Port Blakely Tree Farms LP and Kitsap County Commissioners recently announced that the county’s bid was selected for the purchase of Kitsap Tree Farm Tract No. 1, a 622-acre parcel of land connecting critical lands identified in two county studies.
   Using a competitive, “sealed-bid” auction process, Port Blakely offered this site and another area designated as Tract 2 surrounding Port Blakely’s planned community near Kitsap Lake. On March 22, the Board of Commissioners adopted a resolution that set into motion action leading to the acquisition of the property.
   The site consists of 31, 20-acre parcels, located .2 miles south of the intersection of the Seabeck Highway and Holly Road and 0.2 miles east of Wildcat Lake. It is adjacent to and immediately south of a DNR parcel slated to become the central Kitsap heritage park The acquisition will allow for a greatly extended trail network for the heritage park.
   It also contains about two miles of prime salmon habitat in Lost Creek and Wildcat Creek, two tributaries of Chico Creek, Kitsap County’s most productive salmon stream.
   The parcel aids biodiversity of plant and animal life by linking large forested areas. Kitsap County’s Chico Watershed Alternative Futures Planning Process identified this parcel as a regionally significant wildlife corridor for a wide variety of mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles
   Port Blakely has managed the tree farm for over 100 years. Funding for the purchase will come from conservation futures and grants from the Mountaineers Foundation and the Great Peninsula Conservancy. The Mountaineers and Conservancy, together with the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Seattle-based Cascade Land Conservancy, provided expertise that was crucial in formulating a realistic and successful bid.
   “The importance of preserving this property is demonstrated by the number and enthusiasm of partners stepping forward to help acquire this land,” said County Commissioner and Board Chair Patty Lent, in whose district the parcel is located.
   “This is the right thing to do,” added Commissioner Jan Angel. “I flew over this area a week ago to assess the property. It is a beautiful piece of land that needs to be preserved for generations of Kitsap residents.”
   Commissioner Chris Endresen stated, “Having the parcels already identified through two planning processes as important for preservation made all the difference and allowed us to strike quickly to prepare a bid. Citizens and staff members involved in those processes had a vision that these lands continue to serve as a wildlife corridor and as an outdoor recreation venue.”