Swift community and county action were key to the transfer of these 400 acres of state school trust lands to Island County for park and open space use. Benefits: Public access and trails, wildlife habitat, intact forest community, watershed protection

Camano Ridge Preserve is one of the last large, intact forests left on Camano Island. The site is popular for hiking and important for aquifer recharge and wildlife habitat. The Friends of Camano Island Parks, a non-profit citizens group promoting protection of special lands and assisting in their stewardship got the Camano Ridge property included on the Trust Land Transfer list. In 2003, the Whidbey Camano Land Trust worked directly with the state to ensure the property was permanently transferred in fee ownership rather than with a 30 year lease agreement.

(Originally called Carp Lake Woods)