Ebey's Landing Trust Board restructures, posts reserve manager as county employee

Ebey's Landing Trust Board has entered a "restructuring phase" because of funding constraints and on February 6, 2026 posted the Reserve Manager position as an Island County employee. The advertised arrangement places the Reserve Manager on Island County payroll while the Trust Board continues to fund the position.

The change is a pragmatic response to reduced budget flexibility and is intended to preserve the Reserve Manager role despite financial pressure. By shifting employment to Island County, the Trust Board is seeking to maintain continuity in management and day-to-day operations for Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve while addressing administrative and fiscal limits.

Under the arrangement announced by the Trust Board, the Reserve Manager will remain funded by the Trust Board but will be officially employed by Island County. That split between funding and employment raises practical issues for administration, payroll processing, benefits administration and lines of supervision. It also creates a clearer legal employment relationship with Island County even as the Trust Board retains responsibility for the position's funding.

For Island County residents, the move matters because the Reserve Manager is central to how the reserve is run and how the community interacts with that management. Continuity of stewardship, public programs, trail and site maintenance, and coordination with local volunteers and landowners depends on a staffed management post. Placing the position on county payroll may offer greater employment stability and standard county benefits for the person hired, while the Trust Board's continued funding preserves the board's role in shaping priorities for the reserve.

The restructuring underscores broader fiscal pressure on local and quasi-governmental bodies that support historic, conservation and public-recreation sites. When nonprofit or trust funding tightens, intergovernmental arrangements such as this can be a way to sustain essential positions without dissolving local programs. The Trust Board’s decision is an example of a local solution that blends Trust Board priorities with Island County administrative capacity.

What comes next for residents is a hiring process conducted under Island County employment rules while the Trust Board supplies the position's funding. Community members who follow reserve activities should watch for the county job posting and any Trust Board updates on how the new employment arrangement will affect reporting, duties and public services. The change aims to keep the Reserve Manager on the job during a period of constrained resources, preserving local stewardship and public access while officials work through the restructuring.