Eleven square miles.

That’s how much of public open space North Kitsap stands to gain if a deal between the county and Pope Resources goes through. It would leave the North End with an embarrassment of park space. All the other parks in Kitsap County combined would fit inside the open space set aside north of Poulsbo.

Meanwhile, a new development would transform Port Gamble into the thriving town it hasn’t been for decades.

On paper, the plan looks downright dreamy. In reality, it could be a nightmare to pull off.

County Commissioner Steve Bauer and Olympic Property Group President Jon Rose will have perform a balancing act on a massive scale while juggling a thousand details.

In Port Gamble, development will have to be weighed against the impact to the environment and public utilities. The county will allowing a high-density development in exchange for some of the open space.

But even the land granted to the county will come with the high cost of upkeep.

The county will use a forestry management program to cover those costs and perhaps bring new revenue to Parks and Recreation. The selective harvesting program would be modeled off one already used successfully at Naval Base Kitsap, Bangor. Still, it will be untested new ground for the county.

What’s most encouraging is that Bauer and Rose are seeking involvement early. They’ve been making the rounds of business and environmental groups to discuss the plan and will be presenting it to advisory council meetings in Kingston and Hansville in February (see a box on page 1). Attendance at those presentations should be mandatory for North End residents.

Bauer needs to hear support for the plan. He also needs to know how much we are willing to compromise to keep open space open.