KINGSTON — The Kitsap Forest & Bay Project is nearing the end of an online campaign to “Save Grovers Creek Preserve” by raising money toward the purchase of more than 200 acres of ancient trees, wetlands, and salmon stream in North Kitsap County.
The campaign, which ends on May 29, can be found online at igg.me/at/SaveGroversCreek. With one day to go, $11,000 separates the Kitsap Forest & Bay Project from its goal of conserving this property on the west side of Puget Sound.
The online campaign is the last step in a multi-year fundraising effort that began in 2012, which has now raised more than $1.9 million. Funding has come from various sources, including state grants, Kitsap Forest & Bay partner organizations, and individual donations ranging in size from $10 to $200,000.
Kitsap Forest & Bay Project wrote in a campaign plea: “Not only is Grovers Creek Preserve a magical place of big trees and bears, it is a critical link in the future Sound to Olympics Trail that is envisioned to span the Kitsap Peninsula. With its location at the center of the Kitsap Forest & Bay Project, Grovers Creek Preserve is an important piece of the community’s dream for a regional trail, like Burke-Gilman Trail and Olympic Discovery Trail.”
“Imagine riding your bike from Kingston all the way to the Port Gamble Trails through the beautiful forests,” said Brian Kilpatrick, president of Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance, West Sound Chapter. “That’s the dream of our community. Linking our parks together with trails creates an unparalleled outdoor experience that will be lost if we don’t keep Grovers Creek from being developed.”
Evan Stoll, president of North Kitsap Trails Association, added, “Obtaining the Grovers Creek Preserve will achieve two meaningful goals — protecting an important wetland and providing for a critical regional trail route.”
“We really need the community’s help to make the Grovers Creek Preserve a reality,” said Sandra Staples-Bortner, executive director, Great Peninsula Conservancy. “We are so incredibly close to our goal. If funds fall short, we won’t be able to purchase the whole property.”
“Over the years, so many people have been supportive of the mission of the Kitsap Forest & Bay Project and expressed a desire to help,” said Sandra Bullock, president-elect of Kitsap Audubon Society. “We need those people now—any donation, of any size, helps and matters. We are grateful for it all.”
The Kitsap Forest & Bay Project is an effort by Kitsap County, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, Suquamish Tribe, Forterra, Great Peninsula Conservancy, Pope Resources, and many community partners to conserve 6,700 acres of forest and shoreline owned by Pope Resources around Port Gamble Bay. To date, the project has protected 1,100 acres in North Kitsap.
