Fire Returns to the Prairie

Protecting our Islands’ most important lands in partnership with landowners and the broader community
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2009
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Fire Returns to the Prairie
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By: Mark Sheehan
safe conditions.” Additional safety features included wide, mowed fire lines and
wet lines laid down to stop the fire at the
boundaries of each unit.
For centuries, Native Americans used
fire to perpetuate the prairies, which
provided them with important food
such as camas bulbs and bracken fern.
Scientists believe the majority of Western
Washington prairies existing at the time
of European settlement was maintained
by human-caused fires. After the settlers
arrived, fire as a management tool was
discouraged and was eventually eliminated. Since then, more than 98 per cent
of North Puget Sound prairies have been
lost to development and agriculture. The
few that remain have been invaded by
shrubs and trees.
A crew, consisting of staff and Land Trust partners, set fire to plots at the Naas Preserve.
Reintroducing fire to the prairie will help restore this invaluable habitat. Photo: Mark Sheehan
After many decades of absence, fire has
returned to the prairies of Ebey’s Reserve
south of Coupeville. In September, after
two months of planning, a special crew
clad in yellow fire-resistant clothing and
backed by pumper trucks and backpack
sprayers set fire to dry grass and low
shrubs at the Land Trust’s Naas Natural
Area Preserve. The crew kept the fire
carefully contained within two treatment
areas as flames consumed grass, invasive
shrubs, and a thick layer of duff that had
accumulated over decades. Each of the
areas burned in less than 30 minutes.
T h e b u r n w a s f un d e d b y p ar t o f a
$200,000 federal stimulus grant received
by the Land Trust to continue prairie
restoration efforts on the Naas Preserve
over the next two years.
“ It ’s wond e r f ul t o u s e t h e f e d e r al
stimulus funds not only to restore the
histor ic prair ie habit at at the Naas
Preser ve, but al so to help the local
economy by supporting small businesses
on Whidbey Island,” said Pat Powell,
Land Trust executive director. “This is a
‘shovel (and rake and mower and brush
hog)-ready’ project.”
The Land Trust’s top priority at the site
is to restore a rare native prairie and
thriving population of the threatened
golden paintbrush plant (Castilleja
levisecta) using a variety of management
tools, including fire. The burn crew
included staff from the Land Trust, Wild
Mountain Fire and Forestry, The Nature
Conservancy, and Pacific Rim Institute
(formerly Au Sable Institute).
“Every fire is different, including its rate
of burn and smoke production,” said Peter
Dunwiddie, the experienced fire boss from
Wild Mountain Fire and Forestry. “We
burned these units in small sections to
help control these variables and maintain
Since the Land Trust acquired the Naas
Preserve in 2005, hundreds of golden
paintbrush seedlings (grown from seed
collected at the site) have been planted
every year to augment the small remaining wild population. These efforts have
succeeded in dramatically increasing
the golden paintbrush population from
less than 60 individuals in 2005 to more
than 2,000 plants today.
The southernmost burn area was cleared of
young trees and invasive shrubs in 2008.
This winter, it will be heavily planted with
native species as part of the Land Trust’s
effort to re-establish prairie habitat. Many
of the native species that will be planted
are now rare on Whidbey Island due to
the extreme loss of prairie habitat—from
about 8,000 acres originally to less than
80 acres today. The species to be planted
include foothill sedge, camas, western
buttercup and showy fleabane. The goal is
to expand the prairie to provide additional
habitat for scores of prairie-dependent
species, including butterflies, birds and
plants that once populated central and
northern Whidbey Island.
see ‘Prairie Burn’ on page 6 >
30% PC
A Four-Year Dream Comes True
About WCLT
Mission
The Whidbey Camano Land Trust protects
the Islands’ most important natural habitats, scenic vistas and working farms and
forests in partnership with landowners
and our island communities.
Contact Information
765 Wonn Road
Barn C-201
Greenbank, WA 98253
(360) 222-3310 phone
(360) 222-3510 fax
www.wclt.org
OFFICERS
Ivan Miller
President, Camano Island
Joani Boose
Vice President, Langley
Larry Harris
Secretary, Freeland
Tom Cahill
Treasurer, Freeland
Suzannah Dalzell bought her 28-acre property to save it from being developed. Her
conservation easement protects it forever. Photo: Cheryl Lowe
Suzannah Dalzell will always remember
last August 13, a day she had been looking
forward to for nearly four years. That was
the day she signed a donated conservation
easement protecting 28 acres of beautiful
and ecologically important land on South
Whidbey. Forests, wetlands, and the
salmon-spawning waters of Glendale Creek
will all benefit from her gift. The many
island residents and visitors who travel
Cultus Bay Road will also benefit by continuing to enjoy a protected scenic view.
BOARD MEMBERS
Tom Campbell, Langley
Lenny Corin, Oak Harbor
Paul Goldfinger, Langley
Barbara Libby, Camano Island
Mully Mullally, Langley
Todd Peterson, Clinton
STAFF
Jan Graham, Membership Coordinator
Elizabeth Guss, Dir. of Outreach & Development
Chris Hilton, Land Protection Specialist
Jessica Larson, Stewardship Associate
Cheryl Lowe, Land Steward
Patricia Powell, Executive Director
Danielle Rideout, Program Associate
Carrie Viers, Operations Manager
Suzannah bought the property when it
was put up for sale to save it from being
developed. She worked closely with
the Land Trust to create a conservation
easement that permanently protects the
land. Along with the easement, Suzannah
donated money to the Land Trust’s stewardship fund. With Suzannah’s generous
donation, the Land Trust will be able to
leverage scarce resources and protect
other island lands.
Why do people like Suzannah
donate conservation easements?
A deep love for their land and a desire to
see it cared for long into the future are
common reasons. Others include protect-
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ing property from unwanted development
and financial advantages that may include
lower property and estate taxes and significant federal income-tax deductions.
How do conservation easements
work?
Conservation easements legally and permanently reduce or prohibit certain types
of development, limiting uses to those
compatible with the conservation values
of the land. Conservation easements “run
with the land,” which means they legally
remain a part of the property regardless
of who owns it. Suzannah Dalzell retains
ownership of her property, but she can
sell it or bequeath it in her will and
the conservation easement will stay in
effect—forever.
Thanks, Suzannah, for your dream, your
bold action, and your generous gift.
Passport Question: What are
the three known salmon-bearing
streams in Island County? (Answer
on back cover)
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An Urgent Opportunity to Protect Lands
As the Land Trust begins its second 25 years,
we have exceptional opportunities to protect
hundreds, even thousands of additional
acres – forever. Landowners are asking us
to preserve a record number of properties,
including large, significant tracts on both
Whidbey and Camano Islands. They include
a 665-acre forested property on Central
Whidbey in a single ownership, a 60-acre
old-growth forest and prairie on the bluffs of
Admiralty Inlet, and a one-time opportunity
to buy out reserved rights on 140 forested
acres for an amazing $2,100 per acre. These
are just a few of the 42 properties we are
actively working on now to protect.
With your support, we have earned a reputation for competence, integrity, mission
focus, and outstanding success. This year
alone we will protect 15 properties totaling
560 acres with public benefits that range
from fish and wildlife habitat to farmland,
BOARD Spotlight
freshwater wetlands, mature forests, coastal
shorelines and nature trails.
Lands are more affordable now than in
recent years, but the economy will improve,
prices will rise, and lands will be irreversibly developed. If we work together now
to protect the best of what’s left of our
treasured landscapes, the entire community
benefits. We’ll have places for recreation
and rejuvenation, travel corridors and safe
homes for wildlife, clean water, scenic
vistas, and beach access. In short, together
we can guarantee an extraordinary gift of
land to future generations.
The time to act is NOW! Look for our
upcoming year-end appeal in the mail. It
will have information on the best of our
amazing land-protection prospects and
what you can do to make sure treasured
island landscapes are protected forever.
Name: Paul Goldfinger
Joined Board: 2009
Whidbey Islander Since: 2004
Profession: Retired School Finance
Consultant
Paul Goldfinger joined the Land Trust
board in January. He serves on the
board’s finance committee, a perfect
fit given his 30-year career in school
financing. Before joining the board,
he volunteered at stewardship work
parties. For Paul, the two most
exciting aspects of being on the
board are “being on the forefront of
land conservation and getting others
excited about it.”
Paul and his wife, Sherryl, moved
to Whidbey Island in 2004 from
Davis, California. They discovered
the island on a weekend trip a few
years earlier while visiting their son,
who was attending the University of
Washington. The Goldfingers instantly
fell in love with the island and its
views of Saratoga Passage. They
bought property in Langley and made
plans to move here upon retirement.
Within a few months, they were asking
themselves, “What are we waiting for?”
Paul sped up his retirement plans and
in less than a year they were full-time
Whidbey residents.
Work with us now to protect the best of what’s left of our treasured landscapes. We can do
the work, but we need your help to make it happen. Photo: Cheryl Lowe
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Paul is very active in the community.
In addition to the Land Trust, he’s on
the board of the Langley Community
Club. An avid hiker, Paul also cofounded a men’s hiking group last year
and often leads the weekly hikes.
NE WS L ET TE R
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L A N D
T R U S T
year at a glance
Glendale Creek Conservation Easement - 28 acres
View from Davis Slough Conservation Easement - 36 acres
Trust Land Transfer Properties - 139 acres
Ebey’s Farmland - 249 acres
Some of the lands protected in 2009 (see photos with captions above)
Photographers: Craig Johnson (all wildlife photos), Cac Kamak, Cheryl Lowe, Mark Sheehan
Creative Giving: Supporting the Land Trust
LAND TRUST films
now available
Two short films premiered at the
Land Trust’s 25th anniversary celebration in October. The first, The
Whidbey Camano Land Trust Honors
Citizen Conservationists, tells the
stor ies of our award recipients
and the history of the Land Trust.
This excellent film was created by
Oak Harbor High School film and
media students.
The second film, Land Legacies:
Protec t ing Land w ith the Land
Trust, explores why people in our
community support land protection and the Land Trust.
These films, in DVD format, are
a mu s t-s e e f or al l L and Tr u s t
members, each about 15 minutes
long. They make great gifts and
c an b e show n t o f r ien d s an d
neighbors to encourage them to
become members of the Whidbey
Camano Land Trust.
A Gift That Lives On! Live your values. Give
locally. Continue the work of land protection and stewardship on our treasured
islands forever. You can do all these things
and more by naming the Whidbey Camano
Land Trust as a beneficiary in your will, trust,
or retirement account. It’s easy and there
are many ways to do it. Contact Elizabeth
at the Land Trust office (360) 222-3310 or
[email protected] to learn more.
Converting Your Property Into Conservation
Land. You can advance the Land Trust’s work
on Whidbey and Camano Islands by donating
property to us that does not have important
conservation value. We will sell your vacant
or developed property and use the proceeds
to permanently protect lands with significant
conservation value. You can donate your
property at any time or put it in your will. It’s
a great way to give the gift of land.
Matching Gifts from Your Employer. Barbara
Libby is a retired Boeing employee and all her
donations to the Land Trust are matched with
50 cents for each dollar she donates. Active
Boeing employees’ gifts are matched dollar-fordollar up to a maximum sum. Ask your company
if it has a matching gift program. If so, include
the gift matching form when you make your
donations to the Land Trust. Forms usually can
be downloaded from your company’s website
or obtained with a quick telephone call.
Maximize the amount of each donation you
give to the Land Trust and help us protect land
on Whidbey and Camano Islands.
‘Prairie Burn’ > continued from cover
The $200,000 grant to the Land Trust
was from the American Recovery and
Restoration Act (ARRA), administered
through the Coastal Program of the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service. The Service
also has provided funding for the past
two years of Naas Preserve prairie
restoration. The Washington Wildlife and
Recreation Program, administered by
the state Recreation and Conservation
Office, and the federal Natural Resources
Conservation Service also have provided
funding. Additional prescribed burns,
native plantings and other management
activities are planned for the site.
“The ARRA funds will be used to hire local
businesses to help us with mowing, tree
and shrub removal, planting and weed
control,” said Cheryl Lowe, WCLT land
steward. “We are also paying local growers
to help gather seed and raise thousands of
native plants for reintroduction.”
To learn more about Naas Preserve activities, visit our web site at www.wclt.org or
email [email protected].
To p u r c h a s e L a n d L e g a c i e s :
Protec t ing Land w ith the Land
Trust, drop by or call the Land
Trust at (360) 222-3310 to place
your order with a credit card.
To purchase The Whidbey Camano
L a n d Tr u s t Ho n o r s Ci t ize n
Conser vat ionist s, please go to
www.wildcattv.org and place your
or d e r t hr o ugh t h e DVD s l ink .
Proceeds from this DVD will go
to the Oak Harbor High School’s
Wildcat TV program.
Following the prescribed burn, a crew member monitors the site until the fire is completely extinguished. Photo: Cheryl Lowe
DVDs are $16.50 each.
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Thanks to You
We’re grateful to the following individuals and businesses whose
contributions were received August 16, 2009 - October 15, 2009.
$2,500+
$35+
Anonymous, in honor of the Land Trust’s 25th anniversary • Jim Heg and Deborah Smith Heg • Puget
Sound Energy • Steve Shapiro and Debora Valis
$1,000+
Anonymous • Tom and Maryann Bast • Margaret
and Bannister Farquhar • Grant and Jody Heiken •
Connie and Les LeRoss • Karl and Fran Seemann •
Jean Sherman • Trudy Sundberg
$500+
Anonymous • John and Merritt Atwood • Diane Kendy
• Mark and Vickie Nysether • Scott and Karen Price,
in celebration of the birth of Lydia Price • Windermere
Real Estate, Whidbey Island / Eric Mitten
$250+
Barbara and Leroy Cornelsen • Fran Einterz and
Joyce Peterson • Allan Golston and Stephen Bryant
• Stephen and Elizabeth Guss • Steven and Ann
Holmberg • Ted and Diane Johnson • Steven and
Marcia Lazoff • Gretchen Luxenberg • The O’Donnell
Foundation / Jim O’Donnell • Barbara and Jim
Redd • Joyce Richards • Warren and Nancy Smith •
Margaret Waterman
$100+
Thomas Allen • Virginia and Lester Bagg • Sally and
Tom Cahill, in memory of Jean Burden, Heather’s
mum • Audrey Chew, in honor of Mollie Leengran for
being a kind friend and with regrets for her recent
great loss • Victor Demetre • Jane Dillard • Sharon
Emerson and Charles Snelling • Gallery by the Bay
/ Gayle Picken • Jennifer Guild • Kurt and Patrice
Heyduck • Joseph and Cathlyn Holton • Philip
Jacobowitz and Jean Schick-Jacobowitz • Kurt
and Jane Jaehning • Harry Jester • Marni and Gary
Jezek • Janet Johnston • Robert Kenny and Julie
Glover • Cheryl and Chuck Lowe, in honor of Larry
Harris’ fine woodworking skills and generous spirit •
Carolyn and Frank Murphy, in loving memory of Laura
Vanderbeek • Elwood and Carol Rice • Kris and Teri
Robinson • Lael Ross • Ronald Schmidt, in honor
of Trudy Sundberg • Stephen and Marilyn Shapiro •
Michael and Loralyn Simmons • Leigh Smith • Paul
and Linda Suzman • Cynthia Tilkin • Shawn Waliser
• Bob and Jan Whitsitt, in honor of Trudy Sundberg’s
efforts and the Land Trust’s 25th anniversary
$50+
Judith Albrecht and Angela Ish Lawton • Anonymous
• Linda Beeman • Wilbur and Karen Bishop / Ebey
Road Farm • Dale and Joani Boose • Hi and Pat
Bronson • David and Wendy Cordova • Gail Fleming
• Karen Hastings • Vivian Henderson • Mary Ellen
and Al Jones • Nancy Kennedy • Dorothy and Robert
Kulwin • Shanti Loustaunou • Johanna and Richard
Marquis • Bill and Shirley McDaniel • Jo and Edward
Meador • Bob and Beth Merrick • Clyde and Marcia
Monma • Anza Muenchow and Marc Wilson • Mike
and Carol Newlon • Sue Van Etten and Dan Pedersen
• Mary Phemister • Mary Rogers • Janet Ross and
Bill Andrews • James and Cindy Straatman • Jack
and Sue Tingstad • E. C. and Ruth Wartelle
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Barbara and Bill Baird • Shirley Reith Bennett • Kara
Bloch • James and Linda Bruner • Debra Cannon •
Marjorie and William Chiles • Erica Eden • Leonard
and Linda Elliott • Sandra Gitchell • John Graham
and Ann Medlock • Claude and Judy Harvey • Angie
and Jerry Homola • Geoffrey and Kathy Hornsby •
Craig and Joy Johnson • Linda Booth Kast • Earl
and Jean Keeney • Leslie and Brian Kelly • Kathleen
Kendall • Jim Lux and Annette Andrews-Lux • Martin
and Mary Jean Paup • Ron Rainey • Sandra Rubini
• Christi Shaffer • Joan Ann and Charles Smith •
Cathlin and Ivan Starke • Bonnie and William Ulrich
• Shannon and Joel White • Ronald Wilkinson
Other Donations
The Whidbey Camano Land Trust thanks the following
volunteers for their contribution of time, energy, and
talent towards the 25th Anniversary Celebration and
related activities:
Cocktails and Conservation
Lael Ross (coordinator) • Steve Guss • Linda Nordberg
• Lynda Richards • Mitch Richards • Mark Sheehan
Anniversary Celebration
Marge Bagwell • Mary Brencick • Jan Bronson • Pat
Cozine • Sarah Cozine • Katherine Eames • Linda
Eaton • Steve Ellis • Penny Harger • Cac Kamak •
Chris Laing • Christopher Mathews • Jo Meador • Jan
Parlier • Lorene Proctor • Peg Tenant • Debbie Zich
Youth Foto Story
Anonymous • Susan and Stephen Bennett • Patricia
Brunjes • Linda and Leonard Good • Alan and
Elizabeth Hancock • Sarah Haynes • Robert and
Linda Kruse • Elizabeth Ingman Lundgren • Ruth
Pittard • Gail Pruitt, in celebration of Sarah’s and
Andrew’s marriage • LaVerne and Paul Shemet •
Kristine Smith • Elaine Woods
In-Kind Gifts
Scott and Suzanne Ashworth • Asli Arts • JW Desserts
• Cyndi Fernandez • Linda and Gerry Nordberg • Paul
Shapiro Video • Penn Cove Shellfish • Marilyn Sherman
Clay • Whidbey Coffee • Whidbey Party Girls! • Whidbey
Marketplace & News • Whidbey-SeaTac Shuttle
Hammons
Virginia and Lester Bagg
Land Acquisition Revolving Account
Grant and Jody Heiken • Marni and Gary Jezek
Outreach
Puget Sound Energy • Steve Shapiro and Debora
Valis • Windermere Real Estate, Whidbey Island
/ Eric Mitten
Christine Hall (coordinator) • McKenzie Baker •
Allison Duvenez • Kellen Field • Kathleen Landel •
Adriana Royal • Michelle Young
Photographers
Corinne Bayley (coordinator) • Craig Johnson •
Cac Kamak • Cheryl Lowe • Ed Severinghaus • Mark
Sheehan • Tom Trimbath • Veronica von Allworden
Student Videographers
Chris Douthitt (coordinator) • Meijiao Jaehning
• Cristin Lade • Jeff Opdyke • Jared Plang • Asia
Pruyne
Oak Harbor Birthday Party
Trudy Sundberg (coordinator) • Scott and Suzanne
Ashworth • James Bruner • Helen Chatfield-Weeks
• Gary Fisher • Rose Kinnebrew • Wilma Patrick •
Delia Pierce • Erica Schumacher
We have made every effort to acknowledge all donors
correctly. If we have listed any names incorrectly, we
apologize. Please contact Jan at (360) 222-3310 with
questions or corrections.
The Whidbey Camano Land Trust does not share our mailing list.
Stewardship Fund
Grant and Jody Heiken
Matching Gifts
Boeing Gift Matching Program
Volunteers
Yseldah Applegate • Betty Azar • Sandy Barney
• John Barney • Corrine Bayley • Gillian Beattie
• Sandy Boice • Jake Boone • John Boone • Dale
Boose • Lynn Boose • Joani Boose • Barbara Brock
• Sally Cahill • Tom Cahill • Tom Campbell • John
Cannon • Carla Corin • Lenny Corin • John Edison
• Steve Erickson • George Fairfax • Mark Fessler
• Paul Goldfinger • Steve Guss • Larry Harris •
Anne Hayden • Cac Kamak • Rose Kinnebrew •
Barbara Kolar • Barbara Libby • Chuck Lowe •
Seth Luginbill • Ivan Miller • Todd Peterson • Gary
Piazzon • Pat Price • Ranger Rick Blank • Scott
Sebelsky • Karl Seemann • Ed Severinghaus •
Mark Sheehan • Joe Sheldon • Jim Somers • Diane
Stone • Carol Triplett • Mike Viers • Quintin Viers
• Haley Viers • Shawn Waliser • Jeana Walker •
Chris Williams • Senior Striders •
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Complete your Passport Now!
Drawing for Island Cruise – Wednesday, December 9, at 6:30 p.m.
win an all-day cruise around the islands
2 0 0 9 PA S S P O R T
This year at our holiday open house (December 9 from 5 - 7 p.m.),
four lucky passport owners will be selected for an all-day cruise along
the coasts of Whidbey and Camano Islands on the M.V. Indigo, a
65-foot cruiser owned by Service, Adventure, Education (SEA). Each
winner is invited to bring a guest on the cruise, scheduled for summer
2010, and will be treated to talks by field experts.
Here’s what you need to do to enter your passport
into the drawing:
to the Whidbey Camano Land Trust
Mail your completed passport to:
Whidbey Camano Land Trust
765 Wonn Road Barn C-201
Greenbank, WA 98253
1. Complete all the passport activities. Go to www.wclt.org/news/passport
for activity ideas.
2. Make sure your name and contact information is clearly written on your
passport.
3. Mail or bring your passport to the Land Trust office or to our Holiday Open
House by December 9, no later than 6 p.m.
Did you complete all of the activities, but never got your stamps? When you enter your passport for
the drawing, we can stamp any completed activities.
Answer from page 2: Maxwelton, Glendale (on Whidbey), and Kristoferson (on Camano) Creeks.
30% PC
765 Wonn Road
Barn C-201
Greenbank, WA 98253
www.wclt.org
Return Service Requested
PERMIT NO. 2
MAILED FROM 98253
PAID
U.S. POSTAGE
NONPROFIT ORG