The Protected Landscape Approach - Centre for Mediterranean ...

14. Collaborative management of protected landscapes
Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, Whidbey Island,
Washington State
Established by Congress in 1978, Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve encompasses
17,400 acres in the central portion of Whidbey Island in Washington State’s Puget Sound. The
Reserve contains a landscape rich in cultural history and natural variety. The scenic views are
spec tacular, whether looking west across Admiralty Inlet to the Olympic Mountains or toward
the eastern horizon of the Cascade Mountains. Unlike the more traditional units of the US
National Park System, this is a Category V landscape in which people live and work. In
addition, the Reserve is managed through a partnership among the National Park Service, local
and state government, and the private sector.
Whidbey Island’s old glacial lakebeds contain some of the richest soils in the state, and have
attracted people as far back as 1300, when Native Americans 2 cultivated these “prairies” for
growing favoured root crops. After the Donation Land Law of 1850 offered free land in the new
Oregon Territory to any citizen who would homestead for four years, Colonel Isaac Ebey and
other European-Americans filed claims on the prairies and shorelines of central Whidbey
Island. Today, the old-field patterns, fence lines and farm buildings of the early homesteaders
are still visible in the landscape. While there has been some loss of farmland to development
within the Reserve (indeed, it was such development that led to Reserve designation), some of
Box 4. Stewardship begins with people: an atlas of places, people,
and hand-made products
A Cooperative Project of the National Park Service’s Northeast Region, Marsh-Billings-
Rockefeller National Historical Park, NPS Conservation Study Institute and Shelburne Farms
National Historic Landmark (CSI, 2004)
Stewardship begins with people. This atlas celebrates the personal stories of stewardship, while
illustrating its broad, rich geography. Its inspiration comes from people taking care of special places.
Dave Evans, a fifth-generation Pierce Point rancher at Point Reyes Seashore, California is de -
veloping innovative, sustainable approaches to keeping agriculture alive on the peninsula. Judy and
Bill Carson and Kit Trubey, owners of Alta Pass Orchard in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, along the
Blue Ridge Parkway, encourage local theatre and music, while growing heirloom apples. For more
than 30 years, Mary Lee Begay has woven traditional Navajo rugs for Hubbell Trading Post National
Historic Site in Ganado, Arizona. These are faces of stewardship – friends, neighbours and
communities in and around our national parks, heritage areas and national historic landmarks. They
preserve authentic traditional cultures and landscapes, demonstrating for local residents and visitors
alike an enduring stewardship ethic and a commitment to sustainability.
This is the beginning of an exploration of the connections between places, people and special
products. The project has started with three initial case studies illustrating good stewardship, and
highlighting traditions and innovations that advance conservation and sustainability. The Atlas of
Places, People & Hand-Made Products will include more stories from more places. Ultimately, we
plan to produce a series of regional travel guides for landscapes and special products, and build a
network of park people and producers eager to share their knowledge and experiences.
The pro ject ob jec tives are to:
1. Recognise people practicing stewardship that sustains important landscapes and living
cultures;
Cont.
2
“Native American” is the generally preferred term used in the United States.
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