Carleen Bruins and Craig Britton. Photo courtesy of Carleen and Craig.
Craig Britton and Carleen Bruins have been active and generous supporters of Jefferson Land Trust since they retired to Port Townsend in 2014, following long careers in land conservation and public land management in the San Francisco Bay Area. Their dedication to preserving open space land spans their lives and careers.
We’re pleased to acknowledge and honor their longstanding commitment to conservation, especially on the occasion of Craig’s recent retirement from Jefferson Land Trust’s Board of Directors after eight years of service (the maximum term), including four years as Board Treasurer.
Executive Director Richard Tucker reflects: “Craig brought determination, dedication, and a wealth of experience in land acquisition and conservation to the Land Trust through his Board service. His commitment as Treasurer has been vital to our fiscal health and mission to protect our community’s treasures.”
Craig’s summation of his time on the Land Trust Board: “Most fun I ever had.”
Drawn to Port Townsend by a shared love of Victorian homes, coastal life, and naturally beautiful places, Craig and Carleen care deeply about this area and the people who live here. They view Jefferson Land Trust’s work to protect open space, wildlife habitat, working farms, forests, and public recreational land as a powerful investment in the future of East Jefferson County.
“I give to the Land Trust because I think it’s so important for the future, as well as right now,” says Carleen. “It’s a relevant, vital organization that is fully committed to its mission. It’s also very forward-thinking. The impact we hope to make through our involvement is to help preserve the natural heritage here.”
“In many cities, you have to drive an hour or more to experience public open space,” Craig says. “We’re so blessed here, and I think it’s really incumbent on us to help preserve what we can for future generations.”
Salmon in Chimacum Creek at Illahee Preserve, one of the couple’s favorite local preserves to visit during salmon spawning season.
Carleen and Craig have both contributed to the Land Trust generously over the last decade, sharing their expertise and perspectives on various Land Trust boards and committees, including Craig’s tenure on the Board of Directors and Carleen’s service on the Look to the Land capital campaign steering committee. In addition to their philanthropic dedication to the organization, they readily share their enthusiasm for the Land Trust’s work and mission with community members.
“We have a natural affinity for land trusts, and Jefferson Land Trust has a sterling reputation,” Craig says.
Craig’s career began as a right-of-way agent purchasing land for the California Division of Highways in the Bay Area. After a job with Santa Cruz County, managing properties and purchasing land for parks, libraries, rights-of-way, and more, he moved to Marin County to buy land for their open space program. He later took a job with Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (MROSD, aka “Midpen”), a public agency with jurisdiction in portions of San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties. MROSD has protected more than 70,000 acres since its founding in 1972.
Craig started his 31-year tenure at MROSD as the Land Acquisition Manager, later becoming the General Manager. He was instrumental in preserving 60,000 acres of open space land. He also helped establish Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), now a highly successful land trust in the area.
Craig passionately believes in the value and urgency of this work. He has a saying about protecting land: “They ain’t making any more land, but they’re printing money every day, so let’s buy every square inch that we can!” The same urgency that drove his work over the past several decades spurs his commitment to the Land Trust’s mission today.
“Right now, we’re trying to save the pieces [of land] that are left. Much of the unspoiled open space land has already been altered by people,” he says. “So, somehow you want to give back, you want to help preserve it, you want people in the future to be able to enjoy it. Land trusts are about the future.”
“Undeveloped land is shrinking quickly,” Carleen adds. “We’re fortunate that we can go outside every day and appreciate the natural beauty of where we live. It’s easy to take for granted that it will always be here. I’m concerned about the future of our environment and the impact we have on its stability. If we do what we can to preserve as much open space as possible, maybe this bit of paradise will continue to function as a healthy ecosystem for generations that follow us.”
Beginning with an administrative position in land management, Carleen also worked at MROSD for many years, moving to operations and then to public affairs, where she managed education programs and events, oversaw a large volunteer program, helped establish a new nature center, and much more. Before arriving at MROSD, she worked for East Bay Regional Park District, which operates in California’s Alameda and Contra Costa counties. She spent seven years as a naturalist there, leading school groups and public tours. She enjoyed this work and loved her final role with the Park District as the grants coordinator for land acquisition and park development projects.
Red Dog farm in Chimacum, protected by a Land Trust easement, provides fresh local food for our community.
“I love that the Land Trust is helping people connect with the environment,” Carleen says. She continues, “Another interest for me is keeping farms thriving. We need fresh food for our community and a sustainable livelihood for farmers.”
Craig agrees: “Farming is hard work. I want to support the people that have chosen to grow our food, and to help make farmland affordable. I love the buy+protect+sell model the Land Trust is using to promote this effort.”
Other Land Trust projects and pursuits that particularly inspire them are Chimacum Ridge Community Forest, salmon habitat conservation, and the youth education program. In their decade-plus with the Land Trust, they’ve seen these programs grow.
“None of the progress we’ve made would be possible without dedicated community volunteers and supporters like Craig and Carleen,” Richard says. “We’re so lucky to count them as our friends.”
Chimacum Ridge Forest by Tim Lawson.
Outside of their time with the Land Trust, Craig and Carleen continue to enjoy life in Port Townsend, including restoring and tending to their beautiful 1871 Victorian home, the Colonel Landes House. After a two-year long process, they got the house listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They helped form the Port Townsend Heritage Association (PTHA), a nonprofit dedicated to sharing, supporting, and providing education about Port Townsend’s history. Craig is also the Chair of the City of Port Townsend’s Historic Preservation Committee (HPC).
And we’re very glad that they plan to remain closely involved with the Land Trust.
“It’s such a great community,” says Carleen. “And I really admire the Land Trust staff. I think they’re the most awesome group of people. They are so dedicated and committed to the work that they do.”
We’re very grateful for the gifts of Carleen and Craig’s experience, friendship, and true conviction in our shared mission of protecting the places that matter in Jefferson County.
Please join us in thanking them for their many years of generosity and service.
