Community Conservation and Stewardship on Guemes Island

Skagit Land Trust (SLT or the Trust) recently added five acres to our Guemes Mountain and Valley Conservation Area. This addition reminded us how each step of conservation on Guemes has happened because of community and partnership. Coast Salish peoples have lived on Guemes Island — known as Qweng7qwengila7 in the Samish language — from time immemorial. They have been long-time, careful stewards on Guemes and other coastal areas. The Samish Indian Nation’s stewardship continues today as they undertake many projects to maintain and restore ecological health to our local ecosystems.

Following European settlement, land use and resource patterns changed, affecting both Indigenous communities and local ecosystems. With this transition, industry proposed various plans to develop the land. It’s hard to believe that this enchanting place was considered as a site for an aluminum smelter as recently as the 1960s! Conservation-minded Guemes islanders, building on the foundation and long history of stewardship by the Coast Salish, foiled the aluminum plot with a rezoning challenge that went all the way to the Washington State Supreme Court. At a time when a wave of extreme industrialism threatened many beautiful places in Skagit County, this was a crucial victory.

Over recent decades, the Guemes community’s conservation ethic and generosity have made many conservation projects happen – including knitting together a Guemes Conservation Corridor of protected lands across the island. In the 1990’s, landowners such as Joost Businger and others helped the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife secure a 39-acre wildlife sanctuary at Square Harbor. This sanctuary forms the eastern edge of the Guemes Conservation Corridor. Joost and his wife, Marianne Kooiman, and many other residents further expanded the corridor by placing conservation easements on their properties or donating land to the San Juan Preservation Trust (SJPT).

In 2009, islanders asked Skagit Land Trust to help them protect Guemes Mountain from development, when it was up for sale. Soon Guemes islanders, SLT, SJPT, and members of both organizations were working together to save the mountain.

“The Preservation Trust and Skagit Land Trust recognized this as a once in a lifetime opportunity to not only protect an iconic landscape, but to create a shoreline-to-mountaintop corridor that would help keep Guemes wild,” recalls SJPT’s Senior Director of Stewardship, Dean Dougherty. “While we expected it to be a difficult campaign, our strong partnership gave us confidence to take on the challenge.”

The two Trusts and a very active Steering Committee formed a joint “Guemes Forever” campaign. Donors gave generously (despite the financial strain of the recession) to purchase the mountain. A conservation easement was also placed on it. In 2010, SLT engaged the Washington Trails Association to install a path that has since ushered thousands of people up the mountain to enjoy breathtaking views once known by few.

Several additions to SLT’s Guemes Mountain and Valley Conservation Area have followed. In 2017, in the same valley where the aluminum power plant was planned, a generous landowner donated 127 acres of farmland and wetland habitat. Shortly thereafter, neighbors Win and Elaine Anderson donated a conservation easement to SLT, protecting 36 acres of Guemes Valley and Cayou Creek. Most recently, the Trust added another five acres of diverse, mature mountain forest.

Protecting Guemes shorelines has also been a priority. When sensitive beach and feeder bluffs faced potential development in 2018, over 450 families (as well as businesses, and state and federal grants) helped SLT purchase and protect Kelly’s Point (pictured above, left). In 2022, landowner Anne Casperson donated a conservation easement that protected another 400 feet of rocky bluffs and shoreline. The SJPT has had similar generous gifts to preserve special shorelines, including at the Peach Preserve. Thanks to these efforts from islanders, SLT members, partners, and tribal communities, Guemes remains a nature lover’s paradise of quiet forests, vibrant wetlands, and scenic views.

Skagit Land Trust is lucky to have several incredible Guemes Island land stewards who volunteer their time. They remove invasive species, plant native vegetation, pick up trash, install signs and benches, and build and maintain trails. Thank you to current and past lands stewards, including Ian Woofenden, Chris LeBoutillier, Ed & Carolyn Gestellum, Tony Allison, Kit Harma, Ron Lindsay, Therese Connolly, John Koon, and Donna Revard.

Over 1,000 acres on Guemes (nearly 20% of the island) have been permanently protected, and the story isn’t over yet. Near Kelly’s Point lies another 120 acres of forestland called Dog Woods that will eventually be conserved.

“Our vision for Dog Woods builds upon the strengths of both Skagit Land Trust and Coast Salish Youth Coalition to foster a love for the land, respect for the culture and traditions of its original stewards, and connection to the natural environment,” explain landowners Birch Beaudet and David Wertheimer, who have partnered with Coast Salish Youth Coalition (CSYC) to create a place for indigenous youth to learn and apply traditional ecological practices.

“We are excited to collaborate with Skagit Land Trust in shared stewardship on this landscape” says CSYC’s co-director Sam Barr, “This land has a long history of Coast Salish stewardship with our communities being a part of the land. We are grateful in returning these practices to Dog Woods, as we work to empower the next generation of culturally informed environmental stewards.”

SLT looks forward to continuing this partnership at Dog Woods and on Guemes Island.

We’ll be celebrating Guemes’ conservation stories at our Lands We Love Social on June 6th – we hope to see you there! Please go to our Events page for more information and to purchase your ticket.