Shoreline Habitat protected with Land Bank Conservation Easement

An exceptional stretch of undeveloped coastline on Waldron Island’s north shore has been protected by the San Juan County Land Bank with a conservation easement funded through the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board.

The 34-acre property includes over 2,500 feet of barrier beach and feeder bluff – important shoreforms to support juvenile Chinook salmon and other marine species that frequent Boundary Pass.  A buffer of native forest extends inland, providing additional habitat richness and diversity.

Intact shoreline in San Juan County is critically important for salmon which depend on terrestrial food sources. Feeder-bluffs contribute nutrients into marine systems, and arthropods in the tree canopy, shrub layer, and soils comprise significant portions of juvenile salmon’s diet.

“The Boundary Pass/President Channel area has the highest salmon abundance and undeveloped shoreline in the county, and is a regional priority for salmon recovery efforts,” explains Land Bank Director, Lincoln Bormann. “We are very pleased to have secured a significant piece that connects existing preserved parcels, resulting in a total of over 6,300 feet of natural shoreline. The conservation easement will ensure that the ecological function of this land is maintained into the future”.

Since 1990, the Land Bank has worked with San Juan County landowners to place conservation easements on over 2,200 acres, preserving wildlife habitat, scenic vistas, farmland, historic structures, and water resources.