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San Juan County Land Bank outlines acquisitions and pushes Beaverton Marsh Trail into 30% design
Summary
Land Bank reported $1.7M in grants aiding a 24‑acre Orcas shoreline purchase and other conservation work; Beaverton Marsh Trail is entering 30% design this month and staff aim for 100% bid documents by August to obligate construction funds by September.
Lincoln Borman, San Juan County’s Land Bank director, told the council the land bank closed several acquisitions after the 2024 reauthorization, including a 24‑acre shoreline parcel on Orcas supported by about $1.7 million in grants, and completed stewardship actions such as a Crescent Beach thinning ($130,000 in grant funding).
Borman said stewardship staff have reorganized to improve coordination across islands and that several conservation easements and resale projects remain active; the land bank is also pursuing a 10‑acre agricultural resale and further conservation easements that may close later this year.
Rachel Dietzmann, special project manager for the Beaverton Marsh segment of the Town‑to‑Zylstra multimodal trail, said design work is advancing on an accelerated schedule. "We expect to have 30% design plans this month," she said, describing that milestone as a critical alignment and cross‑section analysis needed for permitting and material estimates.
Dietzmann said the trail will generally be eight feet wide, with boardwalk crossings over marsh areas and design tweaks intended to minimize habitat impacts and protect mature trees. Staff tentatively scheduled a public meeting for Feb. 25 (possibly moved to March) and proposed a county staff site walk to review conditions before finalizing design.
Borman noted success with the trust land transfer on Blakely Island (no cost to county) and said the land bank will continue work on stewardship management plans, including an updated plan for the Beaverton Marsh preserve and new plans for Katy Mountain Preserve and Dolphin Bay Road property.
Council members proposed a joint site visit with all council members to reduce repeated staff site visits and requested continued engagement with local stakeholders. No formal action or funding commitment for construction occurred at the retreat; staff said the only currently obligated funds are for the preliminary engineering (design) phase and construction obligations must be met by September to use some state funds.
The land bank will return with updates on management plans, pending conservation easements, and the public meeting schedule for the Beaverton Marsh Trail.
