Entering the property of Peter Clitherow and Arvia Morris, one gets the sense almost immediately that this is a special place. Located in an area of numerous rocky cliffs and straddling Antoine Creek, it is a patchwork of open areas and forested land. Views of distant mountains to both the east and west indicate that this is a high location with sweeping views.

Arvia and Peter speak openly about their love for their land.  “We love the open spaces, peek-a-boo views from every corner, the friendliness of the neighbors, the wildlife, the dark skies, and the smell of sage after a good rain,” reports Peter.  “Even the regeneration after the 10,000 acre fire of 2000 has been fascinating to watch, from the 100 billion seedlings that sprouted the following winter to the pileated woodpeckers that frequent the trees killed by bugs.”  Arvia adds that this has become a special place for their daughter, now five years old. She loves their cabin and has been able to work on projects with her dad. Peter and Arvia are grateful that she will grow up with a lot of experiences in the outdoors.

Both Arvia and Peter live in the Seattle area, but speak of their reasons for being drawn to this particular place. "My parents have a 95 acre apple orchard in New York State that I spent my summers and weekends on," states Arvia. "I wanted to re-create the very strong sense of place I have for the orchard in New York State. We wanted to be outside Seattle, but actually doing something useful beyond recreation." Arvia and Peter knew people in the Okanogan and began looking at purchasing land in 1996. They were especially interested in Eastern Okanogan County since it is so different from areas they were previously familiar with. They appreciate the "down to earth" feeling here, surrounded by folks involved in agriculture and making a living with their hands.

Affordable land made it possible for Peter and Arvia to eventually purchase 220 acres, and then they began to think of stewardship. The land has good conservation values. It provides a biological connection between two significant blocks of state land, offering a wildlife corridor for some of the larger carnivores, such as black bear and cougar, that have been seen on their property. There are riparian areas that provide habitat to wildlife, and open spaces that neighbors are also able to enjoy. From a distance, this land is an important part of the scenic views visible from surrounding roads and communities.

They had heard of the Okanogan Valley Land Council from friends and were also aware of the role conservation easements can play in protecting conservation values and in limiting future development of the land. In 2004, Peter and Arvia approached the Okanogan Valley Land Council and decided to place a conservation easement on their entire 220 acres, to protect it for the future. Arvia expresses her feelings about the process in this way: "Having the conservation easement has changed how I feel about the land. My sense of stewardship has gone up. I think there is a saying that we are charged to care for things that come to us in our life and to pass them on in as good or better shape when we are done. I feel this way about the land now and am glad the OVLC is around to help us understand our property better so we can manage it with the long term in mind."