Guemes Islanders trying to save Guemes Mountain bring their cause to Anacortes this month with a "Save the Mountain" auction at the Depot. The Guemes Island Environmental Trust is attempting to raise money to purchase the mountain.
The Skagit Land Trust and the San Juan Preservation Trust have agreed to buy the undeveloped 70-acre parcel from Panoramic View Enterprises for $2.2 million. The Guemes community has already donated or pledged $1.6 million, leaving $620,000 to be raised by closing October 1, 2009.
A longtime destination for hikers (despite the fact that it is private property), The Mountain rises up from Square Harbor on the east side of Guemes and has rewarded generations of islanders and visitors with spectacular wildflower blooms and unobstructed panoramic views of Mt. Baker, the ports of Anacortes and Bellingham, the Cascade and Olympic mountain ranges, and the layered vistas of the surrounding San Juan Islands.
The parcel is zoned R-10, allowing as many as seven 10-acre home sites on the hilltop. It's a perfect location for a premium residential development. The purchase by the Guemes Island Environmental Trust would keep the land undeveloped and open to the public. Already, about 828 acres on Guemes has been protected from development by the state Fish and Wildlife Department and the San Juan Preservation Trust.
Here is an opportunity to support this important project and acquire one or more of the lovely pieces of art by local artists or the many attractive services and non-art items that have been donated for the event. event is on Friday, September 18th, from 7-9 pm.
Examples are: pieces by Philip McCracken and Leo Osborne; prints by Becky Killorin; a wood carving by Bob Rainwater; mouthwatering deserts by Diane Murray; stays in Guemes guest houses and the resort; gardening consults, a day of yachting, and more than can be mentioned. Learn to kayak and then enjoy a reviving massage or have a lesson in how better to use your computer. The limited edition “Peregrine over Guemes Mountain” prints will be sold for $25 fixed price as long as they are available.
The Trust is planning a fun evening with the Guemes Girls hosting the party, free snacks and a no-host bar. Bud Ashbach will be the auctioneer for the live auction. Because the Depot has a limited capacity, GIET is selling 150 tickets at $5.00 for people who are interested in participating in this fund-raising event. Tickets are available at the Watermark Book Co in Anacortes and Anderson's General Store on Guemes.