Protecting the Kitsap Forest and Bay

The people in the community of Kitsap County, Washington have become increasingly concerned with a large area of land that has been considered for both residential and industrial development. These developments would pose a threat to the community’s drinking water, wildlife, and two of their priority salmon streams. The increasing size and need for industrialization of the area has caused issues with the community’s desire to retain the area’s natural landscape. The problem is so well known among the community that a community driven initiative known as the Kitsap Forest and Bay Project was formed to protect the shoreline and forest near the community, lining the Puget Sound.

 The Kitsap Forest and Bay Project has been working on raising enough money to acquire around 7,000 acres of forest and 1.8 miles of shoreline on the Kitsap Peninsula of Washington's Puget Sound. Recently, Kitsap County purchased 900 acres of land and 1.8 miles of forested shoreline for North Kitsap Heritage Park to protect the land from deforestation and devastation of the area’s natural resources. Although this is a huge step for the project, and a big accomplishment for the community, there is still a lot of land to be acquired if they want to reach their goal. A lot of the local government has shown huge amounts of support, both financial and representative, of the project. The community as a whole is in huge support of the project because of the benefits it will have for the area as well as tourism because of

hiking and biking trails that are already in existence around the park. Many mountain bikers, hikers, and equestrians have advocated for the conservation of the land not only because of the garnered area for activities, but also because of the money that the tourism to the forest and shoreline bring to local businesses. There are a lot of positive side effects to acquiring this land. Some of those being the protection of the area’s drinking water, the local wildlife population’s habitat, and two salmon streams on the land. The consequences of this project are little to none other than the possible loss of jobs and the relocation of possible building sites.

  "Kitsap Forest and Bay Coalition." Kitsap Forest and Bay Project. 23 Jan. 2013. Web. 27 Dec. 2014. <http://www.kitsapforestbay.org/default.htm>.

"900 Acres of Trails and Habitat Permanently Protected." Sys-con Media. Ulitzer, Inc., 5 Dec. 2014. Web. 27 Dec. 2014. <http://www.sys-con.com/node/3252833>.