Welcome to Skagit County

August 11, 2004

PUBLIC INVITED TO OFFICIAL OPENING OF MONTGOMERY-DUBAN HEADLANDS PARK ON SOUTH FIDALGO ISLAND

SKAGIT COUNTY - The Skagit County Parks and Recreation Department staff is inviting the public to join them in celebrating the official opening of Montgomery-Duban Headlands Park on South Fidalgo Island. A ribbon cutting ceremony is planned Friday, August 20 at 3:00 p.m. followed by a hike to the expansive sights and soothing sounds at the edge of the headlands. Hors d’ oeuvres and acoustical music will follow at the Sharpe Park picnic area.

The newly acquired land is adjacent to Sharpe Park and forever preserves 1400’ of waterfront property and 37 acres of woodland property. The park features access to the wildflower laden rocky outcrops, lush wetlands, and expansive sights. The Olympic Mountain range, Rosario Straits, and the San Juan Islands are all visible from the meadow outcrops above the crashing Salish Seas. The wildflower communities throughout the rocky meadows are rich with numerous native species and are accessed by trail.

The project was spearheaded by the San Juan Preservation Trust and sponsored by a large network of concerned groups ranging from non-profit agencies, local neighborhood associations, and hundreds of individual donors. Skagit County Parks and Recreation applied for and received a $500,000 grant from Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition as administered by the Interagency for Outdoor Recreation. The San Juan Preservation Trust attained $600,000 from individual donors to eventually assure the preservation of the property. Support and endorsements of non-profit groups such as The Friends of the Forest, Skagit Parks Foundation and The Skagit Land Trust played in integral role in the success of the project. Local landowners Dennis Duban and Kevin Montgomery were the largest individual donors and the park will adorn their name.

For further information, contact: Bob Vaux
360-336-9414

Directions to Montgomery-Duban Headlands Park
From I-5 take SR 20 West toward Whidbey Island at Pass Lake turn right on Rosario Rd.
Sharpe Park entrance is 1.6 miles.