A coalition of 14 land trusts and conservation organizations has formed the Shoreline Conservation Collaborative, committing to significantly increase the pace and quality of efforts to protect and restore Puget Sound.
“Our members saw a significant opportunity to work together to protect Puget Sound. The shoreline of Puget Sound may look pristine and accessible, but it is neither,” said Hannah Clark, executive director of the Washington Association of Land Trusts. “This unique and irreplaceable natural treasure has been in decline for years, with thousands of acres altered, contaminated or destroyed, and less than 12 percent open to the public to enjoy. We are embarking on a cohesive, unified strategy to ensure Puget Sound’s shorelines are healthy, vibrant, clean and full of life.”
The collaborative seeks to significantly increase the impact of its members work to conserve Puget Sound shorelines. In the next 10 years, the collaborative has set an ambitious goal to permanently protect 150 shoreline properties and restore an additional 30 shoreline properties.
Among the collaborative’s first successes is the conservation of a 280-acre shoreline property important to salmon and wildlife abutting the Lyre River on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, thanks to a recent purchase by the North Olympic Land Trust.
“It’s great to be working side by side with partner land trusts across Puget Sound to improve the quality of life for our entire region,” said North Olympic Land Trust Executive Director Tom Sanford.
The 14 groups signing a Memorandum of Understanding to form the collaborative represent all 12 of Washington’s Puget Sound counties: Bainbridge Island Land Trust, Capitol Land Trust, Forterra, Great Peninsula Conservancy, Jefferson Land Trust, Lummi Island Heritage Trust, Nisqually Land Trust, North Olympic Land Trust, San Juan Preservation Trust, Skagit Land Trust, The Trust for Public Land, Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust, Whatcom Land Trust and Whidbey Camano Land Trust.
The Shoreline Conservation Collaborative is a project of the Washington Association of Land Trusts.
About North Olympic Land Trust
North Olympic Land Trust is dedicated to the conservation of open spaces, local food, local resources, healthy watersheds and recreational opportunities. Its long-term goal is to conserve lands that sustain the economic and ecological vitality of the communities of Clallam County.
Founded by community members in 1990, the Land Trust has conserved over 3,000 acres of land across the North Olympic Peninsula.
