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Schmidt
Conservation Easement:
39 Acres along Eld Inlet on
Steamboat Island.
Conserved in 2004.
Historic
Property on Eld Inlet Protected
(Issue 43, Winter 2005)
Extensive
tidelands, more than 800 feet of Eld Inlet shoreline, and a mix of
forest and grasslands comprise the latest conservation easement
negotiated by the Capitol Land Trust.
Located at the northern end of the Steamboat Island
Peninsula, the property was once known as Schirm Farm.
Land owner Bart Schmidt worked with the Land Trust to donate
an easement assuring the shoreline and upland habitat will always
contribute to the health of the unique ecosystem.
The
combination of mature forests, open fields, marine shoreline and
tidelands provides habitat for a rich variety of plant and animal
species, and numerous resident and migratory birds.
Mature western red cedar, Douglas fir, and big-leaf maple
dominate the forest. A
pair of bald eagles are year round visitors to tall trees near the
bay and have even been sighted catching squirrels on the roof of the
house. The diverse
property provides habitat for great blue heron, green heron,
red-tail hawk, pileated woodpecker, northern saw-whet owl, western
screech owl, red-breasted sapsucker, several bat species and flying
squirrels, as well as deer, red fox, coyote, and the occasional
black bear and cougar.
One
reason this easement is so important is that it protects marine
nearshore, providing critical habitat for wild chinook, coho, and
chum salmon. In
addition, it provides habitat for forage fish and macro-invertebrate
species that play a critical role in salmon survival.
“These shoreline habitats are the key to all marine life in
Puget Sound. They form
the basis of the marine foodweb supporting sea stars to Orca
whales.” (People for Puget Sound: 2004 Report Card for Puget
Sound’s Shorelines.) The
Eld Inlet shoreline has been declared a shoreline of statewide
significance. Capitol
Land Trust has already protected several other key parcels along the
inlet; this conservation easement is another significant
contribution to the ecosystem’s protection and long-term survival.
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