Protection Island - it is "for the birds"

PROTECTION ISLAND Protection Island is that island most residents of greater Diamond Point have seen. The island is off limits to practically everyone. It is itself protected. The island got its name from the fact that it protected the beautiful bay beyond it. Early Spanish and English visited the island and it was long used by the British navy as a source for replacements for damaged masts and spars on their sailing ships. The local natives decided that the lack of drinking water was a drawback but they would visit the island to hunt and gather berries and then leave. The white man tried to develop the island from 1861 until 1868 but could not solve the water problem. Man used and abused the island for years. Farming, a research laboratory, a part of coastal defense, a hunting preserve are just a few of the activities tried to make economic use of the island. In 1982 The island was declared a National Wildlife Refuge. More than 70% of the entire seabird population of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound are born here. The island is constantly bombarded by wind and there is a constant din created by the gulls. Protection Island is "for the birds", seals, and other wildlife.Boats cannot come closer to the island than 200 yards and aircraft no closer than 2,000 feet. There is no public access. U.S Fish and Wildlife has the responsibility to maintain this National Wildlife Refuge.