Perego’s Lagoon, and the surrounding 90 acres was owned by Albert Heath until the 1970s. Mr. Heath’s primary goal before sale was to forever preserve the sweeping views from his property and preserve the trail for public enjoyment. He also needed income from the sale of some of his property. To achieve his goals, he sold the bluff and the trail, with a 50-foot donated easement attached, to the National Park Service to be part of Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve. He divided the property behind the trail into 120-acre tracts. After the sale of the first tract, Mr. Heath realized the need for further protection of the environment so he worked with the Whidbey Camano Land Trust and placed an easement on the remaining land, protecting native vegetation and further buffering the trail.
In this way, Albert Heath used most of the land conservation techniques available. He sold some of his land outright, he donated part as a tax-deductible gift, and he placed an easement on the remaining land to restrict its future development. His gain: income from the sale of his land, tax benefits, and the knowledge that he had left a trail and views to be enjoyed by us all now and forever.
The Ebey’s Bluff Trail begins at Ebey’s Landing on Washington State Park land. It then climbs to the top of the bluff to a viewpoint which offers the hiker an unsurpassed view across Admiralty Inlet to the Olympic Range, around the sound to Mt. Rainier, and back across the beautiful farmland of Ebey’s Prairie to the Cascade Range and Mt. Baker. At this viewpoint, a side trail leads along the crest of the rich prairie farmland to the pioneer Sunnyside Cemetery, offering and a chance to glimpse a bit of the history of this wonderful land. The National Park Service owns part of the trail along the top of the bluff, and the Whidbey Camano Land Trust maintains an easement over the adjacent land to protect the trail and the native vegetation.
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