by Robbie Mantooth

For the Sequim Gazette

The North Olympic Land Trust is offering a gift idea which will help protect special lands and minimize harmful environmental impacts.

A donation of $100 will earn a listing on one of the plaques mounted in the Clallam County Courthouse near “Elwha Return,” a spectacular 6-foot-long artwork of hammered copper, western red cedar and abalone. Local artists Clark Mundy, Darrell Charles Jr. and Al Charles Jr. created the piece and gave it to the land trust to help in fundraising efforts. The land trust gave “Elwha Return” to the county so the public could enjoy it and so it could help inspire people to work together to protect salmon and the area’s environment for the benefit of present and future generations. Names will be added to the courthouse plaques in January.

Land Trust Executive Director Greg Good said giving a listing is a great way to celebrate qualities that make the area a great place to live.

“People can list their own names to show their support for taking care of our special qualities and they can list others’ names to honor them or provide a memorial,” he said. “That’s about as close to zero waste as a gift can be.”

The land trust will send a gift card with a full-color reproduction of the artwork to each person honored with a listing or to family members of those honored as a memorial, he said.

Plaque listing forms can be downloaded from www.nolt.org or requested from the land trust office at 417-1815.