I am enthusiastically voting for Proposition 1 to renew our San Juan County Conservation Land Bank. It goes without saying that over the last 34 years, the Land Bank has been instrumental in enhancing our way of life by protecting water resources, forestland, working farms and farmland, beautiful shorelines, and habitat for wildlife and native plants, among other things.

What is remarkable though—what is especially praiseworthy—is how much the Land Bank has ensured the continuation of the islands’ genus loci, or distinct sense of place. Without the conservation and preservation of significant natural, historic, cultural, and agricultural landscapes, our sense of place, our sense of home, would be sorely diminished. By protecting so many of these “iconic” landscapes, the Land Bank contributes to our well-being, to our knowing where we live, where we belong. This sense of place is not only valuable to islanders, it is likewise a draw for countless visitors every year.

Many years ago I wrote about an old-islander from San Juan Island, the late Fred Sundstrom. He boasted that as a teenager, he’d often grab a jar of cherries his mother, Josie, had canned, and then take off on a daylong walkabout. While we can no longer freely roam the islands like Fred once did, we can, thanks to the Land Bank, (also in cooperation with other public and private entities), traipse through and hike in wonderful places—another reminder for how critical it is for islanders to vote to renew our Land Bank. If you value our genus loci or sense of place as well as having access to beautiful landscapes throughout the islands, make sure to vote for Proposition 1.

Nancy Larsen

San Juan Island