BLM wild headlands:
Published 4:31 pm Friday, May 28, 2010
Quiet paths, cushions of moss, rocky cliffs with nesting Peregrine falcons and cormorants, towering Douglas firs, nesting bald eagles, fields of wild flowers, diverse and rare plant communities and haul-outs for marine mammals are just a few of the natural treasures that can be found in the 665 acres of Bureau of Land Management land in the San Juan Archipelago called Headlands.
Many headland properties were originally set aside as U.S. Light House Service Reserve lands. They include: 400+ acres at Point Colville, Watmough Bay, Chadwick Hill,and Iceberg Point (Lopez), 27 acres at Cattle Point (San Juan), 80 acres at Kellet Bluff (Henry Island), and 80 acres at Turn Point (Stuart island).
While the natural, historical and recreational aspects of these areas have been retained to date, none of BLM’s 1000 acres in San Juan County, including the headlands, Patos and Turn Point Lighthouses, 31 small islands, and over 40 groups of rocks and reefs, has a secure long-term conservation plan in place. With increased use and pressure there is NO guarantee that these significant lands will be preserved for future generations.
With these concerns in mind the community will have a significant opportunity to let the BLM know what it wants. The BLM is preparing a new Resource Management Plan (RMP) to unify management of all 1,000 acres. On June 5, an open house from noon-4 p.m. at Mullis Senior Center on San Juan, the BLM will be conducting a Public Scoping Meeting and wants public input. Whether it be natural, scientific, recreational, wildlife, historical, cultural, archeological, geological, riparian, wilderness or scenic resources, the BLM would like to know how islanders would like to see the lands protected and conserved for the benefit of and enjoyment of present and future generations.
While the RMP is an important step, it does not ensure funding or long-term protection. An unofficial group of citizens, with conservation backgrounds, began talking in 2009 about how to have more protection for the BLM properties in our islands. The BLM National Conservation Area (NCA) designation has emerged as a significant tool which would provide a long term conservation management plan and funding to support it. Since its creation in 2000, twenty one National Conservation Areas in ten states have been designated to conserve and provide long-term protection to places which have significant natural, cultural, scientific, and conservation values.
The process for NCA designation starts as a grass roots, community based initiative. After input is gathered from the community, a case statement is written and presented for approval by the San Juan county council. Once approved, the next step is working with WA federal representatives and senators to create the legislation for the NCA designation. This legislation is then added to the annual Consolidated Natural Resources Act for approval from U.S. Congress. This process could be completed in two years or possibly less. Once in place it can only be changed by an act of Congress.
The BLM meeting in Friday Harbor on June 5 is a great opportunity for those who care about the BLM lands to begin the conversation of how to manage the 1,000 acres. Come learn about the properties and share your views.
Save the date of June 5, for the BLM Scoping Open House, noon-4 p.m., at the Mullis Senior Center in Friday Harbor. If you cannot attend in person, the BLM will accept public comments through June 25, by e-mail to: OR_Spokane_RMP@BLM.gov or write to: BLM Spokane District-ATTN:RMP,1103 N. Fancher Rd.,Spokane Valley, WA 99212
—CNAC members: Russel Barsh, Lincoln Bormann, Linda Hudson Madrona Murphy, Cynthia Dilling, Carla Chalker, Mike Jonas, Bob Myhr, Tom Cowan, Asha Lela, Sally and Tom Reeve
