"We have so
much wildlife
that viewing it
is part of our
every evening
experience."
Michael and Julie McKelvey.
Michael McKelvey
Right: Okanogan sharp-tailed
grouse. Justin Haug
It's a place that's brought our family together, where our teen-
agers are super excited to go out there and spend time. It's all
about family.
In what ways has the ranch given value to your family's
lives?
It's really given us, especially the kids, perspective on how
other people live. Coming from the city and seeing how a
rancher has to survive has been good for us.
Are there ways in which you think your ownership adds
value to the land or local community?
Anything that brings outside money into that community is
extremely important. We do add value to the land as stewards.
But spending our area code 206 dollars in the community,
including recent improvements to our house, has a big impact
too.
How have you been received by the local community?
Excellently. e people in Loomis are awesome. ere's noth-
ing more fun than going to coffee, telling the folks that I vote
Democrat, and spending the morning in debate. ey're good
people.
What outcomes give you great satisfaction in having had
the experience of conservation ownership?
Having the easement gave us the practical ability to own the
land and keep it from being broken up for development, and it
hasn't hindered us (or the leasing rancher) in any way.
But more important, the wildlife gives us such satisfaction.
We have so much wildlife that viewing it is part of our every
evening experience. We try to count 100 deer when we're out
there, oen along with dozen of bighorn sheep. We also had a
wolf winter on the upper part of the ranch a year ago, and that
was really exciting.
Conservation-minded landowners and preserved work-
ing lands provide vital wildlife habitat and open space even as
many areas are lost to development.
Interested in learning about key
areas in need of conservation
or stewardship? Contact us at
mitch@conservationnw.org
Interview series
Keeping the Northwest wild Spring/Summer 2015 11
