ISLAND COUNTY: Commissioners consider management plan for Deer Lagoon preserve
Kira Erickson reports from the Island County Commissioners’ work session of Wed., Feb. 4, 2026 for the Whidbey News-Times. Read the whole story.
Summary by Perplexity AI
Island County commissioners reviewed a draft management plan for Deer Lagoon Preserve, a 379-acre wetland on South Whidbey that provides habitat for 218 bird species. The plan, prepared by Whidbey Audubon Society’s Carlos Andersen with Whidbey Camano Land Trust, is required under federal funding rules and may serve as a template for other preserves. It recommends relocating the trailhead and parking, discouraging off-trail use, restricting dogs, domestic animals, watercraft, joggers and bikers, and addressing dike impacts that have reduced salmon and marsh habitat. Commissioners debated how to balance protections, enforcement and consistency across preserves, while public commenters strongly supported the plan’s conservation focus.
They Said It
Commissioner Melanie Bacon said it’s not an expectation that the board of commissioners adopt the plan written by Andersen, but rather to use it as a template.
Bacon said she wanted something in the comprehensive plan to say that the county recognizes the value of Deer Lagoon Preserve and is in the process of developing a management plan for it.
Not wanting to have a “favorite child,” Commissioner Janet St. Clair was cautious about supporting efforts for just one preserve of many. She pointed to a number of preserves within the county, including Strawberry Point, Camano Ridge and Four Springs, as well as parks like Dan Porter and Rhododendron.
“Rather than specifying a single preserve that should get that attention, I think we need to know which ones are truly preserves and which ones are just passive parks,” she said, “and what is our obligation based on how those were acquired, in terms of how we manage those.”
Additionally, she wondered how enforcement of some of the recommendations, like prohibiting dog-walking, would be handled. If volunteers want to have a more detailed management plan and recommendations, she said, that can come before the board later, but the comprehensive plan should identify all preserves and their allowable activities versus a natural park or open space.
Bacon agreed that this made sense…
Members of the public who spoke during an earlier meeting were supportive of the draft management plan written by Andersen. Marnie Jackson, executive director of Whidbey Environmental Action Network, said she admired the depth with which he interviewed agencies, departments, entities and nonprofits around the region and on the island to develop a plan that is compliant with the 22-year-old grant agreement.
“So I’m very grateful, and I think that it’s a big move towards our climate resilience to care for that really precious place,” Jackson said.
Ed. Note: Ms. Jackson is also a director at the South Whidbey School District.
