Posted on June 23, 2025
The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank is advancing plans for a forest thinning and fuels reduction project on Crescent Beach Preserve. The effort is a collaboration between the Land Bank and Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to improve forest health and reduce wildfire risk across 32 acres. In June, the year-long project reached another milestone: local contractor Rain Shadow Consulting outbid eight other firms and secured the contract. Rain Shadow anticipates beginning work on July 28.
Project work includes creating a 60-foot shaded fuel break along the trail to reduce the potential of wildfire to spread and to improve access for fire management. Small conifers (<8” in diameter) will also be thinned from high density stands that border the trail. These activities reduce wildfire risk and severity and improve the forest’s resilience to climate change.
Temporary trail closures will be necessary to ensure public safety, and we will make every effort to minimize them. At this point, we anticipate the need to close all or part of the preserve for up to six weeks. We recognize that July and August are busy users; however, completing the project during the summer will help protect forest soils from compaction and minimize impacts to nesting birds.
Objectives to improve forest health were first outlined and approved in the Land Bank’s Crescent Beach Stewardship and Management Plan in 2024. DNR later secured grant funding to pay for the $148,000 project and has worked closely with the Land Bank to refine activities and delineate the project area.
Implementation will cause significant but temporary disturbance in the forest understory. To accelerate recovery, the Land Bank will seed treatment areas and plant at least 20,000 native understory shrubs and trees over the next two years. Standing and downed dead wood will be retained for habitat value, and subsequent revegetation efforts will diversify species and improve habitat for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife.
Signs about the project are currently posted at the trailhead. Project details, including updates on the trail closure, are available on the Crescent Beach Forest Resiliency Project page. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Peter Guillozet (Orcas Steward) or Erin Halcomb (Stewardship Coordinator). Or, better yet, join us for another field tour on Saturday, July 12 from 1-2:30pm to learn more. Additional tour opportunities will be available by appointment.
Thank you for your patience while we work in partnership with DNR and Rain Shadow Consulting to enhance this natural area.
