San Juan Islands National Monument
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The San Juan Islands National Monument is an American national monument in the Salish Sea on the San Juan Islands in northwest Washington . The western border of the monument is also the border with Canada . The 75 areas of the reserve are in the counties of San Juan County and Whatcom County on 13 islands. There are 16 sub-areas on Lopez Island , three sub-areas on Decatur Island , 31 sub-areas on San Juan Island , two sub-areas on Patos Island , ten sub-areas on Stuart Island (Washington), one sub-area on Henry Island (Washington), one sub-area on Sucia Island (Washington ) one sub-area, on Matia Island one sub-area, on Clark Island (Washington) two sub-areas, on Orcas Island 19 sub-areas, on Shaw Island (Washington) five sub-areas, on Fidalgo Island three sub-areas, on Lummi Island three sub-areas and on Eliza Island three Partial areas. It was designated by President Barack Obama by a Presidential Proclamation on March 25, 2013 with an area of 1000 acres (400 ha ). The National Monument protects archaeological sites of the coastal Salish , relics of the early white settlers, two lighthouses, and the islands' biodiversity.
Administration and land ownership of the National Monument
The San Juan Islands National Monument is under the administration of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The entire area is federally owned and was looked after by the BLM even before it was designated.
Animal and plant species
The area with forests, some of which trees are hundreds of years old, meadows, wetlands, rocks, cliffs and sandy beaches has great biodiversity. Numerous species of birds, mammals, bats and insects can be found in the area. The meadows, which are kept open by natural fires, are the habitat of rare plant species. Invasive plant species can also be found in the meadows. There are 200 species of moss on the rocks. Within the reserve, there are two wetlands on the islands of Lopez and Patos, which are the most important freshwater habitats on the San Juan Islands.
Several species of marine mammals are found, including orcas , seals, and porpoises . Native terrestrial mammals include mule deer , North American otter, and mink . There are bird species such as bald eagles and peregrine falcons . The endangered Marmelalk lives in the area. The blue-throated slugger was reintroduced into the area by humans. The marble butterfly, once considered extinct, is currently restricted to a small population in the San Juan Islands.
Indians in the area
Archaeological remains of coastal Salish villages and camps up to 12,000 years old have been found. Processing sites such as shell troughs, reef net sites and burial sites were also located. There are also numerous finds of antler wedges, bones for fishhooks and projectile tips.
Web links
Individual evidence
Coordinates: 48 ° 31 '54.8 " N , 123 ° 1' 44.4" W.