The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the San Juan Islands National Monument with a public event March 25.
“This celebration is important for so many reasons," BLM Spokane District manager Kurt Pindel said in a news release issued March 13. "Not the least of which is to show appreciation for the community's efforts and engagement. Their work helped create the Monument, and they have helped us come up with a plan to ensure these scenic and recreational treasures will be protected for generations to come.”
On March 25, 2013, then-President Barack Obama, proclaimed "an archipelago of over 450 islands, rocks, and pinnacles known as the San Juan Islands" on the coast of Washington state to be a National Monument. In the proclamation, the history and diversity of the San Juan Islands were a focus. The proclamation reads, in part: "In the late 19th century, the Federal Government built several structures to aid in maritime navigation. Two light stations and their associated buildings are located on lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM): Patos Island Light Station (National Register of Historic Places, 1977) and Turn Point Light Station (Washington State Register of Historic Places, 1978)."
The lands on Patos Island, Stuart Island, Lopez Island, and neighboring islands "constitute some of the most scientifically interesting lands in the San Juan Islands," the proclamation states. "These lands contain a dramatic and unusual diversity of habitats, with forests, woodlands, grasslands, and wetlands intermixed with rocky balds, bluffs, inter-tidal areas, and sandy beaches."
The San Juan Islands comprise approximately 1,000 acres of property managed by the BLM. Visitors can enjoy a variety of activities in the San Juan Islands, including wildlife viewing, kayaking, hiking, and camping, according to the agency.
The BLM recently approved a new resource management plan that covers issues including restoration or rehabilitation of historic structures; treatment methods for vegetation management; work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for habitat enhancement for federally listed or candidate wildlife species; prohibition of guns or bows within the monument; camping at specific areas of the monument; and other elements.
