2021 Gratitude Report: Thank You!

Thank you for supporting Jefferson Land Trust in 2021.

And what a year it’s been!

With your help we’ve been actively pursuing and protecting land across East Jefferson County — from properties in the Quimper Wildlife Corridor in Port Townsend, to Kawamoto Farm in Quilcene, to key properties in Discovery Bay, to family farms in Chimacum. Together, we’ve conserved the places that matter today and forever.

And it’s been a special joy to be out on the land again with you, caring for the properties in our trust by building trails, removing invasive weeds, and welcoming educators and hundreds of students for memorable hands-on outdoor learning experiences.

I hope you enjoy reading about the positive progress you helped the Land Trust make this year, and I hope that, like me, you’re eager to keep pushing forward with the land conservation projects that help protect our shared home.

Working together, we’ll ensure that the natural places that rejuvenate, nourish, and delight us all are protected forever.

With gratitude,

Richard Tucker

Executive Director

Impact of Your Support in 2021

You helped preserve open space, working lands, and habitat forever. Together, we:

• Added 24 acres of protected land to the Quimper Wildlife Corridor, and added another 10 properties to the project pipeline for protection
• Protected 149-acre Kawamoto Farm in Quilcene with two easements and launched an equitable RFP process with our LandWorks Collaborative partners to select the next farmer
• Protected two key properties at the head of Discovery Bay, two historic Chimacum Farms, and a farm in Quilcene Bay’s watershed that contains forest, streams, and open pasture

Your support also helped the Land Trust:

• Offer the popular Discovering the Forest learning series to over 360 participants
• Pilot the first selective harvest to benefit forest health at Valley View Forest, and offer the harvest’s local wood to more than 15 local nonprofit partners
• Welcome local students to our preserves for hands-on learning opportunities that connect them to the natural world
• Care for more than 720 acres of habitat (with the help of 141 volunteers contributing almost 4,400 hours to help advance our mission)

Thank You!

Spotlight on Kawamoto Farm

Aerial view of Kawamoto Farm in fall. Photo by John Gussman.

Kawamoto Farm is an historic 149-acre dairy (and working forest) north of Quilcene owned and farmed by three generations of the Japanese American Kawamoto family for the last 100 years.

The farm’s founders, Kaichi and Itsuno Kawamoto, immigrated from Japan at the turn of the century. The family overcame extraordinary obstacles, including barriers to legal ownership, and detainment during WWII, to establish a thriving family farm.
When the farm was listed for sale last year, the Land Trust sprang into action.

Generous individual donations and Navy funding made it possible to purchase a restrictive easement limiting development on the land, and a conservation easement (expected to close by the year end) that guides land management, protecting water quality and habitat. It also allows for the placement of interpretive signage to honor the Japanese American history of the farm and the Kawamoto family.

Together, the easements will reduce the market value of the farm, offering the next farmer a rare opportunity to purchase the farm at an affordable price.