We are in the process of migrating this site to the Land Trust’s main website: http://www.wclt.org

This map will also be posted here soon too.

The boundaries of the forest are on this map: http://wclt.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/trillium_property_aerial1.jpg

It’s really closer to Freeland than Greenbank–on the west side of the highway.

Invasive plants are most often dealt with by volunteers. There is a large cadre of volunteers ready and willing to maintain the Trillium property once it is acquired. The lead group will likely be the Backcountry Horsemen (who have already committed to this task) who also maintain the 600-acre Putney Woods near Langley and have for many years. According to the County, the Backcountry Horsemen volunteers take care of “everything” in Putney Woods except the approximately $80/month cost of the portable toilet and an occasional trash can pick-up. The Trillium property is very similar to Putney Woods. In addition to these volunteers, the Land Trust will host work parties to deal with problematic invasive plants. If there is an invasive issue that cannot be dealt with by volunteers, the Land Trust will pay for the cost of dealing with the problem out of the Trillium property’s $50,000+ stewardship fund. We maintain individual stewardship funds for the Saratoga Woods, Krueger Farm forest, and the Davis Slough Heronry, all of which are owned by public entities. When the public agency requests funds, we pay for the costs out of these funds. The Land Trust will also apply to various grant funding sources to help pay for any costs of keeping the property in a natural state. Bottom line, the cost to maintain the forest so it doesn’t get overrun by invasive plants is minimal.

Other than buiding and maintaining trails, what is the private sector willing to commit to this forest?

The Land Trust has committed to raise the first $50,000 for the Trillium property stewardship fund, which will be available to Island County to pay for any maintenance, operation and stewardship costs. The County and Land Trust estimate that this funding will last at least 5-8 years due to the low cost of maintaining the property (costs were derived from comparison to the Putney Woods and the Saratoga Woods). The initial cost will be to ensure that motorized vehicles are controlled on the property to prevent resource damage and liability issues. This will involve strategic gating and fencing. The Land Trust has also committed to going after grant funding opportunities to pay for planning, restoration, and necessary infrastructure. This property will be part of Island County’s “Adopt a Park” program. As part of this, the Backcountry Horsemen and many individuals have committed to patrolling the property on a regular basis, removing invasive plants, and picking up garbage (in addition to maintaining trails). As has been done at Putney Woods, volunteers will also pay for and put in parking areas, signs, kiosks, etc., and Frontier Building Supply has committed $1,000 per year in materials for the next three years.

County, State, Federal and even City governments exist to provide certain things for the benefit of the people. Providing roads, utility connections or things that provide means to housing people adequately are not to be looked at as “profit centers” or even “loss centers” for the government entities. They are necessary and normal costs.

Here is another point of view on this subject, from a very experienced planning expert.
In this month’s Planning Advisor column, Pat Dugan, Dugan Consulting Services, questions the assumption that single-family houses do not support themselves, arguing that this common assumption is, at best, overly simplistic.

http://www.mrsc.org/focus/pladvisor/pla0410.aspx

For an objective analysis, read this article.

Thanks,

Mike