A Bold New Idea

In 1968, a seemingly simple zoning request kicked off a fight over the future of Central Whidbey Island.

When proposed development threatened to cut off access to a beloved beach and replace the heritage farmland you see today with subdivided residential lots, some local residents recognized that a way of life was about to be lost. Community, historical, and environmental groups began to mobilize, and together they started a conversation that would last decades and test the bonds of friendship.

Years of litigation, contentious council meetings, and exhausting public discussions followed until eventually a new model of preservation emerged with the creation of Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve. The Reserve would depend on the participation of the local population and government partnerships to preserve this rural farming community.

Today you are standing in the middle of the nation's first National Historical Reserve - an experiment that began in 1978 and proved that a community can choose to preserve itself.

A Community in Crisis

“Every day that goes by, there's more damage done out there.” – Coupeville Resident, October, 1979

“Trumped-up lawsuits exacted a heavy toll in both dollars and mental anguish...It is a sad state when a few can [use the legal system to] harass and attack citizens.” -Coupeville Resident, June, 1981

“One of the hardest things to accomplish,” said Swift, “is to get everybody to agree to a new idea.” - Congressman Al Swift (D-Bellingham), July, 1988

“I didn't want to tell my neighbors they couldn't develop their place, but I knew if they did we wouldn't be able to farm.” - Coupeville Farmer, 1998 . This historical marker was erected by National Park Service. It is Near Coupeville in Island County Washington