The San Juan Preservation Trust is a private,

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

and membership-based

land trust Land trusts are nonprofit organizations which own and manage land, and sometimes waters. There are three common types of land trust, distinguished from one another by the ways in which they are legally structured and by the purposes for which th ...

dedicated to helping people and communities conserve land on the

San Juan Islands The San Juan Islands are an archipelago in the Pacific Northwest of the United States between the U.S. state of Washington and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of Washington state, and form the core of ...

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

state. Noted for its $6.4 million purchase of

Vendovi Island Vendovi Island is an island in the San Juan Islands of Washington State. Located in Skagit County, Washington, United States, Vendovi Island lies across Samish Bay from mainland Skagit County, between Guemes Island and Lummi Island Lummi Isla ...

in 2010 and its $18.5 million acquisition of Turtleback Mountain on

Orcas Island Orcas Island () is the largest of the San Juan Islands of the Pacific Northwest, which are in the northwestern corner of San Juan County, Washington. History and naming of the island The name "Orcas" is a shortened form of ''Horcasitas,'' fro ...

in 2006, the Preservation Trust has permanently protected 270 properties, 38 miles of shoreline and 16,000 acres on 20 islands, including land now managed as public parks,

nature preserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological o ...

s, wildlife habitat, and working

farm A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used ...

s and

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

s. The organization was founded in 1979. The first transaction of the trust was made by Ernest K. Gann and Dodie Post Gann in 1980, when they donated 38 acres of their farm as a working agriculture preserve.

References

{{reflist

External links

Official website of the San Juan Preservation Trust
Environmental organizations based in Washington (state) Land trusts in the United States Protected areas of Washington (state) San Juan Islands 1979 establishments in Washington (state) Organizations established in 1979