SLT Facilitates New Land Protection from Samish Island to Sauk River

November 28, 2010

178 acres of wetland, forest, pasture and 3000 feet of the Sauk River. . . Public beach access on the gem that is Samish Island. . . A new 33-acre County Park that protects salmon habitat and provides public access to the river. These are three of latest projects in which Skagit Land Trust has facilitated the protection of critical land.

Working with our partners at the Nature Conservancy, the Sauk Suiattle Tribe, the Skagit River System Cooperative, Skagit County Parks, and the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, Skagit Land Trust has played an important role helping other organizations conserve land in Skagit County.

Dashiell
Skagit Land Trust had worked with The Nature Conservancy, Seattle City Light, and most recently the Sauk Suiattle Tribe and the Skagit River System Cooperative, in acquiring 178 acres of wetlands, forest, creeks, pasture and side channels along the Sauk River. This beautiful property has over 3000 feet of Sauk river frontage and is adjacent to state, federal and Tribal lands. Recognizing that the Tribe would be the most appropriate landowners of this parcel, the Trust worked with Tribal representatives to bring them on as a co-sponsor on our Salmon Recovery Funding Board grant. This enabled the Tribe to access these
grant funds to help them acquire this land in August 2010.

Samish Island Beach Access
Due to budget cut-backs, DNR closed down a popular beach access on Samish Island earlier this year. The Trust was approached by Skagit County Parks and concerned Samish Island residents to help negotiate and establish an access again. The Trust met with landowners who agreed to donate land to help clear title issue which then allowed Skagit Parks to step in and assume responsibility for ownership and beach access.

Nichols Bar (Robinson Road)
This new 33-acre County park is the result of a partnership between Skagit Land Trust and Skagit County, with funding assistance from Salmon Recovery Funding Board and Skagit Watershed Council. The Trust had been interested in preserving this riverfront parcel since 2002 and worked with several landowners before purchasing the land and assigning ownership to Skagit
County Parks in November 2009. Located just west of Lyman, this new park will ensure that important existing salmon habitat is not further degraded and provides non-motorized river access to our community.