Useless Bay East
- Status: Protected in 2008
- Location: South Whidbey Island
- Acreage: 55
Public Benefits
working farmland, aquifer recharge, scenic views, wetlands and streams
Description
In 2008, Whidbey Camano Land Trust acquired a restrictive and permanent conservation easement on 55 acres of working farmland next to Deer Lagoon on South Whidbey.
The easement limits the development potential of the property, ensuring that it remains available for food production and wildlife habitat for generations to come. It limits the number of potential home sites to one rather than the six that would be legally allowed under current zoning. The easement also allows current and futures owners to continue agricultural uses as needed to ensure that the land remains productive and useful.
In addition to protecting working farmland, the fields are important for a significant number of birds and mammals that use the adjacent Deer Lagoon wetlands. Biologists indicate that the loss of agricultural fields on Whidbey Island is proving to be a significant factor in the loss of species from the area. Without open fields and grass lands, many of the species that are abundant at Deer Lagoon and those traveling from Lone Lake and other areas, would be missing a needed habitat element.
Funding for the acquisition of the conservation easement was provided by grants from the Washington Farmland Preservation Program administered by the Washington Recreation and Conservation Office and Island County Conservation Futures.
