BAKER MOUNTAIN RANCH
PROTECTED!
The Lummi Island
Heritage Trust, the San Juan Preservation Trust, and the Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife have succeeded in permanently protecting
the 435 acre Baker Ranch on the west side of Lummi Island. This
conservation partnership raised the $3.67 million necessary to complete
the project with the help of Heritage Trust and Preservation Trust
members, state and federal grants, and a league of private
donors.
The Baker Ranch was
one of the largest and most visible unprotected shoreline properties in
the San Juan Islands. The Ranch includes a diverse mix of old growth and
mature forest, grassy balds, wetlands, farmland, and over one mile of
saltwater shoreline. Today, conservation easements limit residential use
of the 435 acre property and ensure permanent protection of the land's
natural values. The San Juan Preservation Trust holds conservation
easements on 355 acres and the Department of Fish and Wildlife holds a
conservation easement on the remainder of the property.
Combined with land
previously protected by Lummi Island Heritage Trust and the Department of
Fish and Wildlife, the Baker Mountain Ranch conservation partnership has
created a contiguous protected area of more than 1,000 acres on the wild
western coastline of Lummi Island. Thank you to all who helped make this
extraordinary land conservation effort possible!
Creating the Baker
Preserve
Planning for the 129
acre Baker Preserve began at the culmination of the Baker Mountain Ranch
conservation project. Since then, the Heritage Trust designed and
constructed a trailhead parking area, built a new trail, trained volunteer
stewards, and established interim use policies before opening the Baker
Preserve for public access in September 2008.
The trail rises 1,050 feet over 1.6 miles to a high cliff on the western face of Lummi Mountain. The Baker Preserve is the Heritage Trust's first controlled-access preserve. Due to the ecological sensitivity and sometimes, hazardous terrain, hikers are currently required to obtain a permit before accessing the Baker Preserve trail.
In order to open the
Baker Preserve for public use, the board of directors adopted an Interim Management Plan
and appointed an Advisory Committee to
help determine the best ways to ensure protection of the Preserve's
sensitive wildlife and habitats, while providing low impact recreational
opportunities.
The Advisory Committee has completed their analysis of the Baker Preserve Interim Management Plan and has submitted the Advisory Committee Report and Recommendations for the management of the Baker Preserve.
The board of directors has created a Draft Baker Management Plan based on recommendations of the Advisory Committee Report. Written comments about the the draft plan may be emailed to info@liht.org until March 5, 2010. Then the board will finalize a Baker Preserve Management Plan.
Meanwhile, the Heritage Trust is working to conserve more open space and wildlife habitat while we still have the opportunity. We hope you will join us as fellow stewards and conservationists!
Make a tax-deductable donation to the Heritage Trust to further land protection efforts on lummi Island: