The ‘Citizens Conservation Land Bank’ was voted into existence in 1990, 34 years ago, with the mandate to “preserve in perpetuity” areas in the county that have environmental, agricultural, aesthetic, cultural, scientific, historic, scenic or low-intensity recreational value and to protect existing and future sources of potable water. These land acquisitions are funded by a Real Estate Excise Tax, authorized by the voters of San Juan County.

Over the past 31 years, the Land Bank has acquired (ownership) of 5000 acres of land in San Juan County, per the Land Bank’s brochure. The Land Bank has acquired more property than the size of Shaw Island! (Shaw Island has 4,928 acres, per Wikipedia.org)

Most, if not all of the Land Bank acreage, is exempt from co. property taxes.

This means county property taxes that would have been paid from the acquired ‘Land Bank property’, are now shifted to the rest of the county taxpayers to pay in perpetuity!

Please, vote NO in November for the SJC Land Bank renewal proposition.

Paul Dossett

San Juan Island