September 2nd, 2010 News and Events
Guemes Mountain Trail Building To Begin in September
Last fall, The San Juan Preservation Trust, in partnership with the Skagit Land Trust (SLT) purchased a lovely 70-acre parcel of land at the summit of Guemes Mountain on Guemes Island. We are excited to announce that both groups, in partnership with the Washington Trails Association (WTA), are ready to begin building a one-mile trail to the top of the new Guemes Mountain Conservation Area. This trail will provide foot access to an incredible viewpoint of the San Juan Islands, Mt. Baker, the North Cascades and the Skagit flats. The trail will travel through mature forest before ending on the broad mountaintop amidst a beautiful prairie bald with several viewing areas. 
There will be several trail building events, and they will work a little differently than our normal San Juan Preservation Trust fieldwork days. We are fortunate to have the leadership of WTA in constructing the trail and all volunteer efforts will be organized through WTA. The events will be longer - generally from 8:30am to 3:30pm. All tools and training will be provided (click here for all the details of these work parties).
To volunteer for the Guemes Mountain trail building you must sign-up through WTA's web page:
To sign up for Saturday, Sept 18, click here.
To sign up for Sunday, Sept 19, click here.
To sign up for Saturday, Sept 25, click here.
To sign up for Sunday, Sept 26, click here.
You are welcome to work any of these days, but you will need to sign up for all days separately. A camping area on Guemes will be available if you'd like to spend the night. See the WTA sign-up page for more details. We hope you will sign up soon, as space is limited...and we hope to see you on Guemes Mountain!
Posted: Mon, Aug 23, 2010
San Juan Preservation Trust Conveys Marine Shoreline to Moran State Park
MARINE SHORELINE ADDED TO MORAN STATE PARK
Public-Private Partnership Gives Orcas Island Park
Its First Accessible Saltwater Beach
ORCAS ISLAND, WASHINGTON: The San Juan Preservation Trust has conveyed a 26-acre property on the northeast shore of Orcas Island to Washington State Parks, providing Moran State Park with its very first accessible saltwater beach.
Originally purchased in 2008 from a generous Orcas Island family with a strong desire to see the property folded into the adjacent park, the Preservation Trust had held the property for the past two years while State Parks assembled the funds it needed to acquire the property. A Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program grant, subsequently secured by State Parks, was used to purchase the property from the Preservation Trust.
Initially lacking funds for the purchase, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission approached the San Juan Preservation Trust in 2007 to explore alternative ways to acquire the property. Recognizing this unique opportunity to add the first accessible saltwater beach to Moran State Park, the Preservation Trust’s board of trustees approved a plan to acquire the property on behalf of the park.
“Connie Collingsworth and Allen Wilcox, the original landowners, deserve credit for bringing this all together,” said Tim Seifert, Executive Director of the Preservation Trust. “They were resolved to make this land part of the park, so they sold the property to us at a price significantly below its market value.”
“It’s exciting to be adding another dimension to one of our most popular parks,” said Rex Derr, State Parks Director. “Moran State Park has so many beautiful and special features, and this addition of saltwater shoreline will be a real benefit to the public.”
In addition to providing an accessible saltwater beach to Moran State Park, this undeveloped parcel will eventually give park visitors access to new trails, an historic lime kiln, stunning views of Mt. Baker, and over 1,200 feet of shoreline along Orcas Island’s remote northeast shore on the Strait of Georgia (directly across from Clark and Barnes Islands).
Posted: Mon, Jul 19, 2010
Preservation Trust Seeks Director of Philanthropy
We are currently seeking a “Director of Philanthropy” to lead – and elevate – our fundraising program. Primary responsibilities for this senior staff position include developing major donor and planned giving strategies; coordinating donor contacts for our executive director, trustees and staff; leading capital campaigns; seeking and managing public and private grants; and oversight of our membership and annual giving programs. This position reports to our executive director, supervises one staff member (our membership director), and requires considerable interaction with our large volunteer Board of Trustees, a professional staff of eight, conservation partners, membership, major donors, foundations and granting agencies.
Qualified applicants must have 5+ years of successful non-profit fundraising experience. Position is full-time; compensation is dependent on experience. Please review complete job description and application instructions by clicking here.
Needless to say, we feel blessed with a beautiful location, a strong membership base, and a demographic that is very supportive of our work. Together, these make for ideal conditions for the right candidate. If you, or anyone you know, has the requisite experience, energy, and passion for the future of our beloved San Juan Islands, we encourage you (or them) to apply today.
Posted: Wed, Jun 16, 2010