Willits to receive North Olympic Land Trust legacy award

Published 2:16 pm Wednesday, April 30, 2014

At 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 3, the North Olympic Land Trust hosts its annual public membership meeting at the Fairview Grange, 161 Lake Farm Road.

The meeting features a presentation of the inaugural Gary Colley Legacy Award to John Willits for contributions to land conservation in Clallam County. For more than 20 years, Willits has been instrumental in most of the Land Trust’s 80 land conservation projects. Willits and his family have donated conservation easements on more than 220 acres for waterfowl habitat and farmland, primarily near the mouth of the Dungeness River.

The meeting includes a presentation by Land Trust leadership on recent activities and the results of a strategic planning process to lay out a vision for local land conservation in the years ahead.

Joshua Chenoweth, botanical restorationist with Olympic National Park, reports on the process of regrowing a forest in the lake beds of the former reservoirs behind the Elwha dams. Land Trust members/supporters also will consider and vote on a slate of four new directors for its board. A guided tour of the nearby Siebert Creek Conservation Area is offered as well.

RSVPs are appreciated. To RSVP, call Brad Tesreau at 417-1815 ext. 4.