Quilcene Bay by John Gussman
Great news! Working with willing landowners, Jefferson Land Trust recently placed a conservation easement on a 67-acre farmland property near Quilcene Bay, permanently protecting it against development, while preserving its significant agricultural and ecological values for all time.
A view of the protected farmland.
The property is one of the largest remaining farmland properties in the Quilcene area, and has been in agricultural use for more than a century. It has large swaths of pastureland, a portion of Jakeway Creek, water rights available for agricultural uses, and rural open space visible from nearby roads and Quilcene Bay.
Now that it’s protected, the land will always be available as productive agricultural land.
Along with these important agricultural and scenic values, the property is a key puzzle piece in the greater picture of wildlife habitat and farmland conservation efforts in and around Quilcene Bay, which is fed by both Jakeway Creek and Donovan Creek. Its location is highly significant, as it’s nearly completely surrounded by land already protected by Jefferson Land Trust and other organizations.
A rainbow over the recently protected farmland property.
Beginning in 1994, many partners have worked on this large-scale effort to protect and restore fish and wildlife habitat and improve water quality in the Quilcene Bay delta and tidal marsh.
These partners include Jefferson County, the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, and members of the “Chumsortium” — a dedicated collection of local public and private entities (including Jefferson Land Trust) that collaborate to restore and protect the threatened summer chum population in Hood Canal and the Strait of Juan De Fuca.
We’re grateful for the passion and vision of the property’s landowners who have owned the farm for decades, love the land, and were determined to see it protected forever.
Many years ago, learning of land conservation efforts in the area, these landowners sold a portion of their land to Jefferson Land Trust. We worked to restore the creekside habitat for the benefit of fish and wildlife, and now care for the property as a nature preserve.
Funding for this land protection project was provided by a grant from the Washington State Farmland Preservation Program through the Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO), which we applied for in 2022 to fund protection of the 67-acre farm as well as another nearby farm with similar conservation values; a grant from the Jefferson County Conservation Futures Fund; and the U.S. Navy’s REPI (Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration) Program.
