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Land Trust helps couple protect habitat for birds, other wildlife
Ron and Donna Raven check the helichrysum plants they grow on their 13.7 acres north of Sequim. In the background are some of the ponds, wetlands, forest and agriculture areas the Ravens’ agreement with North Olympic Land Trust will permanently protect.Ron and Donna Raven’s agreement covers nearly 14 acres, which includes ponds, wetlands, forested, pasture and agricultural areas. The agreement recognizes the property’s diverse qualities and its special importance to native birds using the nearby Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge and as upland habitat for other waterfowl along the shoreline. It will accompany the property’s title in perpetuity while enabling the Ravens and future owners to continue using it while helping the Land Trust uphold the agreement.
When the Ravens bought their home in 2002, June Matriotti owned the 13.75 acres adjacent to the Ravens and the home next door, where she still lives. June and her husband, the late Bob Matriotti, had built both homes and developed other nearby property. Matriotti family members were pioneers in the area, and Matriotti Creek, a tributary of the Dungeness River, carries the family name.
“We told June to let us know if she ever wanted to sell this property,” Donna remembered. “We told her our intention was to put it in the Land Trust, and she liked the idea of protecting the view and habitat.”
The Ravens’ priorities on providing good places for animals to live is evident from the moment a visitor approaches their home, north of Woodcock Road. A banner portrays Jesus showing affection for animals. A rabbit bench provides a place to sit between the head and tail. A dog they rescued from an animal shelter comes out to offer a greeting. Two others wait to in the house to get acquainted. Donna checks a cushion to make sure no frogs are under it before using the chair. Donna and Ron talk about the eagles, kingfishers, ducks, deer and other wildlife they enjoy watching, along with the frogs that sing from the wetlands and under their deck.
“We have had many different kinds of ducks – buffleheads, mergansers, canvasbacks, wood ducks,” Donna said. “We got to see little wood ducks jump out of our wood duck box. That was really special.”
The couple love watching cattle graze on a pasture beyond their marshlands and hope more conservation agreements might ensure continued availability of pasture there.
Ron said the decision to protect special qualities of their land “kind of evolved” as they were searching for a way to protect what they care about.
“We knew an agreement with the Land Trust would be permanent, and we knew other people who had done agreements, so we knew what it entailed,” he said.
With enhanced federal tax charitable donation benefits available for donating conservation agreements – also known as easements – Ron said they decided it was time to start working with Land Trust staff and volunteers.
“We said ‘let’s do it now and take advantage of the tax incentives, even though it’s a long payback period,’” Ron said.
When the Ravens moved to the North Olympic Peninsula from New Jersey, they bought a place nearer Sequim. They appreciated the eight forested acres nearby, but it wasn’t long before those trees were cut and the land rezoned for denser development.
“The next day we put the house up for sale,” Donna said. “Sequim is building up so darned fast it’s nice to be able to save something.”
Ron said they have always been “on the environmental end” of priorities and want to help keep some areas of Clallam County in a somewhat natural state.
“At least we want to protect the quality of living here,” he said. “We promised June we’d do that with this property, and now it feels good to keep that promise.”
Donna said the area’s rural quality was what attracted them to move to the Sequim area from New Jersey.
They both started volunteering with Friends of the Fields, and Ron still serves on the Board of the organization, which works closely with North Olympic Land Trust in its focus on permanent agricultural land protection.
Ron is phasing out a career in insurance and securities sales for Prudential Insurance Co. and enjoys working part time at Sunny Farms Country Store. He liked buying health products there and thought he’d enjoy helping other people feel better through supplements. He is continuing to learn more about alternative medicine and is studying homeopathy.
He and Donna both consider themselves fortunate to be able to protect the acres they own.
“We feel very blessed,” Donna said. “God was very nice to give us the opportunity to do this. It’s unfortunate when people have to sell property that should be protected.”
After a work life in banking and accounting, Donna declares, “Now I’m a farmer.”
She and Ron have cultivated a hillside with helichrysum, a member of the sunflower family. They sell the small yellow flowers, to a producer of herbal oils who then sells them to companies that make healing and cosmetic products. Last year the harvest topped 100 pounds and they are planning for 250 pounds next year.
They also sell some fresh-cut lavender to Sunny Farms. They are considering growing some wine grapes.
Now dozens of small plants in front of the rabbit bench are waiting for transplanting.
“The helichrysum is for healing products, and the red hot poker plants are for the humming birds and cedar waxwings,” she said.
North Olympic Land Trust protects in Clallam County more than 1,300 acres with such special qualities as habitat for wildlife, farmland, sustainable, commercial timberland, clean water and air, scenic vistas, open space and cultural heritage.
Additional information about the nonprofit organization is available from the office, reachable at 360-417-1815. Although its office in Port Angeles, more than half of the protected acres are in the Sequim-Dungeness area, like the Raven property.
This entry was posted on Thursday, September 27th, 2007 at 10:15 am and is filed under Latest News.