The Friends of Lopez Hill is a group of people, mostly from
Lopez Island, WA, who are interested in preserving the open space
on Lopez
Hill as public use land. This very special property is the
last remaining large parcels in public ownership and we would like
to keep it that way.
The FOLH are working on developing an assessment of Lopez Hill
(a "case" statement) to show the wide variety of resources
it possesses and the many ways that it is currently being used.
We are also
working
on a
list of alternatives and trying to marshall our members to follow
up on each. We are also working with the Mitchell Hill
Conservancy so that we can coordinate efforts where it is appropriate.
We are concerned about preserving the native Indian Thistle on Lopez Hill. Click here for more information.
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400 Acres of Lopez Hill, including the summit, are currently
owned by the WA Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR). The DNR wants
to divest
itself of parcels in the San Juan Islands (other parcels are Mitchell
Hill on San Juan Island, Odlin South on Lopez, as well as parcels
on Orcas and Blakely). The purpose of this group is to work with
the DNR and the County Council
as well as other public agencies to effect this transfer in such
a way that the land remains a public resource for wildlife, watershed,
and
recreation
and to
prevent
the acquisition of the land by private parties and/or developers.
We have been successful thus far in convincing the
DNR that
local
residents
are committed
to
seeing the property preserved for the public (and not sold to private
developers) and they have granted us 3 to 4 years to give us
time to pursue the various options and achieve our goal of guaranteed
public
access. The DNR has also placed Lopez Hill on it Trust Land Transfer
Program list (see Progress Report).
The DNR's 50 year lease of Lopez Hill to San Juan County was approved and funded in May 2007 by the Washington State Legislature. Negotiaions regarding the lease are underway and it is expected to be finalized in the spring of 2008. This is a huge win for FOLH and the community. Thank you to everyone who helped. Come join us on November 4 to Celebrate Lopez Hill! |
Seasonal Trail Closure:
Burnt Stump Trail (public access trail from Lopez Sound Rd.) on Lopez Hill will be closed to horses for the season beginning November 30. Notice of the trail closure will be posted at both ends of the trail. Thank you for helping to conserve the natural values of Lopez Hill.
Meetings of the Steering Committee will be scheduled on an as-needed basis. General meetings of the Friends of Lopez Hill will be held quarterly. |
Check
out the Yahoo Group LopezHill.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lopezhill
If you're not a member of the group, you can view messages.
As a member, you can post messages and files and view the calendar.
This group provides us with a mailing list to keep members informed
on progress
and
issues and to track all communications and also to provide a repository
for photos and files of information.
Click to join lopezhill
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