Round a couple of turns, down a paved to gravel then dusty road, out of the truck and over mounds of dirt on foot, opened a trail only known to officials allowed through these private lands. Within minutes, your eyes look upon the splendor of old growth forest, eagles nests, pristine landscape with naturally flowing creeks and the fresh remains of a bear’s den… its inhabitants sighted just days ago.

“It’s hard to believe we’re just 2 miles south of the Silverdale mall,” quipped Morgan Johnson, General Manager of the Silverdale Water District.

Johnson knows that having control of these tens of acres for the watershed will also preserve a very rich ecological treasure for future generations. Providing a learning center and interpretive environment for the property is an idea that he has nurtured for some time.

At the invitation of forester, Kitsap Trees founding member, and “Champion Tree Chaser” Jim Trainer, a group convened at the water district office to explore some ideas and possible funding options.

23rd District Representative and Democratic candidate for state Senator Phil Rockefeller, Trainer, Silverdale Water District staff member Tim Knapp, Johnson, Grant-Solutions’ Kathleen and Luis Barrantes poured over maps while Johnson offered a brief history of the area and water resources.

“These trees could tell some stories,” remarked Trainer as the group continued to hike through the stretch of prime forest habitat past 300-500 year-old Douglas fir and Western red cedars. Trainer pointed out where two young eagles were born just weeks ago. He then made a difficult climb to an access point with Barrantes to photograph one of the largest species discovered on an earlier survey.

Johnson connected the history with other features of the property, “This dam was here since the ‘20s and there hasn’t been salmon other than a few stray Coho even before then. You know that the Casad Dam was named after the same engineer that created it.”

“It was here that I found a rare western red pond turtle walking down the road a year and a half ago,” Johnson said of the find that landed him in the newspapers and scientists still wondering how it got there. “It probably left to look for its almost extinct mate,” chuckled one of the group.

With the mention of cougar in the area, Rockefeller recalled, “Animal issues are difficult to resolve… there is often a lot of pain on both sides.”

Rockefeller, who also serves as vice chair of the State House Agriculture & Natural Resources, and Transportation Committees, is known for finding balance between infrastructure and recovery needs, environmental quality and water resources, and other tough issues that have engaged stakeholders at all levels. He has held better than 73 percent pro-conservation voting records with the Washington Conservation Voters since 1999.

Combined with other possible acquisitions, easements, or protection of adjacent wetland properties, the Silverdale Water District and partners project could involve up to 110 acres of refuge and open space, low-impact walking trails, learning center and viewpoints for ADA access.

On the other side of the spectrum, the Fred Hill Materials company invited the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group to tour its Shine Pit gravel mining site and learn about the proposed Pit-to-Pier project. While the HCSEG is a 501(c)(3) and will not endorse or legally oppose the project, it has had many recovery projects throughout the Hood Canal and remains interested in the outcome or effect of this project.

The group was lead through a presentation by Fred Hill representatives Dan Baskins, former building industry lobbyist, and Doug Weese, former newspaper publisher, and then taken on an extensive tour of the facility.

Fred Hill recycles thousands of tons of concrete per year, uses less than 5,000 gallons per day of water, and generates no waste to the receiving waters in the area. It claims to support beach nourishment with its own supply of prime gravel and that by the year 2007, U.S. ships visiting these ports will contain treatment systems in their ballast to prevent contamination and introduction of foreign species.

However, in this author’s opinion, the company could not demonstrate “no net impact” to the resource given the nature of the proposed operations. There were plenty of references to the needs of our society and there being “other pristine areas” to protect on this planet.

Is the question then whether we should “take one for the team” or that the Hood Canal can sustain any impacts for more than a decade until the gravel operations are completed and the area is replanted? I think science and recent historic fishing closures have proven that the time for protection of this precious resource is already overdue.

Nevertheless, given the needs as expressed by Baskins and Weese, will our demands for this commodity cost us prudent protections in favor of cheaper product? I am reminded of an old ad that read, “It wasn’t the Exxon Valdez captain’s driving that caused the Alaskan oil spill. It was yours. ~Greenpeace advertisement, New York Times, 25 February 1990.