Critical Salmon Habitat Acquired on Grandy Creek

Just over a year ago, Skagit Land Trust received a phone call from a local realtor, Marie Barnett of ReMax Realty. Marie had a client whose family had owned the property at the mouth of Grandy Creek since the 1940s, Fred and Sara Pritchard.

Fred’s grandparents had purchased and farmed property on the Skagit River and it was special to the family. "I saw what was happening with Hurn Field and wanted to do the same for our property" says Fred. Hurn Field, important elk wintering habitat as well as salmon habitat, had been for sale and threatened with residential development 

Skagit Land Trust Executive Director Molly Doran and Fred Pritchard, former landowner, stand on the shores of the Skagit River near Birdsview.

before Skagit Land Trust purchased the property with donations from its membership in 1999.

As a kid, Fred grew up collecting cascara bark in the woods and picking strawberries in the field. He and his brother also fished along the Skagit River, once catching a 40 lb Chinook salmon in front of their property. Today the forest is dominated by massive big-leaf maple trees, with crowns reaching out over the salmonberry and young conifers below. And in the fall, the gravel bars along the Skagit River here team with spawning pink salmon.

The Pritchards and Ms. Barnett, who also wanted to see this property protected, remained patient through the long process required when using grant funds to purchase land. The result of their patience and the efforts of the staff at Skagit Land Trust is permanent protection for the benefit of salmon and other wildlife on 54 acres of land bordering Grandy Creek and the Skagit River. Approximately 20 acres of the land is pasture and the remaining 34 acres are riparian woodland. This property is of particular interest to salmon habitat biologists because it contains a portion of the alluvial fan created by Grandy Creek as it enters the Skagit River. This fan could provide more critical spawning habitat for Chinook salmon in the future. The potential for restoring some of this habitat has been secured by the acquisition of this important property. The Trust is currently looking at ways it can continue using the pasture, while restoring woodland in appropriate places for salmon, songbirds and other wildlife.

President's Column

John Milnor

Parcels Protected as Wild and Scenic River Lands

Looking West

1: Gilligan Creek Property

2: Deadman Island

3: Skiyou Island

A project that started as "a gleam in the eyes" of a few folks has come to fruition. Five hundred ninety-three acres of highly important riparian habitat, wetlands and floodplain on the Skagit River, once slated for poplar pulp production, is now part of the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest Wild and Scenic River Program.

The land was purchased in May from Skagit Land Trust (SLT) by the US Forest Service with federal Land and Water Conservation Funds. The land is located east of Sedro-Woolley and includes most of Skiyou and Deadman Island, as well as shoreline and wetland habitat near Gilligan Creek on the south side of the river. The lands are the largest portion of the 900+ acres purchased by SLT for $1,111,000 from the Kimberly Clark Corporation (KC) in December of 2001. How they came to be protected as Wild and Scenic River lands is a tale of partnership and perseverance.

It all started when SLT board member, Ray Taipale, learned that 900 acres of Skagit River habitat and agricultural land was coming on the market. KC had acquired the property in a merger with Scott Paper Corporation. The land had been slated for planting of hybrid poplar for pulpwood production, but the economics of that plan proved unfavorable. When Ray realized the environmental significance of the properties he brought them to SLT’s attention.

These Skagit River parcels are diverse, dynamic and flood regularly. The back channels are extensive Coho rearing habitat. The back water areas provide wintering habitat for waterfowl and are home to many types of amphibians. Elk and deer roam the extensive shoreline woodlands. Raptors perch and nest in the large cottonwood trees.

Despite the appeal of protecting such important habitat, reality was quick to set in for SLT. Financing and purchasing 900 acres of land from a major corporation was not a job that SLT had experience in. However, we did recognize the incredible opportunity, and thought it prudent to explore options.

Skagit Land Trust decided that the prime agricultural lands should remain in farming and earmarked those to sell back to the private agricultural sector. The Forest Service wanted to add the Skagit River parcels to the 

Wild and Scenic River system, but needed much more time for the federal funding and appropriation process than KC’s timeframe allowed. SLT had to find a "bridge loan" to purchase the land, while trusting that the final funding package would come through.

It was The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Skagit River Manager, Bob Carey, who first suggested that perhaps TNC could provide a $800,000 loan to SLT. Bob, along with other dedicated TNC staff, convinced local and Washington State TNC leadership that the ‘KC Project’ and Skagit Land Trust were worth the risk. Even more partners joined as the Natural Resources Conservation Service enabled the Forest Service and Skagit Systems Cooperative to restore Skiyou Island to native habitat over the next few years. This work has already begun including the planting of 10,000 trees. The rest was supposed to be history, but the happy ending took some time.

A cooperative effort is underway to restore Skiyou Island. Already 10,000 trees have been planted (by Skagit System Cooperative, NRCS, and the USFS).

In 2002, the economy, combined with one of the worst forest fire seasons in US history, produced a federal budget crisis. Forest Service expenditures were frozen and funds were transferred to fight fires. This included the money Congress had budgeted for Skagit Wild and Scenic River land acquisition. There was no promise of fund restoration, although Washington Forest Service personnel, TNC staff and Washington representatives to Congress and the Senate continued to support the restoration funding for the Skagit.

Congress released the funds in February of this year, enabling the Forest Service to purchase the Skagit River Parcels on May 2nd. Needless to say,there was good cheer at Skagit Land Trust, the Washington State Nature Conservancy and Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest when the transaction closed. This project is an excellent example of what’s possible when true collaboration works.

A special thanks to: Bob Carey, Peter Scholes, Linda Kramme, Fayette Krause, and Len Barsen of The Nature Conservancy; Jim Chu and Everett White of the USFS ; Kathy Kilcoyne of NRCS; attorney Brad Furlong; Ray Taipale and Jerry Haegele; and last but not least the Skagit Land Trust Board of Directors and project lead, Martha Bray, SLT’s Conservation Director.

New Board Members join Skagit Land Trust

Glenn Bordner who has lived in Skagit County most of his life is interested is preserving our natural heratage for furture genereations. He has worked in the electrical industry for the past 28 years. Glenn and his wife Teddie, a RN at Affilited Health Services, live in Mount Vernon and enjoy hiking and camping. He has also served on the Mount Vernon City Council and the Lincoln Board.

Glenn Bordner, Robin LaRue, and Jim Bishop II.

Jim Bishop, II believes in the "responsible balance between growth and protection. By concentrating on protecting critical and important areas, the community benefits in the long run." Jim joined Skagit Land Trust for this very reason and will be transitioning into the role of Treasurer in the months to come. He is currently the Vice President and Commercial Loan Officer for Skagit State Bank and is member of the Burlington-Edison Kiwanis. Jim has lived on Bayview Ridge in Burlington for over five years.

Eleventh Annual Meeting

Habari zenu? How are the children? How are the cows? So began Kakuta Ole Maimai’s talk at our 11th Annual Meeting. Kakuta’s presentation was on the Maasai land ethic. Maasai have traditional laws that recognize the entire ecosystem including wildlife, people, trees, soil, water, and even their weather. When asked how Maasai knew when to move their cattle to different grazing regions, Kakuta said "The wildebeest know when it is going to rain down south. So when they go, we all go!"

The importance of relationship, culture, and community set the theme for our meeting. We were honored to thank our members for their vital part in protecting the

During the evening special honor was given to:

• Ed Gastellum, Exceptional Steward award for his tireless dedication to Hurn Field.

• Gene Earnest, Volunteer Extraordinaire for his many contributions to stewardship.

• Kathy Kilcoyne of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Exceptional Conservation Partner, for her ability to pull together multiple partners and funding for restoration work on Skiyou Island.

• Andrea Xaver for her work as Board President that went above and beyond during a time of transition and for her focus on finding positive community solutions.

• Our major donors and grantors who help sustain our work by their generous donations.

• Our members, 90 of whom attended this meeting.

Brenda Cunningham closed the evening with a slide show of our properties and discussed the importance and future of stewardship.

The Trust’s Board met at the end of the meeting and elected officers for the next year including John Milnor, President; John Osborn, Vice President; Marlene Moore, Secretary; Jerry Haegele, Treasurer. New board members elected were Jim Bishop II, Glenn Bordner, and Robin LaRue.

Tax Tips

However, if you place an easement on the land restricting its use, its fair market value will, in most cases, be reduced. For your heirs, this reduced value will result in lower estate taxes, and perhaps

An easement’s effect on estate taxes is usually more important to landowners with sizeable estates and substantial real estate holdings. However, many real estate values today can easily push a property’s value well above the first $1 million that is exempt from estate taxes without the landowner realizing it.

See your tax advisor to find out how a conservation easement on your land could help prevent an unexpected tax burden on your heirs.

In Brief...

Thank you...

Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group and Earthwatch for the use of powerpoint equipment.

Jeanne Glick and Printwise for the Epson Stylus Pro 5000 color printer, and all the time put into helping us set it up.

Bayshore Office Products in Anacortes and Panasonic for donating a large portion of the cost of our new digital copier.

Law Office of Bradford E. Furlong for generously donating his ongoing professional services to assist the Trust.

Pat Smith of Old Dog Pottery for use of his vendor tent at the Tulip Festival and the Mount Vernon Street Fair, and for donating pottery for a drawing.

Downtown Business Community of Mount Vernon for giving us a free booth space at the Mount Vernon Street Fair.

Bill Dietrich for his book reading and donating a portion of the proceeds of his book Natural Grace to the Trust.

Jerry Eisner for donating Heron photos for Skagit Land Trust to use on personal notecards.

Trevor Kyle for his wonderful photos of the Eleveth Annual Meeting.

Skagit Land Trust recently lost two valued members, Gertude Butler and Berna Stout who passed away this winter/spring. We appreciate their generosity and kind hearts.

Volunteer Land Steward - Carolyn Sutton

Carolyn Sutton says she has always been a "tree hugger" so it was natural for her to become a Volunteer Land Steward in 1998 for the Koetje property, donated to Skagit Land Trust by Emerson and Barbra Koetje. After retirement from Child Welfare Services, focusing on social work in adoptions, she has been a very busy lady. We're fortunate that she finds time in her schedule for the Trust, because she also volunteers with the Skagit Audubon 

Society, Native Plant Society, Clear Lake Elementary School, Skagit Valley Chorale, and pursues her interests in fly-fishing and bird watching as much as possible. She proves the adage: busy people make the best volunteers.

Carolyn grew up in Yonkers, New York which has a cosmopolitan atmosphere that influenced her love of live theatre, music, opera, and good ethnic food. She says Seattle and Vancouver are close enough she  

"It was easy to choose to steward the

two and a half acre Koetje property, with 900 feet on the Samish River and lovely woods. It's been fun to get to know a piece of land so intimately. I've seen deer tracks, bear scat (I’ve taken my dog with me since then), amanita mushrooms, red legged frogs, 2-inch smolt in the river and of course many birds and plants. There are big firs and cedars on the property. Also a huge boulder, giant sword ferns, dark corners... a little mysterious...and then the path brightens and leads to the Samish River. It's very pretty." `

"An added bonus as a steward is that sometimes I take my young grandson with me on quarterly monitoring visits. He likes it and understands that we take care of the plants, trees, birds and river (and don't litter) so it will be there to enjoy when HE is BIG...so the ripples go out." Thus, love of the land and stewardship are passed on to the another generation. Thanks Carolyn.