Land trust buys 90 acres of shore land

BELLINGHAM — Whatcom County is getting a 90-acre shoreline preserve that was once slated for development.

Whatcom Land Trust officials said Friday that Lily Point has been purchased from Welsh Developments Inc. for $3.5 million. The scenic area was appraised at more than $4.3 million. It’s at the southeast corner of Point Roberts between Boundary Bay and the Straits of Georgia.

Half of the funds were provided in a grant from the state Fish and Wildlife Department’s new estuary and salmon restoration program.

Land Trust President Chris Moench says Lily Point may be the most culturally and ecologically rich undeveloped private shoreline in the greater Puget Sound area. It’s being deeded to the county for use as a marine reserve and public park, with the trust retaining a conservation easement.