Jefferson Land Trust acquires forest on Marrowstone

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Right in the middle of Marrowstone Island, you’ll find a forest that many people care passionately about. This special place has been part of the Fite family holdings for several generations, going back to Peter Nordby, who founded the first European settlement on the island in 1892.

More than a decade ago, several members of the island community brought this property to Jefferson Land Trust’s attention. Wanting it on our radar, they asked Conservation Director Sarah Spaeth to make the forest a priority for protection should the chance ever present itself.

What we found was indeed magical. The mature forest features a lush canopy of western red cedar, alder, hemlock, Douglas fir, big leaf maple and grand fir. Its vibrant understory is rich with thimbleberry, fern, evergreen huckleberry, salal and wild rose.

Two wetlands offer refuge for birds and other wildlife, collecting water that feeds local aquifers for neighboring homes, farms and forests.

The holdings include 400 feet of bluffs that face Puget Sound which nourish the marine environment below and offer a pathway for wildlife to reach the forest above for food and shelter. Together, the bluff, forest and wetlands boast 51 acres of varied wildlife habitat ideal for preservation and recreation.

Recognizing how rare undeveloped properties with such compelling features as on Marrowstone, Sarah added it to our priority list.

Fast forward to December 2017 when Scott Brinton, island resident and founder of CedarRoot Folk School, let us know that the properties had been listed for sale. Scott hoped to collaborate with us to protect the land as a community nature preserve.

Like many neighbors, Brinton has a personal connection with this forest. The previous landowner, Bartow Fite, had allowed CedarRoot to use it for youth education. Brinton said Bartow Fite loved having students use the land, believing it honored his wife, Marilyn Fite, who passed away in 2010. The great-granddaughter of Peter Nordby, Marilyn was a dedicated conservationist who modeled environmentalism at home and worked to protect wildlife habitat internationally.

We enthusiastically agreed to look into protecting the land. After inquiring, however, we found that both time and a price tag of more than $1 million were stacked against us.

Land conservation projects of that scale often require long lead times to assemble the necessary partners and funding sources. Upon learning of our interest, the Fite family was willing to give us six months to put the funding together. A very generous agreement, but far shy of the one to two years typically needed.

Although it represented a big challenge, sometimes you have to act when an opportunity presents itself. So we set to work and evaluated funding options. Spaeth was miraculously able to assemble $800,000 in grant funding within just a few months — about 80 percent of what was needed. That left us with less than five months to raise the remaining $210,000.

I’ve spent most of my career as a fundraiser for nonprofit organizations, and I must admit I trembled a little at that point. But I should have known better. The passion, enthusiasm and generosity of this community has a way of making the improbable possible. It’s unlike anything I’ve seen elsewhere.

Several people immediately stepped up to help get the ball rolling. Two island residents underwrote due diligence costs for the project. A team of qualified neighbors conducted a biological survey of the property. The board of CedarRoot Folk School quickly pledged $1,000. And, as news spread, others soon followed. People held house parties to talk about the project with friends. Folks knocked on doors to share the opportunity with neighbors. In all, 271 people contributed to this effort, raising $216,705!

Working side by side with community members to make this vision a reality has been profoundly inspiring. I heard moving stories from generations of Marrowstone families, newer island residents, and friends far and wide. Many shared childhood memories of exploring neighborhood forests, and their strong commitment to preserving the chance for our kids and grandkids to have those experiences, too.

What’s next? The Land Trust successfully purchased the property last week. Now we’ll begin to work with volunteers to get the preserve ready for enjoyment. When it opens in spring 2019, it will feature a walking trail through the lush forest, outdoor education space and excellent wildlife habitat.

Our first scheduled activity at the new preserve is a volunteer work party from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 27. Several more will be held in the coming months in anticipation of its opening. A ribbon cutting next spring will be sponsored by Miller & Ashmore Real Estate. To find out more or learn how to get involved, visit www.saveland.org/marrowstone.

Chris Clark is deputy director of Jefferson Land Trust. She brings her passion for connecting people with the land to her role in overseeing fundraising and community engagement. Jefferson Land Trust’s column appears monthly in The Leader.