Lopez Hill: Three-Way Partnership Achieves Triple WinThe project has been more than two years in the making. It started in the spring of 2020, when a 117-acre property adjacent to the Land Bank’s 400-acre Lopez Hill Preserve came onto the market. To protect the property for future agricultural use, the Lopez Community Land Trust (LCLT) acted quickly to purchase the entire parcel. It retained ownership of 42 acres, including a 21-acre pasture with a long history of livestock grazing. LCLT sold the remaining 75 acres to the Land Bank in 2021, protecting one of the largest Western red cedars on the island and providing an opportunity to expand the Lopez Hill Preserve’s recreational trail system. The final phase of the project is the Preservation Trust’s purchase of a conservation easement (CE) over the 75-acre Lopez Hill Preserve addition. Work on the CE is now underway, as is a fundraising campaign to cover the easement costs and establish a stewardship fund to care for the property. An anonymous donor has pledged a challenge grant of $323,500 -- half of the total project cost. All contributions to the project will be matched up to the challenge grant total. To qualify for the match, donations must be received by October 21, 2022. Please consider partnering with us by making a gift today! To donate, go to sjpt.org/lopez-hill or call 360-317-3055 for more information.