Projects by Priority Area
Roll your cursor over a Priority Area to get its name.
Click on the Priority Area to get details in the sidebar.
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Useless Bay
Includes a valuable combination of freshwater wetlands, coastal estuarine habitat, forest, and farmland with forest edges. The diked farmland has prime farmland soils and farmland soils of state significance. Deer Lagoon, which lies adjacent to the Priority Area, has been identified as an Audubon Important Bird Area.
Projects
Swede Hill
While some farmland soils of statewide importance are found in this Priority Area, the primary conservation targets include forests with old-growth characteristics and high bluffs along the Cultus Bay/Possession Point shoreline. More>>
Projects
Swantown
Encompassing the lower reaches of a 3,793-acre watershed, this area functions as an important filtration system for runoff originating in Oak Harbor. The area includes important prime and historic farmland, mature forests and freshwater streams draining into Swantown Lake and Puget Sound. More>>
Projects
Sunset Wetlands
Wetlands, streams, ponds and forests all help maintain a healthy, functioning watershed in this Priority Area which also serves as an aquifer recharge area. Protecting this land is important for water quality. The coastal shoreline includes feeder bluffs important to forage fish and salmon. More>>
Strawberry Point
Strawberry Point has shoreline, forested shoreline bluffs, and farmland. It has been identified as a high priority site for the protection of juvenile salmon and forage fish. More>>
Projects
Chamberlain CE
Strawberry Point TLT
Nearby – Hayes CE and Mitchell CE
South Whidbey Forest
Predominantly forestland held in private and public ownership. The focus of this Priority Area is to protect a large forest system with functional stream systems and relatively intact wildlife habitat. More>>
Projects
Boose CE
Brainers Road TLT
Forest Forever CE
High Point TLT
Putney Woods (Goss Lake)
Saratoga Woods
Skyline West TLT
South Camano
The forest of the South Camano Island Priority Area contains a rare big-leaf maple/fringe cup forest plant community that is listed as a Natural Heritage Element Occurrence by the Washington State Natural Heritage Program. This Priority Area also includes Camano Head, a feeder bluff that is crucial to migrating salmon heading to and from the Skagit and Stillaguamish Rivers. More>>
Smith Prairie
Includes a small native prairie remnant. Some of the land is used for agricultural purposes, including two conifer seed orchards. As the southern gateway to Ebey’s Reserve, protection of the farmland and open space would help maintain historic integrity of the landscape. More>>
Projects
North Penn Cove
The farmland in this Priority Area is the northern gateway to Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve. These lands include working farmlands and scenic vistas, and the northern Penn Cove shoreline. Woodlots scattered throughout the area provide benefits to wildlife. More>>
Projects
North Camano Farmland
Comprised of prime farmland soils and farmland soils of state importance, this Priority Area is the largest continuous stretch of farmland on Camano Island. It is a source for local food production as well as offering scenic views along the only route onto and off of Camano Island. More>>
Mutiny Bay
This Priority Area encompasses a portion of the Mutiny Bay watershed. Protection is a priority because of the mature forest stands and the importance of stream headwaters and wetlands. More>>
Projects
Trillium Community Forest
Nearby – Smugglers Cove TLT and Wilbert Trail
Monroe Landing Farmland
The farmland northeast of Penn Cove is well suited for farming due to its prime agricultural soils and agricultural soils of state importance. The southern edge of the Priority Area includes Blower’s Bluff, where Peregrine Falcons and Pigeon Guillemot nest. More>>
Projects
Monroe Landing TLT
Scenic Heights TLT
Nearby – Del Fairfax Preserve and Morgan Tidelands
Maxwelton
Located in the upper reaches of the The Maxwelton Watershed is the largest watershed on Whidbey Island and is one of the most critical as it drains into Maxwelton Creek, one of only two salmon-spawning streams on Whidbey Island. More>>
Projects
Maxwelton Valley TLT
Maxwelton Wetlands Preserve
Nearby – Whidbey Institute CE and Zimmerman CE
Livingston Bay
The Livingston Bay Priority Area covers the western half of Port Susan Bay from the Camano shoreline to the Snohomish County line. It also includes diked agricultural land and forested uplands. This area is a federally-recognized important bird area as it is a critical stopover point for shorebirds and waterfowl migrating along the Pacific Flyway. More>>
Projects
Kristoferson Creek
Kristoferson Creek is currently the only salmon-bearing stream on Camano Island. This Priority Area includes a large working farm, a freshwater pond, extensive stream and riparian areas and Triangle Cove, a large estuarine ecosystem. More>>
Projects
Greenbank
The area provides significant benefits to wildlife and provides public recreational opportunities. Within the Priority Area are public walking trails, public beach access, forest land, and open pastures. Additional land protection would add critical forest buffer to Island County’s ownership. More>>
Glendale Creek
Glendale Creek is one of two salmon-spawning streams on Whidbey Island. Because of its importance to salmon and other wildlife species, protecting the riparian area is crucial to the health of the creek and quality of salmon habitat. The headwaters of the creek are within the Priority Area and include a large wetland complex. More>>
Projects
Freeland
Located north of Freeland, this Priority Area is a mosaic of forest, farmland, and wetlands. Of particular significance is a sphagnum bog – a rare wetland type. More>>
English Boom
Located along the Pacific Flyway, this Priority Area provides critical habitat for fish, birds, and other wildlife. Along the shoreline, eelgrass beds provide habitat for forage fish, which in turn provide food for salmonid species migrating from the nearby Skagit and Stillaguamish Rivers as well as herons from the adjacent Davis Slough Heronry (65 acres protected by the Land Trust). More>>
Projects
Nearby – Davis Slough CE and Davis Slough Heronry
Elger Bay
Protecting land within this Priority Area would provide opportunities to restore estuary habitat and maintain current forest and shoreline conditions. The area is near Cama Beach State Park, Camano State Park, and Elger Bay County Park. More>>
Projects
Nearby – Holton CE
Ebey’s Reserve Farmland
Farms in this Priority Area have been cultivated for over 150 years; most have prime soils and are designated as farmlands of statewide significance. Farmland protection provides for current and future local food production. More>>
Projects
Krueger Farm CE
David Engle CE
Engle-Brown CE
Moon CE
Kahn CE
Borden CE
Purdue CE
Harvey CE
Nearby – Heath CE
Dugualla Bay
The east side of this Priority Area is one of highest ranked areas for potential salmon recovery in Island County in part because its tidelands and eelgrass beds are important feeding grounds for juvenile salmon migrating from the Skagit Delta. More>>
Projects
Double Bluff
Includes feeder bluffs, forests, and freshwater wetlands, streams and lake. There are also small pockets of farmland. Excellent opportunities for low-impact trails to connect to protected areas, including Deer Lagoon, Double Bluff Beach, and the Wahl Road Forest, all owned by Island County. More>>
Projects
Cultus Bay
Located in the lower part of the Cultus Bay watershed, this Priority Area includes large forest and estuarine wetland tracts, waterbird habitat, potential salmon habitat, feeder bluffs, and eelgrass beds. More>>
Projects
Crockett Lake
Includes several habitat types, including the lake itself, surrounding freshwater and estuarine wetlands, and mature riparian forest as well as two prairie remnants, coastal bluffs and an old-growth forest in the adjacent uplands. This area is an Audubon Important Bird Area. More>>
Projects
Naas Natural Area Preserve
Crockett Lake CE
Crockett Lake II
Crockett Lake East
Crescent Harbor
The stream in the center of this Priority Area flows into Crescent Harbor. Protection of the identified upland area would offer significant salmon and riparian habitat benefits. The area also includes prime farmland soils and farmland soils of state importance. More>>
Chapman Creek
This Priority Area covers about half of this watershed and encompasses the creek’s riparian area from its headwaters to Saratoga Passage. Land protection in this area will help maintain and improve watershed functions and allow for future salmon passage up the creek. More>>
Cranberry Lake
These Priority Area wetlands are directly south of Deception Pass State Park and drain into Cranberry Lake. This freshwater wetland near the shoreline has significance due to its size, quality and proximity to estuarine waters. More>>
Projects
Nearby – Hoypus Addition
Projects
In this section of our website, our projects are organized by priority area. Select any of the priority areas on the map to the left to see the projects that are within or nearby that priority area. You may also view a list of all of our projects here.
Priority Areas
The Whidbey Camano Land Trust has 28 distinct “Priority Areas” located throughout Whidbey and Camano Islands where it focuses its land protection efforts. These priority areas, shown on the map to the left, were identified using scientific and natural resource data as well as input from natural resource experts and the public. They contain landscapes that have:
• High quality and high priority coastal shoreline and wetlands;
• Freshwater wetlands and streams;
• Working farms;
• Mature forests;
• Lands with species, habitats or ecosystems of significance;
• Areas that are used for open space enjoyment.
Click on a priority area within the map to read more about it and the projects within or nearby it.
The Whidbey Camano Land Trust has protected thousands of acres in Island County since its founding in 1984.
- Tidelands Ownership = 3323 acres
- Upland Ownership = 1028 acres
- Conservation Easements = 1284 acres
- Land Trust Assisted Projects = 1847 acres
Total acreage = 7482 acres
