Over 450 acres of forest land has been acquired by Great Peninsula Conservancy, completing a major piece of the historic Kitsap Forest & Bay preservation effort near the North Kitsap community of Port Gamble.
The Bremerton-based nonprofit announced the purchase of North Kitsap Divide Community Forest in a statement on Monday. Procuring this land parcel now ensures the forest is protected and managed by GPC as a conservation and recreational resource for Kitsap residents, according to the statement.
“In our 25-year history, this is the single largest land acquisition we’ve undertaken, marking a significant milestone in our organizational journey and a huge leap forward for regional conservation,” said Nathan Daniel, executive director of GPC, in a statement. “By protecting these 467 acres, we’re preserving critical wildlife habitat, creating a lasting legacy for Kitsap County, and demonstrating the power of collaborative conservation.”
This marks the final accumulation in the Kitsap Forest & Bay Project, creating a more than 5,000-acre wildlife corridor stretching from the Hood Canal to Puget Sound’s Central Basin. Also including a portion of the future route of the Puget Sound to Olympics Trail, which will bridge the Olympic Mountains to Sound Greenway, the statement said the Divide property and the trail will allow all generations to interact with nature. It will also be a part of the Great American Rail-Trail, a developing trail that is planned to span from Washington state to Washington, D.C. separate from existing routes accessed by vehicular traffic.
Related: New Stottlemeyer Trailhead opens at Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park
According to GPC’s statement, over 30 community groups have collaborated for 20 years to retain these lands to preserve their habitats, recreational capacities and cultural heritage. North Kitsap Heritage Park, Grovers Creek Preserve and Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park have also been acquired by the coalition.
Divide Forest and over 5,000 acres of land in North Kitsap was previously owned by national forest company Rayonier, which holds an office in Poulsbo — Raydient Places + Properties. Now owned by Kitsap County and GPC, an additional 800 acres was also sold to Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe to extend their reservation, the statement said.
“The creation of a 5,000-acre system of land and water trails that connects all of North Kitsapcommunities has had the additional benefit of eliminating over 250 residential lots throughout our rural areas while at the same time helping to augment North Kitsap’s tourism economy,” said Jon Rose, Raydient’s VP of Real Estate, in a statement.
Background: Plans for Port Gamble Heritage Park coming into focus
To purchase the $6.34 million property, grants from additional forest conservation programs, donations from the community and a loan from the Washington Opportunity Fund were utilized. Letters of support were written by nearby tribes such as Suquamish Tribe, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe and Skokomish Indian Tribe.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony is being planned by GPC for spring of 2025 as well as hosting meetings open to the community to discuss management of the forest and potential development of trails. More information about the nonprofit’s work and events can be found on their website.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Port Gamble forest project secures latest land acquisition
