Harry Case, one such landowner said it well. "If we are going to save the environment, the little people are going to have to do something."
As executive director of Whidbey Camano Land Trust, Patricia Powell works every day with private landowners who are stewards of some of the islands' loveliest farms, prairie land, forests and beaches. The land has been in their families for a lifetime, perhaps generations, and they face agonizing decisions. Do they sell it for development and take the money? Or find a way to preserve the land they love so it is protected in a natural state far into the future.
As an expert in the tools and strategies of land preservation, Powell is a creative deal-maker who knows any solution must be a win-win for the landowner and the public. For more than 20 years the land trust has worked with landowners, community groups and public agencies. In 2006, the organization protected 3,257 acres -- twice as much land as in the previous 19 years combined!
Whidbey Camano Land Trust focuses on the most critical lands in the county's 118 watersheds and 200+ miles of shoreline. These areas provide natural habitat for wildlife and aquifer recharge to protect the islands' drinking water, plus nearshore habitat for birds and marine life, including nursery areas for forage fish and salmon.
They also work to preserve the islands' cultural heritage, which is reflected in working farms, trails and areas providing access and views to the public.
Since 1984, Whidbey Camano Land Trust has permanently protected over 5,300 acres critical to our islands natural systems. Learn how this local, nonprofit conservancy works effectively with willing landowners to protect and steward land, and discover ways you can help secure an enduring legacy of land.
