The fate of the 7-acre parcel adjacent to the Wilbert Trail may rest with Island County Commissioners.

A special meeting of the Conservation Fund Citizen’s Advisory Committee on Monday, Aug. 28 will hear a presentation by the Whidbey Camano Land Trust to discuss funding the parcel with Conservation Futures dollars.

Less than a month ago, a “For Sale” sign went up on the Wilbert Trail, spurring the Whidbey Camano Land Trust, Save The Trees, an anonymous conservation-minded buyer and others into swift action.

Island County commissioners will consider a proposal for $192,000 in Conservation Futures funds to help purchase the site.

Under the proposal, the property would be added to South Whidbey State Park. Island County would hold a conservation easement on the property, and it would be owned and managed by the state parks system.

Maintenance and operation costs would be covered by the state.

“This project would protect a rare example of a low-elevation old-growth forest,” said Patricia Powell, executive director of the Land Trust.

Acquisition of the property will allow the existing park trail that strays onto the private property to be retained and made legal for park visitors.

“It will also allow State Parks to develop an ADA accessible trail to old growth trees,” Powell added.

If approved, Island County Conservation Futures funds would be combined with State Parks funds in hopes of reaching the $383,000 purchase price of the parcel.

After a flood of letters and calls from Save the Trees and other interested citizens, Washington State Parks Director Rex Derr sent a letter of intent to the Land Trust stating that State Parks will pay 50 percent of the property value, plus cover all of the buyer’s closing costs.

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will consider the request at its Aug. 24 meeting in Chelan.

In the meantime, the agency is getting a market appraisal of the property. That’s expected to be completed by Sept. 15, and then it will be reviewed by an independent appraiser.

If there is a difference between the appraised value and the purchase price, private donors would likely be sought to make up the gap, since agencies cannot pay more than appraised value.

Local supporters of the purchase aren’t worried.

“We’ll cross that bridge when and if we get to it,” Powell said.

The clock is ticking, however.

On July 19, the property owners accepted a local conservationist’s purchase offer with a 14-day feasibility period.

The offer was designed specifically to take the property off the market to give the Whidbey Camano Land Trust time to help put a solution together.

Powell praised the conservationist and Realtor for their work with the seller, resulting in an extension of the closing date to Oct. 31.