Acres of Whidbey Island farmland, forest, beach, preserved

EVERETT, Wash. (AP) — Staff at the Whidbey Camano Land Trust in Washington knew they had to act quickly when a beachfront property south of Coupeville came on the market last December. The property is home to one of the oldest farms on Whidbey Island, features a large forest and long stretch of beach. The Herald reports according to the land trust the site was at risk of being sold and developed into 22 high-end homes. In late April, the land trust bought the property for $9.1 million, the most expensive purchase in the nonprofit’s nearly four-decade history. Conservation director Ryan Elting said an “emergency acquisition” was needed to protect the site.