Our Land Bank and Local Farms

This letter is written in response to Lisa Guard’s Oct. 13 letter, “San Juan County: The Next Nantucket?”

Lisa Guard, glad you got to visit Nantucket, but sorry you were so misinformed. I lived and worked as a planner on Nantucket for a number of years, so I think I know what I’m talking about. Here are some FACTS:

FACT: the Nantucket Land Bank owns just over 3,000 acres—about 10% of that island’s land. About three times that—is owned by the private, locally supported Nantucket Conservation Association. By contrast, San Juan County’s Conservation Land Bank owns only about 4 1/2% of land in these islands.

FACT: Nantucket’s Land Bank has a 2% REET—double our own—and permanently. They don’t go back for renewal. There will always be a need to conserve and steward natural land.

FACT: the Nantucket Land Bank owns half a dozen farms, which it leases to local farmers https://www.nantucketlandbank.org/mission/agriculture/. Likewise, saving farmland from development and making it available to local farmers is a key part of our land bank’s mission. The Land Bank owns 700 acres of prime farmland and leases 500 acres back to local farmers. In addition, it protects 1,300 acres of private farmland and working farms through conservation easements, guaranteeing that they will remain working farmland and not be turned into private estates https://www.renewourlandbank.com/working-farms. The Land Bank recently entered into a lease agreement with the San Juan Island Grange and their exciting plan to share land at Beaverton Marsh cooperatively with a number of growers. The Land Bank’s lease of the Coffelt Farm Preserve on Orcas Island to the Lum family is another example of how the Land Bank supports local farmers and they, in turn, give back to the whole community.

You say, ” It’s crucial that careful consideration be given before approving future land bank acquisitions without a concrete farm and food plan.” The Land Bank has a plan: saving farmland and making it available to farmers; and they’re acting on it.

Brian Wiese,

San Juan Island