Land Bank receives 30-acre donation on Westside Road

Donors Paul and Beatrice Reiss gave the land in hopes it will be preserved for future generations.

August 27, 2015 4:03 pm
A view from the newly acquired property on the west side.
A view from the newly acquired property on the west side.

—Submitted by San Juan County Land Bank

The San Juan County Land Bank received a 30-acre donation along Westside Road on San Juan last Friday, Aug. 21.

“We are very happy to see this special piece of land preserved for future generations and enjoyed by a wider public,” said donors Paul and Beatrice Reiss.

Its steep terrain rises quickly from the road, ascending to a height of several hundred feet. Boasting incomparable views of Haro Strait to Vancouver Island, and south to the Olympics, this property is the perfect complement to the adjacent Westside Preserve. Its rocky outcrops and grassy slope will add a completely new dimension for people to explore on the Westside.

Land Bank commissioner and chair, Jim Skoog, said “This really only happens once in a lifetime. We are deeply in the debt of the Reiss family. Their generosity to the community is truly exceptional.”

While the property is not yet open to the public, the Land Bank hopes to establish trails and allow access sometime next spring. The land will also be managed to conserve its rare coastal prairie habitat.