MILLER BAY — The Friends of Miller Bay is again looking to some of its strongest supporters, hoping they will offer a financial hand as the environmental group struggles to beat an impending deadline. Its efforts to preserve as much land around Miller Bay and Suquamish as possible have been backed since the group formed in 1989, and FOMB is now hoping for a little more assistance.
Over $37,000 is needed so FOMB can repay the county for property it purchased for the group in 2003. The purchase prevented the land from being sold to developers.
While FOMB was able to reimburse the county for 13 acres, it only has until October to pay for the remaining five, said FOMB President Dick D’Archangel.
“I think it’s coming in and that’s what we’re trying to do,” he said of checks being sent to the group. “We have a mailing going out to past contributors to tell them what we’re doing and appeal to them for help.”
FOMB is about $37,000 shy of the $273,000 goal, and while several fund-raisers were held recently, no more are planned before the October deadline, D’Archangel said. If the funds are not acquired in time, the county has agreed to work with the group to ensure the property isn’t lost to development. To that end, the county could extend the deadline or FOMB may borrow the funds needed to pay off the remaining loan.
“The bottom line is it’s part of a 50-acre preserve that would be fine for people to access,” said FOMB member and Suquamish Tribal Fisheries Biologist Paul Dorn. “The (Suquamish Tribe) will develop a future Cowling Creek salmon recovery center as part of the big push to continue educating efforts with Olympic College, North Kitsap High School and Suquamish Elementary.”
Schools regularly utilize the land as part of their educational offerings. For example, in March Suquamish Elementary students released chum fry they raised at their school. Older students also visit the Cowling Creek area to conduct water quality testing and environmental studies.
“There was a group of summer school students from the Suquamish learning center in there (July 17),” D’Archangel said. “They were learning about the forest. It was a math class, so they were measuring champion trees.”
Dorn said the property isn’t just for students. The green belt has plenty of trails and open space for walkers and bicyclists.
As a result, nature enthusiasts don’t have to go elsewhere in the county to stroll through a wildlife corridor, and he said he wants community members to know that.
“We want to make sure people get the tie in with nature,” Dorn said. “There are a lot of great programs out on the landscape, we want to make sure we have some type of those programs locally.”
