Easement allows for traditional uses of land

OKANOGAN – Okanogan Land Trust accepted a conservation easement from Crown Resources Corporation on 97 acres north of Bolster, or what used to be Bolster near Chesaw.

Bolster, now a Washington ghost town, was platted in 1899 and at one time had 30 families, several stores, a post office, and three saloons. The post office closed in 1909, followed by the school in 1910, which only operated for one year. The closest town now is Chesaw, three miles to the south.

From the wind swept ridge of the property, the view is Canada to the north, Strawberry Mountain and Porphyry Peak westerly, Granite Mountain to the east, and the Myers Creek Valley to the south. Below the ridge, Myers Creek flows northerly into Canada. The conservation easement will assure the property remains undeveloped and primarily wildlife habitat, but can still be used as historically, for grazing and forestry management. The property includes a three-quarter mile section of Myers Creek, a fish-bearing creek with significant riparian habitats and associated floodplains. This is the fifth conservation easement conveyed since 2012 by Crown Resources to the Trust, totaling 524 acres in Okanogan County. The conservation easements are mitigation requirements to compensate for potential impacts of the Buckhorn Mine.

“Protecting this natural landscape and valuable aquatic and wetland habitat property will become a treasure to the Chesaw area and it is Okanogan Land Trust’s pleasure to continue to work in cooperation with Crown Resources in protecting the area.” said Thom Woodruff, Executive Director of the Trust.

“We are pleased to be able to contribute this easement to Okanogan Land Trust, where it can remain protected as open land for beneficial use by wildlife and the good people of our region. Supporting the environment and providing for local communities is critically important to Crown. We appreciate the partnership we’ve been able to cultivate with the Trust over the past years,” expressed Mark Ioli, Vice President and General Manager, Crown Resources Corporation.

Okanogan Land Trust, now located in Okanogan, works with property owners in Okanogan and Ferry Counties to preserve the agricultural traditions of the area and preserve natural resources for today and future generations. Their phone number is 509-846-2765.