Kitsap Environmental Coalition

Friends, forests and photography

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 03:42:23 GMT

Why I like to walk is a physical, social and creative process.

Going on Native Plant walks (forest bathing) with my friends is something I look forward to weekly. Taking photos of the flowers, trees , ferns, mosses and lichens is my greatest joy, besides spending time with my grandsons.

I love to walk in the Heritage Forests around Kitsap County and photograph the beauty we find. Being in nature with like minded people fills my cup! We are learning from and supporting each other, meeting new people and getting exercise all in a few hours; it's good for the mind and body.

That's Why We Walk!

Susan

Trails in North Kitsap

We want to hear from you, we invite you to share your stories about the places in Kitsap that mean the most to you. It could be your favorite walk on a park trail, discovering something amazing when you least expected it, or just pausing to breathe deeply. We'll select and post new stories each week. By submitting your story and photos you are giving KEC permission to post them on our website, newsletter and social media.

Kitsap Bioblitz 2026 | April 24-27

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 19:21:30 GMT

Bringing the world together for biodiversity

April 24-27, 2026

The City Nature Challenge (CNC) is an annual four-day event where people around the world use iNaturalist to document the plants, animals, fungi, and other wildlife living in their cities and neighborhoods. 2026 marks the 11th year of the CNC!

Every observation becomes real biodiversity data , used by researchers, land managers, and policymakers to understand and protect nature worldwide.

> Wherever you bioblitz in Kitsap, it is critically important to help protect our amazing natural wonders, whether feather, fur, insect, leaf, flower or fungi, by keeping their habitats intact.

> You can help keep our natural habitats healthy by letting our county and municipal officials know what these places mean to you. Perhaps share your bioblitz discovery?

> Email:

County Commissioners Rolfes, Walters & Root ( crolfes@kitsap.gov , kwalters@kitsap.gov , oroot@kitsap.gov )
KC Parks Director Wisnieski - parks@kitsap.gov , AWisniewski@kitsap.gov
Bainbridge Mayor Moriwaki - cmoriwaki@bainbridgewa.gov
Bainbridge Parks & Rec Director Hamlin - dan@biparks.org
Poulsbo Mayor Stern - estern@cityofpoulsbo.com
Poulsbo Parks & Rec Director Ozimek - jozimek@cityofpoulsbo.com

Kitsap County is participating in 7 locations:

Join one or several bioblitz events in Kitsap County between April 24-27 to observe and record natural organisms to help better understand the biodiversity of our area. You can still participate in the bioblitz even if your favorite area isn't listed below.
Learn more.

Clear Creek Trail (GPC & Kitsap Audubon)
When: Saturday, April 25, 9am-11am
Meet: Clear Creek Trailhead at Silverdale Rotary Gateway Park, 11601 Silverdale Way NW, Silverdale
Registration

Muriel Iverson Williams Waterfront Park (Poulsbo Parks & Rec)
When: Saturday, April 25, 11am-12:30pm
Meet: South End Picnic Area, 18809 Anderson Pkwy, Poulsbo

Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park (Kitsap County Parks and Kitsap Environmental Coalition)
When: Saturday, April 25, 10am-12pm
Meet: Bluff Trailhead/Bayview Parking Area, Kingston

Carpenter Creek (GPC)
When: Saturday, April 25, 10am-12pm
Meet: Pavilion at Village Green Community Center, 26159 Dulay Rd NE, Kingston

Manzanita Park and Manzanita Ridge (BIMPRD and BILT)
When: Saturday, April 25, 1pm-4pm
Meet: Manzanita Park Rd Parking Area, Bainbridge Island
Registration

Bloedel Reserve
When: Sunday, April 26, 10am-1pm
Meet: 7571 NE Dolphin Dr, Bainbridge Island

IslandWood
When: Sunday, April 26, 1pm-5pm
Meet: 4450 Blakely Ave NE, Bainbridge Island

Book Worms - Book Club

Mon, 20 Apr 2026 15:51:02 GMT

Nature and Environment Book Club

Love learning about the natural world? Want to read some great books and connect with your community? In partnership with Kitsap Environmental Coalition, GPC is starting a book club! We’ll be reading nature-focused non-fiction, and meeting at the Clear Creek Interpretive Center to talk about what we’ve read together. Join us for this interest meeting to get acquainted with each other, share book recommendations, and vote on our inaugural title! We’ll provide coffee and tea for you to enjoy!

Contact: Reach out to GPC’s Community Stewardship Fellow, Katie Jackson, with any questions ( katie@greatpeninsula.org ).

Why do we like to walk?

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 04:58:58 GMT

Why do we like to walk —especially outdoors, in nature? What draws us into the woods, to where the wild things are? Is it the quiet—the chance to still our minds from the constant noise that surrounds us? Or is it that, when we become quiet ourselves, we begin to hear a different kind of sound?

In the woods, there is the call of birds to one another, the rustle of leaves in the wind, the soft gurgle of water moving downslope. These sounds don’t compete; they invite attention. A walk in the woods allows the mind to settle. It can be purposeful and grounding—you can feel virtuous, even, knowing you are doing what doctors and self-help articles recommend: moving your body, getting fresh air, engaging in gentle exercise.

And yet, at the same time, you are letting go. Your mind relaxes, even as it becomes more attentive to what matters. It is the wildness of the place—the absence of control, the presence of life on its own terms—that makes the experience so restorative.

Martha

Trail near North Kitsap Heritage Park

CROAK! A first-hand intro to amphibian monitoring

Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:20:54 GMT

On a beautiful (chilly!) morning, I joined citizen scientists at Islandwood on Bainbridge Island to shadow a group of CROAK (Community Research on Amphibians of Kitsap) program participants. I learned about their work monitoring amphibian activity in bodies of water on the Islandwood campus.

Armed with waders and buckets of tools and instruments, these volunteers are part of a broader amphibian monitoring program led by the Woodland Park Zoo . Since 2012, this program – consisting of approximately 100 volunteers – has monitored 17 sites for evidence of breeding amphibians. Volunteers log data in the Amphibians of Washington project on iNaturalist , where project curators verify the observations. These observations help program administrators understand where our local amphibians are – and aren’t – breeding across the region.

During our outing, teams were divided between two locations and set out looking for amphibian egg masses. This time of year, they expect to find masses for red-legged frogs, Pacific treefrogs, rough-skinned newts, long-toed salamanders, and more. Using very bright flashlights, scouts looked along the shoreline for signs of masses, while others donned waders and braved the cold water in the name of science. While one location didn’t garner any amphibian egg mass observations that day (perhaps due to higher than normal water levels at the site?), the other was a treasure trove - egg masses were visible along the shoreline every few feet, and kept the team busy gathering the needed information and measurements.

The group will continue to monitor the egg masses they’ve found as they mature, and log future ones. They’ll also keep an eye out for other animal clues that reflect a healthy ecosystem - like the presence of birds of prey, or beaver sign on nearby logs.

The outing was so informative, that I couldn’t wait to head home and explore the pond at my home to see what I could find. Sure enough, my family and I found multiple egg masses using the tips that I’d learned. They appear to be long-toed salamander eggs, and we look forward to watching them grow in the coming weeks.

Does this sound like fun to you?

Great! KEC is working with the Islandwood team to identify possible observation sites within the peninsula. If you’d like to get involved, let us know .

4.19.26 KECP: Dark Skies - Why it matters

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 16:57:08 GMT

Join KEC in April as Dark Sky Advocates explain why dark skies are important to the health of humans, wildlife, and the climate.

A panel of community members will join the Advocates to talk about how you can participate in research to support bird migration and track light pollution.

Details:

Date: Sunday, April 19 2026

Time: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Where: The Village Green - 26159 Dulay Rd Ne | Kingsto n

Flyer: Download, print and share

Refreshments and kids crafts will be available. Bring a favorite treat to share, and consider bringing a food donation for Fishline and ShareNet ( List of most needed items ).

Learn more about the efforts of Dark Skies to reduce light pollution:

Wh at is light pollution?

Light pollution is the human-made alteration of outdoor light levels from those occurring naturally.

What are the effects?

Light pollution disrupts wildlife , impacts human well-being , wastes money and energy, contributes to climate change , and blo cks our view of the universe .

Thank You! KGG 2026

Wed, 18 Mar 2026 20:54:21 GMT

Thank You! For showing your support during this year’s Kitsap Great Give! Your donations provide education and advocacy to help people and nature thrive in balance with each other and Keep Kitsap Green . Though the Kitsap Great Give is over, donations to our Coalition are always welcome and appreciated. Learn more about how you can support KEC.

We'll continue to work hard and with care and wisdom to show all our supporters that we are worthy of your generosity.

Thanks for your support from the whole team at Kitsap Environmental Coalition!

Nature Lovers Challenge is ON!

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 01:26:01 GMT

It's official - we've met our first matching funds Challenge - The Mother Tree , for $1000!

And now the Nature Lovers Challenge is on, for another $500 in matching funds! You can also participate in the hourly challenges - donate to meet each $100 challenge between noon and 10 p.m. and your contribution will be matched at 100%. Today, your generosity goes twice as far toward helping us advocate for our shared vision - a County where people and nature thrive in balance with each other. Your donation is also eligible for the Kitsap Great Give 5% bonus through end of day today.

Don't miss this opportunity to double your impact by donating now!

Thanks for your support from the whole team at Kitsap Environmental Coalition!

Today is the day: Donate to KEC and Keep Kitsap Green

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:59:52 GMT

Thank you to those that have already taken part in this year's Kitsap Great Give . We've set an ambitious goal this year - to raise $15,000 to further our efforts to Keep Kitsap Green through advocacy and education.

On behalf of the KEC Board, I'm happy to share that all Kitsap Environmental Coalition donations up to the first $1,000 will be matched at 100% the "Mother Tree Challenge". A "Nature Lovers Challenge" of $500 follows afterward. You can also participate in the hourly challenges - donate to meet each $100 challenge between noon and 10 p.m. and your contribution will be matched at 100%. Today, your generosity goes twice as far toward helping us advocate for our shared vision - a County where people and nature thrive in balance with each other. Your donation is also eligible for the Kitsap Great Give 5% bonus through end of day today.

Thank you for your support of KEC!

David Onstad

President, Kitsap Environmental Coalition

Kitsap Great Give starts March 1st!

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 20:09:19 GMT

Thank you to the many of you who supported KEC over the winter months — your generosity truly brightened the season. Now, we ask everyone to join the Kitsap Great Give , which starts March 1st .

In 2026, we will push for stronger advocacy and expanded environmental education, including KEC Presents events featuring the “Dark Skies” project, discussing protection of nighttime habitat and migration routes, and a deep dive into Kitsap’s water issues. More to come on these and other opportunities, made possible by your generosity.

Please consider a donation to Kitsap Environmental Coalition by March 10 to take advantage of the Kitsap Great Give 5% bonus . Thank you for your support of KEC’s volunteers and our shared vision - a County where people and nature thrive in balance with each other.

David Onstad

President, Kitsap Environmental Coalition

3.15.26 KECP: Stewardship begins at home - Sustainability

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 03:05:39 GMT

KEC continues the "Stewardship begins at home" series, offering actionable ways to support a healthy ecosystem in your own backyard. On March 15 , a full agenda features a variety of speakers with a focus on sustainability, including the following topics:

Jessee Adams and Grace Personeus from the Kitsap Conservation District will share how they work with private landowners to empower them to conserve natural resources by providing technical assistance, grants, and educational opportunities. Find out about program offerings with a special focus on native plants, and the Backyard Habitat and Rain Garden Programs.
Caitlyn Newman , from the Kitsap Public Works Solid Waste Department will explore what happens to your waste after it leaves your home, how Kitsap County and Washington State are working to reduce waste, and practical tips to reduce waste in your daily life.
Artist Steve Portteus will speak to his multi-media creations that depict the landscapes, seascapes, and details of the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

Details:

Date: Sunday, March 15 2026

Time: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Where: The Village Green - 26159 Dulay Rd Ne | Kingsto n

Flyer: Download, print and share

Refreshments and kids crafts will be available. Bring a favorite treat to share, and consider bringing a food donation for Fishline and ShareNet ( List of most needed items )

A message from KEC President, David Onstad

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 03:09:22 GMT

Thank you for your enthusiastic support of the Coalition, our natural world, and the work of protecting it. You all inspire me to remain focused on tangible solutions.

2.15.26 KECP: Replay available - Stewardship begins at home

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:12:33 GMT

Watch the replay:

In February, KEC Presents begins a "Stewardship begins at home" series, offering actionable ways to support a healthy ecosystem in your own backyard.

Join us at the Village Green on February 15 as speakers Dana Bressette , Plant Production Manager at Woodbrook Native Plant Nursery, and Jo Stormer , owner of Nobody Nursery, share their extensive knowledge about native plants, benefits of native plants to local ecosystems, and how to incorporate them into your home landscape. The presentation will also feature information about backyard ponds, presented by KEC's resident frogman, Tom Doty .

Details:

Date: Sunday, February 15 2026

Time: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Where: The Village Green - 26159 Dulay Rd Ne | Kingsto n

Refreshments and kids crafts will be available. Bring a favorite treat to share, and consider bringing a food donation for Fishline and ShareNet ( List of most needed items )

Additional information about our speakers:

Dana Bressette holds a bachelor of science degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Washington State University and a master of science degree in Urban Horticulture from the University of Washington’s Center for Urban Horticulture. She is the Plant Production Manager and Sales Consultant at Woodbrook Native Plant Nursery in Gig Harbor.

Jo Stormer owns Nobody Nursery ("Nobody grows that"), a small native plant nursery building biodiversity by specializing in species that are otherwise commercially-unavailable, on spuyaləpabš (Puyallup) land in Des Moines, WA. His passion for growing native, often hard (impossible?) to find native plants began during a rough patch of his life, during which, he spent time alone on wild land and began foraging. Working as a gardener specializing in native plants, he grew increasingly frustrated with the lack of native biodiversity available to purchase, so he began to grow these special plants - because nobody else is!

Tom Doty is a member of the KEC Board and holds a B.S. degree in biology (cum laude) from Kent State University followed by a Ph.D. in biological sciences from the University of Rhode Island. Throughout his career, his studies and professional work focused on amphibian populations, marine mammals, and on the role of habitat specifically as it relates to these sensitive creatures.

Op-Ed: Why Kitsap County Can't Stop Sprawling

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 22:21:25 GMT

Author Travis Merrigan of The Urbanist explores the history of Kitsap's development plans over recent decades and highlights failures to prevent suburban sprawl.

In this op-ed piece Merrigan encourages, "It’s not too late for Kitsap County to bend the curve on forest destruction, traffic growth and sprawl, and build the walkable communities that 30 years of Comprehensive Plans have called for. But it must break with the status quo of prioritizing rural subdivisions above concentrated development.”

Read the article and join the discussion

KECP: EarthViews Conservation Society | 1.18.26

Mon, 29 Dec 2025 15:48:36 GMT

Join us for the first KEC Presents of 2026 with a deep dive into an incredible tool that gives a first-hand look at our local waterways.

Join us at the Village Green on January 18 as speaker Brian Footen , co-founder of EarthViews Conservation Society shares how their organization created the interactive visual and scientific documentation of over 2,700 miles of Puget Sound coastline by kayak and skiff. He'll answer your questions and share how you can get involved with this important work.

Details:

Date: Sunday, January 18, 2026

Time: 3:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Where: The Village Green - 26159 Dulay Rd Ne | Kingsto n

Flier: Download, print, and share

Refreshments and kids crafts will be available. Bring a favorite treat to share, and consider bringing a food donation for Fishline and ShareNet ( List of most needed items )

Additional information about our speaker:

Brian Footen is an environmental scientist, expedition leader, and conservation advocate based in the Pacific Northwest. He holds dual Master of Science degrees in Fisheries (University of Washington) and Environmental Studies (The Evergreen State College). For more than two decades, Brian worked with tribal nations and state and federal agencies conducting salmon recovery research across Western Washington.

EarthViews Conservation Society , established in 2016, aims to address the urgent need for visual and scientific documentation of imperiled waterways. As Expedition Lead, Brian, along with colleagues, surveyed over 2,700 miles of Puget Sound shoreline by kayak and skiff, capturing 360° imagery every 30 feet and recording continuous water-quality data. This publicly available mapping effort, now being replicated under Washington State law (SB 5104), remains one of the most comprehensive nearshore documentation campaigns in U.S. history.

Featured artist: John Abromowski

Beginning this month, KEC Presents will also feature a local artist inspired by nature. This month, John Abromowski and his work will be featured during the event. John's black and white photography aims to showcase underdeveloped natural areas that portray tranquility, beauty, and solitude in the hopes that sharing these areas may help to preserve them.

Below, John shares his passion for bearing witness to the spaces we love in his piece titled "Quiet Places".

Quiet Places

Some folks need to see the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone or Yosemite to appreciate the greatness of nature. I find beauty and a connection to the greater world in the everyday ponds, streams and other wetlands within my community. The immediate natural world around me is a community of life to which I am a part. These lands sustain me, and my love and respect for them is an extension of my moral values. Wetlands purify water and sustain biodiversity, yet wetlands continue to disappear worldwide. Walking along our rivers and through our waterways allows me to connect with the other creatures in my community. It is also soothing—a great relief in today’s world. These are the places I go to sit and reflect about the world, to re-energize. From the gurgling of a stream to the peeping of a frog to watching a fish thrash upstream, getting outside improves my mood. I believe that the wild lands in my community and their keeping of diverse and abundant flora and fauna are essential to the quality of all of our lives. I hope my actions give some voice to the frogs and the birds and the rushing streams, which may provide us with wonderful melodies, but lack a voice in their own protection. I hope to add to the evidence that these places must be saved for our children and for us. I worry that if our wetlands go away, then some day soon, we will, too. Capturing imagery of these sites is my way to share their beauty with others and it is my hope that one would feel relaxation and begin to contemplate the beauty of the “Quiet Places”.

John Abromowski

jabromowskiphoto@gmail.com

State of our Forests and Public Lands

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 04:31:25 GMT

From Washington Conservation Action

The 10th annual " State of Our Forests and Public Lands " is a 56-page report by Washington Conservation Action (WCA), evaluating the progress of the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Commissioner of Public Lands (CPL) Dave Upthegrove during his first year in office (2024-2025). It highlights key achievements, challenges, and opportunities in managing Washington’s forests, aquatic lands, and rangelands.

Grades at a Glance

A two-page summary, beginning with Methology and color-coded Assessment of Progress. Green = SUCCESS , Gold = WORK IN PROGRESS , Brown = NEEDS IMPROVEMENT .

Grades at a Glance PDF

Key Highlights:

Leadership Transition : Dave Upthegrove was elected CPL in 2024, promising conservation, environmental justice, and Tribal co-management. His administration has taken initial steps to modernize DNR’s approach to managing natural resources.
Mature Forest Conservation : Upthegrove paused logging of mature forests and announced the conservation of 77,000 acres of older, structurally complex forests. However, implementation challenges and continued logging of some older forests remain concerns.
Wildfire Resilience : DNR launched new programs like Community Wildfire Ambassadors and supported updates to wildfire protection plans. However, wildfire resilience funding was cut significantly, threatening progress.
Beneficial Fire : DNR set a goal of 100,000 acres of prescribed fire annually but lacks a clear plan and sufficient funding to achieve this target.
Forest Health : Progress has been made in treating 1.1 million acres under the 20-Year Forest Health Strategic Plan, but broadcast burning remains underutilized.
Carbon Sequestration : DNR has not yet developed a statewide strategy to enhance carbon storage in forests, leaving a gap in Washington’s climate strategy.
State Trust Lands : DNR has not fully integrated public benefits into state trust land management, despite legal obligations affirmed by the CNW v. Franz decision. Sustainable Harvest Calculations (SHC) are delayed, and the agency has yet to optimize for ecological and social values.
Adaptive Management Program (AMP) : Progress was made in securing funding and adopting the Type Np riparian buffer rule to protect stream temperatures. However, the water typing rule fell short of its objectives , and DNR’s leadership in addressing stakeholder trust is needed.
Aquatic Lands : DNR made progress in removing pollution, protecting kelp and eelgrass, and restoring aquatic habitats. The upcoming Aquatic Strategic Plan is an opportunity to formalize these efforts.
Clean Energy : No new clean energy leases were signed, but DNR is shifting toward more inclusive and environmentally reviewed development. Community Benefits Agreements and equity metrics are still lacking.
Environmental Justice : The Office of Environmental Justice, Equity, and Civil Rights was elevated within DNR, but staffing and budget constraints have slowed progress. Embedding environmental justice across all divisions remains a priority.
Tribal Relations : DNR has strengthened engagement with Tribes, including transferring forestland through the Trust Land Transfer program. However, more work is needed to expand Tribal co-management and leadership within the agency.

Legislative Outcomes:

Passed : Prescribed Fire Claims Fund (HB 1563) to support prescribed and cultural burns.

Funded : Carbon sequestration in mature forests ($23M), Adaptive Management Program ($2.8M), derelict structure removal ($2M), and Trust Land Transfer ($16.9M for Tribal land transfers).

Underfunded : Wildfire risk reduction funding fell short of the $125M biennial commitment, receiving only $60M.

KECP: Winter Solstice | 12.21.2025

Sat, 06 Dec 2025 03:37:18 GMT

KEC Presents
Celebrate Winter Solstice with KEC

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

WHEN: Sunday, December 21, 2025 - 3-5 pm

WHERE: Kingston Village Green Community Center

26159 Dulay Road NE, Kingston, WA 98346

SNACKS: Share your favorites (cookies, desserts)

FOOD DONATION : Please bring a food donation for Fishline and ShareNet ( List of most needed items )

FLYER : Download and share

PROGRAM:

Reading passages from your favorite books of this year

Everyone is invited to bring their favorite books, and read a passage aloud

Appreciating Nature

Bring an item from nature that is special to you, for our display table

Making something festive

Create a mini-wreath of fir boughs, cones and forest finds

Entering for a door prize

To win a beautiful figured maple box handcrafted by our very own Tom Doty

Winter Solstice is a powerful reminder of Earth’s natural rhythms. The tilt of our planet’s axis causes the Sun to reach its lowest point in the sky for the Northern Hemisphere, creating the longest night and shortest day. Across cultures, this moment has symbolized reflection, renewal, and the promise of light returning, marking a turning point in the year that connects us to both nature and the cycles of time.

Let’s take this time to gather together and reflect on our place in this world, in these times, and how to create the future we want.

Stories that have inspired us…

Braiding Sweetgrass, The Cougar Conundrum, The Signature of All Things, Conservation Confidential, Real Gardens Grow Natives, The Trees are Speaking, Horizon, Landmarks, The Dharma Bums, Underland, Water Always Wins, Downriver, Night Magic, Earth for All, The Treeline, Nature’s Best Hope, Crossings, Nature’s Temples, Smokescreen, Eager, Homewaters, Sand County Almanac, Desert Solitude, The Light Eaters, The Giving Tree...

Share what speaks to you ( send us your list ) and read a short passage to us as we gather for Solstice.

Kitsap Farmers Fighting Hunger

Fri, 21 Nov 2025 06:04:55 GMT

Here's a way to help local farmers and Kitsap residents suffering from cutbacks in food programs.

From our friends Kitsap Conservation District and WSU Kitsap Extension :

Supporting farmers, nourishing neighbors

Together, we can make an immediate impact.

Hunger is rising in Kitsap County—more than 22,000 people in our community rely on food assistance, and that number is growing rapidly. Fresh, local food is essential to food banks throughout the county, but the funding that makes it available has been cut. USDA programs that once allowed food banks to buy produce from local farms have been abruptly ended, leaving farmers and families in a critical gap.

Yet a solution is here: dozens of local farmers in Kitsap County have the resources and the dedication to provide fresh food to those in need. But they can’t do it alone.

That’s why local farmers have come together with WSU Kitsap Extension and Kitsap Conservation District to launch the Kitsap Farmers Fighting Hunger campaign.

Through this partnership, community donations to the WSU Foundation directly fund the purchase of local produce for food banks.

Every dollar supports farmers, feeds our neighbors, and strengthens our local food system.

Give Today

KEC Presents: Green Mountain Summit | Recap

Sat, 08 Nov 2025 19:33:13 GMT

KEC Presents

Green Mountain Summit : Preserving Critical Habitat

Event recap and resources

Thank you to those that joined the December 7 KEC Presents: Green Mountain Summit. Please complete a brief survey to share your feedback about the event.

For more information about Green Mountain and how you can help protect the remaining forests please visit Legacy Forest Defense Coalition - Green Mountain .

Watch the recording:

 View slides (pdf):

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

WHEN: Sunday, December 7, 2025 - 3-5 pm

WHERE: Bremerton Public Works Conference Room

1 00 Oyster Bay Ave N., Bremerton 98312

SPEAKER:

Joshua Wright

Programs Director, Legacy Forest Defense Coalition

POSTER: Download and Share

Joshua Wright is an award-winning filmmaker and a youth forest activist, working for the preservation of the more than human world. He works as the Program Director of the Legacy Forest Defense Coalition and leads our work in Southeast Alaska. In British Columbia, he uses satellite imagery to track the logging of endangered old-growth forests and works with lead researchers to protect endangered species living in threatened old growth forests. He was a part of the Fairy Creek Blockade which facilitated the largest active civil disobedience in Canadian history. Joshua lives in rural Mason County and has been involved with group groups, including Mason County Climate Justice, Fridays For Future Namibia and Extinction Rebellion.

Please join the Kitsap Environmental Coalition, the Legacy Forest Defense Coalition (LFDC) and Bremerton City Councilor Anna Mockler in a discussion about the steps needed to protect WA Dept. of Natural Resources trust lands near Green Mountain in central Kitsap County. Joshua Wright of LFDC will describe the natural areas, explain the current political situation, and present ideas that concerned citizens can use to protect the environment for future generations.

Year of the Rural - Public Hearing | 11.10.2025

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 18:32:58 GMT

On November 10, 5:30pm , the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners is holding a public hearing on the Year of the Rural documents. This is the portion of the Kitsap County Comprehensive Plan specifically related to Rural and Resource Lands Use.

Kitsap’s rural nature is the reason many of us have made it our home. The preservation and quality of our county’s rural character cannot be taken for granted in these times of rapid change.

Yesterday, KEC leaders submitted the attached comments in preparation for the public hearing. We urge others to submit comments through the comment form and/or to make a comment at the public hearing. Feel free to draw on the attached letter for ideas or raise other issues of importance to you. You can attend the public hearing in person or by Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89632189186

By phone, dial 1-253-215-8782; Webinar ID: 896 3218 9186.

PDF of Letter

Year of the Rural - KEC Letter to Board of Commissioners

November 5, 2025

TO: Kitsap Board of County Commissioners

FROM: Kitsap Environmental Coalition (KEC)

RE: Comments on Kitsap County Year of the Rural Documents for BOCC Public Hearing

The Kitsap Environmental Coalition (KEC), as a key stakeholder, has carefully reviewed the draft Rural and Resource Lands (R&RL) Chapter and the Reclassification Requests Staff Report , with particular attention to environmental considerations.

We thank Heather Cleveland for her leadership in organizing the County’s outreach, which has enabled community participation in this critical process. Below are KEC’s overarching comments and recommendations.

Rural and Resource Lands (R&RL) Chapter. We appreciate the Planning Commission’s additions to the R&RL chapter in response to public input (Goal 17; Policy 13.5; and Strategy 12.a).We build on their work with important enhancements that can significantly strengthen environmental protection, climate resilience, and sustainability in Kitsap County.

1. Wildlife corridors and habitat connectivity: In addition to the inclusion of Goal 17 to address wildlife corridors and habitat connectivity, we urge careful consideration of the differing needs of species and the complexities of maintaining functional corridors.

2. Protect Critical Areas: We urge the following enhancements to support the Critical Areas Ordinance.

a. Wetlands and stream protection: Update County mapping of wetlands and streams to include their protective buffers – as the City of Poulsbo has done with their mapping of fish-bearing stream buffers . Display of buffers on the Parcel Search tool would accurately inform prospective builders of CAO restrictions. Such maps also help correlation of wildlife corridors.

b. Water quality and quantity: The new Policy 13.5, which calls for identifying and protecting natural areas contributing to aquifer recharge, is essential to safeguarding both water quality and water quantity. Recommendation: Revise the Rural Character Definition to reference both water quality and quantity, as the current language includes only water quality.

3. Non-motorized transportation (Strategy 12.a): We commend the greater attention to safe non-motorized travel in rural areas (Strategy 12.a) and recommend an added emphasis on connecting communities to promote accessibility, safety, and social cohesion.

4. Support local agriculture: Establish and maintain a strong Agricultural Advisory Council to advise the County on policies and codes that include ensuring a resilient local food system in the face of changing climate conditions. (Note that we have not submitted comments on Agricultural Codes, as we believe it is first essential to establish an Agricultural Advisory Council, which should then play a central role in code development and revisions.)

5. Support best available science use: Promote forestry and agricultural practices grounded in Best Available Science, that support long-term land and forest health and climate resilience.

Reclassification Requests. KEC reviewed the Staff Report on the three reclassification requests with focus on environmental impacts, legal mandates, and consistency with the Kitsap County Code (KCC). We considered factors including past permit denials, public input, and the multiple criteria required under two KCC sections.

While we recognize that reclassifications may sometimes be appropriate, the County Code requires that all criteria be met—a standard these requests do not fulfill. The burden of proof lies with the applicant and they have not met that burden of proof. Thus, we oppose the proposed reclassification requests.

We also recommend the BOCC:

1. Establish Clear Guidance for Future Applications
Require applicants to address environmental conditions explicitly and demonstrate full compliance with the Critical Areas Ordinance.

2. Ensure Transparency and Public Engagement
Announce the next application period for rezone and land designation requests well in advance to allow meaningful public participation.

We appreciate the Planning Commission’s dedication to the Year of the Rural review, though we note their limited time and data hindered a thorough evaluation of the reclassification requests.

Implementation and Ongoing Review. Once the R&RL Chapter is adopted, we urge the BOCC and relevant departments to conduct regular, transparent reviews of the chapter’s implementation. Turning goals and policies into real-world outcomes requires consistent monitoring, public reporting, and adaptive management.

Sincerely,

KEC Board: Martha Burke, Bob Gilby, David Onstad, Beverly Parsons, Russ Sciandra, Dave Shorett

KEC Year of the Rural Working Group: Marion Allen, Martha Burke, Joe Forsthoffer, Joe Lubischer, Beth Nichols, Doug Hayman , Paul Larson, Beverly Parsons, Carol Price, April Ryan, Robin Salthouse, Dave Shorett, Margaret Tufft, Pat Weagant, Steve Weagant

KECP: From the National to the Neighborhood | 11.16.2025

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 06:54:01 GMT

KEC Presents
From the National to the Neighborhood : Federal Forest Policy and Ecological Forestry in Kitsap

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

WHEN: Sunday, November 16, 2025 - 3-5 pm

WHERE: Kingston Village Green Community Center

26159 Dulay Road NE, Kingston, WA 98346

SNACKS: Share your favorites (cookies, desserts)

FOOD DONATION : Please bring a food donation for Fishline and ShareNet ( List of most needed items )

FLYER : Download and share

SPEAKERS:

Alex Budd

Pacific Northwest Forest Climate Alliance Organizer, with regional and federal focus

Seth Zuckerman
Co-Author of “ A Forest of Your Own ” The Pacific Northwest Handbook of Ecological Forestry

Alex Budd will start with The Changing Landscape of Federal Forest Policy

An overview of federal forest management and the forest defense movement--from the creation of the National Forest Management Act to the timber wars, the NW Forest Plan, the Salvage Rider--as well as covering many of the current proposed policy changes by the Trump Administration--from the Roadless Rule rescission to the NWFP revision and Trump's timber focused Executive Orders.

Seth Zuckerman will bring us down to earth, literally, as an ecological forestry practitioner and writer with a focus on Pacific Northwest forests, including local Kitsap/West Sound context. He and Kirk Hanson have written the ultimate handbook on managing trees for sustainable wood harvest as well as recreation, inspiration, and a range of cultural connections.

Together, with a Q&A we'll figure out next steps on how to get to sustainability with what is under our control:

Engage with federal‐policy processes (public comment, local advocacy)
Participate in local forestry initiatives (volunteer groups, land trusts, community forests)
Use local practice to inform and influence higher-level policy.

Kitsap Business Magazine features KEC

Fri, 17 Oct 2025 04:49:52 GMT

Protecting Kitsap's Future: Inside the Work of the Environmental Coalition

The following is an excerpt from the Kitsap Business Magazine's September 2025 issue

By QUINN PROPST

Ward Media Staff Reporter

"When residents near Hansville first heard that aerial pesticide spraying was coming to the clear-cut timberlands just outside their community, they didn’t know they were about to start a countywide movement .

The news hit in 2018, at the height of national headlines about glyphosate — the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup — and the growing list of lawsuits linking it to cancer and other serious illnesses. People in Kitsap County began to connect the dots between those headlines and the reality in their own backyard.

“ Our goal is to champion the protection and restoration of Kitsap County’s natural environment and being sure that it’s healthy, both for people and for all of life, ” says Beverly Parsons, a longtime member and current secretary of the Kitsap Environmental Coalition (KEC).

" For KEC, that means keeping Kitsap’s water, air, and soil clean. KEC is determined to Keep Kitsap Green ."

Follow the whole story at the Kitsap Business Magazine

Download a reprint of the story .

Eglon Park Unveiling Celebration | 10.11.2025

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 06:44:53 GMT

Island Lake Townhall | 10.29.2025

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 04:05:02 GMT

From our Friends of Island Lake:

A Community meeting is scheduled for Wednesday October 29 , in the Log Cabin at the park. Doors open at 5 PM.

COMMISSIONER ROLFES with associates will cover topics pertaining to the longevity of the lake.

How to form an Island Lake District association
Understanding the Silverdale Water District study on the Island Lake aquifer
Updates on the new neighborhood development of Meadowview

For more information contact:

Friends of Island Lake on Facebook.com or

Email Coleen Shoudy: ceshoudy@gmail.com

KECP: The Future of Kitsap's Forests | 10.19.2025

Sat, 04 Oct 2025 06:56:22 GMT

KEC Presents at the Village Green

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

SNACKS: Share your favorites (cookies, desserts)

FLYER: Download and share

SPEAKERS:

Frank Stricklin
Founder and past President of Friends of Newberry Hill Heritage Park

Sue DeArman
Naturalist Photographer

Connie Reckord
Program Director of Preservation, Friends of Miller Bay

Frank Stricklin, a WSU Stream Steward, Native Plant Advisor, forest Steward, and lifelong learner, begins our series on ecological forest restoration. But first, a little background on the history of our wooded landscape.

In the 1850s, the forests of the Kitsap Peninsula, and indeed the whole Pacific Northwest, began a dramatic transformation. In 150 years, the original old-growth forests, integral to the indigenous tribes of the region for centuries, had been replaced by managed monoculture plantations of densely planted Douglas Fir, grown as a commercial crop on a tight rotation. In the face of current environmental challenges, we are now embarking on a new transformation aimed at restoring healthier, more natural forest conditions, with increased diversification to promote sustainability and enhance wildlife habitats. Learn more as we explore the Future of Kitsap’s Forests .

We also have special guests, KEC Member Sue DeArman, sharing her recent wildlife and forest photography. And Connie Reckord, sharing an important announcement about the Friends of Miller Bay Trust Lands Transfer project.

Helping Insect Pollinators Over the Fall and Winter | 9.30.2025

Tue, 16 Sep 2025 00:33:37 GMT

KEC Presents: Helping Pollinators Over the Fall and Winter

Presented by Entomologist Dr. David Onstad
Tuesday, September 30, 6-7 pm
Bainbridge Island Fire Department Headquarters [Main conference room] 8895 Madison Ave. NE, BI.

Learn about pollinators and their needs, as the flowers disappear in the fall. Hear how to help native pollinators succeed throughout the year.

Additional resources:

WSU Honey Bees and Pollinators Program

Xerces Society Pollinator Conservation Resource Center

This presentation is brought to you by Kitsap Environmental Coalition , a non-profit organization active throughout Kitsap County. We work to Keep Kitsap Green through environmental education and advocacy.

WSDOT Studies New Plans for Gorst Area Traffic Flow

Sat, 13 Sep 2025 02:52:27 GMT

State Route 3 and SR16 in the Gorst area have been a traffic choke point for years. Both roads are essential for traffic flow into the Peninsula. The routes are also susceptible to liquefaction during an earthquake. Washington Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) Gorst Project is currently in the process of studying alternative designs and several issues to make these two essential land routes safer, with better traffic flow. Kitsap Environmental Coalition (KEC) is participating as part of the Community Advisory Group (CAG), which also includes cycling groups, area neighbors, and Kitsap County staff. The group has met three times to learn about the project and to comment on the preliminary design alternatives. The project team is also meeting with local businesses and the Suquamish and Skokomish Tribes. The project is funded for the design phase only. Once WSDOT has a final design, the next step will be to present the outcomes from this study to Washington State legislators for funding consideration.

Currently, four alternative routes with sub-alternatives are under consideration. Each alternative has Active Transportation (AT) plans that include shared paths for non-motorized transportation (bicycles, walkers, wheelchairs, strollers). The alternatives focus on improving or going around the Sinclair Inlet pinch point. Open houses with area designs are planned for early 2026. In the meantime, comments can be emailed to: SR3GorstArea@wsdot.wa.gov

KECP: Bringing It All Together - Building Community and the Future We Want | 9.21.2025

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 04:30:35 GMT

KEC Presents at the Village Green

FACILITATOR: Sarah van Gelder , CoFounder of Yes! Magazine

WHEN: Sunday, September 21, 2025 - 3-5 pm

WHERE: Kingston Village Green Community Center

26159 Dulay Road NE, Kingston, WA 98346

REFRESHMENTS: Bring your favorite snacks to share

W e’re excited to invite you to an upcoming community gathering for all of us to come together, share ideas, and collaborate on creating a sustainable future for our neighborhoods, our county, our planet, and generations to come.

What to expect:

Engaging discussions and networking opportunities

Meet fellow community members who share your passion for the environment. This is a perfect chance to connect, collaborate, and perhaps find a new friend or partner for future projects.

Why Attend?

Together, we have the power to make a difference .
By joining this gathering, you are taking a stand for our environment and our community .
Your voice matters, and every idea counts.
Let’s share our concerns, highlight our successes, and cultivate a spirit of cooperation that allows us to tackle these challenges head-on.

Let’s build a better future together.

Mark your calendars and spread the word. Together we can create the future we want. A future where our environment thrives, our community flourishes, and our children inherit a beautiful planet.

Help Save a Forest!

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 00:02:10 GMT

Help Preserve 40 Acres of Miller Bay Watershed with a Trust Land Transfer

We have some exciting news to share from our Friends of Miller Bay !

Friends of Miller Bay is working to transfer a 40-acre Department of Natural Resources parcel located along NE Gunderson Rd to Kitsap County through Washington’s Trust Land Transfer program. Our goal is to protect this land as open space: Preserving precious habitat, protecting a valuable wildlife corridor, and restoring its second growth forest to a semblance of the mature Northwest temperate rainforest it once was. We are combining our energy and resources with Kitsap County and Great Peninsula Conservancy Land Trust, to protect this 40-acre parcel from future logging and/or development. Currently the property is scheduled for potential timber sale in 2029, so the time to act is NOW!

This 50-year-old upland forest (last clear cut in 1976) abuts the 13-acre Miller Bay Preserve to the east, which is contiguous to the 3.5-acre Kawahara Preserve that fronts the western bank of Grovers Creek, a major fish-bearing stream that drains into Miller Bay.

Why save this forest? It is an important wildlife corridor for deer, black bear, coyote, and river otter as they make their way to the bay. The water quality of Miller Bay is directly impacted by the protection and preservation of its upland forests. This property provides an added benefit with two stream channels feeding Miller Bay Preserve wetlands and ultimately flowing into Miller Bay, and as we all know, water quality directly affects salmon and other species that live in the bay. With the inclusion of this DNR parcel, the total contiguous area of protected land will be 56 acres of forest connected to 1,575 linear feet of protected Miller Bay shoreline. The value of conserving these adjacent parcels is so much greater in their aggregate, providing protection and habitat for an enormous diversity of wildlife across upland forest land, creek channels, tidally influenced mudflats, salt marsh habitats, and open water.

We need your help! Please write a letter of support to:

info@friendsofmillerbay.org , by Sept 22 ^nd , 2025.

( See attached Proposal for more information about the property )

For more information about Friends of Miller Bay , please visit www.friendsofmillerbay.org .

Bremerton Eco Forum - Sept 8

Thu, 31 Jul 2025 23:41:52 GMT

Hosted by Bremerton City Councilor Anna Mockler

Join neighbors, advocates, and local leaders as we start building a Bremerton environmental coalition.

What issues are most important to us? Here are concerns you've shared with me:

Stronger protections for streams, wetlands, and forests
Preserve our drinking water's watershed forest
Move from fossil fuels to renewable energy
Calm streets - walkable and bikeable
Reduce climate crisis impacts
Energy efficiency and conservation

Hope to see you on September 8th at 5 PM .

Brief presentations by

Kitsap Environmental Coalition ,

Great Peninsula Conservancy , and

Bremerton Parks Director, Tim Barker .

The last hour, 5:30 - 6:30 PM, will be open for community discussion.

Let's come together to turn shared concerns into collective action to build a greener, more sustainable, more resilient Bremerton .

Time: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM

Location: 100 Oyster Bay Ave N., Bremerton

Public Works Conference Room located by the comm tower with the osprey nest

Questions, comments, other ideas? Email me:

anna.mockler@bremertonwa.gov

Forest Habitat Stewards Workshop - Sept 6-29

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 08:15:03 GMT

LEARN about forest health, ecology of plants and animals, and restoration.

BECOME a better advocate for and steward of the wonderful forests around Puget Sound.

The Kitsap Environmental Coalition (KEC), with grant support from the WA Native Plant Society’s South Sound Chapter (WNPS), will hold a Forest Habitat Stewards Workshop to educate 20 adults. The Kitsap County Master Gardeners Program is also providing assistance .

Speakers include scientists from the University of Washington, Washington State University (Puyallup Research and Extension Center), WA Department of Natural Resources, Kitsap County staff, professional stewards, and other experts. Lectures will occur in NE Bremerton, and field experiences will occur at Newberry Hill Heritage Park, Ueland Tree Farm, the Great Peninsula Conservancy’s Grovers Creek Preserve, and WA DNR’s Oak Patch Preserve.

All activities start between 9:00 and 10:00 AM on four Saturdays and four Mondays (30 hours) from September 6th to 29th .

Basic requirements for students/trainees

You must be a member of KEC or WNPS. Dues are currently $20 or $40 per year
You must be at least 19 years old, capable of walking approximately 2 miles on forest trails, and capable of getting to the forests and the Bremerton venue.

There will be no certification upon completion of the workshop.

Complete the form below to apply for the Workshop.

Forest Habitat Stewardship Workshop 2025

More about the Workshop

Background

The tree-dominated habitats of western Washington are important for natural communities of animals, plants, and fungi native to the region and for human communities that rely on the ecosystem services and products obtained from these habitats. The organizers and sponsors of this workshop believe that these forests can be stewarded carefully and effectively by citizens who are educated about forest species, their interactions, and major biotic and abiotic processes that maintain the long-term viability of the populations and ecosystem. Although this ecological approach could explore an almost infinite set of details, we believe that a focus on long-term forest health is a good starting point for the average citizen interested in native species and forests.

Due to the growing human population, climate change, and the inherited forest condition resulting from past forest practices, there is a general concern about the future of our protected forests. Although the US Forest Service, WA DNR, and Forest Health Watch, a non-profit organization, focus on tree pests and diseases, fire, and invasive plants when describing forest health, we use a broader perspective that considers the population viability of all native species: plants, animals, and fungi. We recognize that a forest is composed of a food web of many species with interactions that are dynamic across a heterogeneous environment. These species exist in the soil and above ground, in wetlands and streams, in the lower and upper canopies, or all of these.

For the purposes of this workshop, a steward is anyone who uses science to care for the forests or who educates the public about forest ecology. A steward can be focused on a particular property or simply be an advocate for forests and wetlands in general.

Vision

Residents educated in the sciences of native plants and their habitats, especially forests and forest-influenced habitats, will be advocates for preservation, conservation, and passive recreation. Many will become or remain members of environmental groups and stewards of these habitats.

Purpose

Educate adults about ecology, forest health, and scientifically based management of tree-dominated habitats. These habitats include wetlands surrounded by forest, as well as small open spaces within and along the edges of forests. By training stewards, we will enhance the management and restoration of forests, while also increasing volunteer retention for the various organizations that rely on their assistance.

Organizers

Arno Bergstrom , WSU Emeritus Extension Professor, Gig Harbor
Frank Stricklin , Wetlands expert and Forest Steward; Silverdale
Dawn Dockter , WNPS Master Steward and Chair, WNPS South Sound Chapter; Port Orchard
David Onstad , WNPS Master Steward and WSU Adjunct Professor; Port Orchard

KEC July News Update: Forest Stewards Workshop

Sun, 13 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

KEC and the WA Native Plant Society will hold a Forest Habitat Stewards Workshop about forest health, ecology of plants and animals, and restoration, starting Sept 8.

KEC July Newsletter: Rewilding Green Mountain State Forest

Sun, 06 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Green Mountain is worth more standing, it is one of the last wild places on the Kitsap Peninsula, beloved by recreationists and home to vulnerable species and imperiled ecosystems.

BOC Decision: No ReZone of Rural Wooded!

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 18:17:00 GMT

We are very pleased that the Kitsap Board of County Commissioners has voted to Keep Kitsap Green , by protecting rural Kitsap from large-scale residential overdevelopment.

At 1:20 pm, June 23, 2025, the Board of County Commissioners decided, after hearing public testimony for nearly 3 hours, in a 2/1 vote, to approve the amended reclassification docket , thereby removing the 14 Rural Residential Rezone Requests from further consideration.

Commissioner Rolfes clarified that this hearing was on the rezone applications only and did not include the NKU proposal for recreational facilities. She ended with hope that friends divided by this issue can find a way to come back together.

For those keeping count:

60+ people in the room

38 people online

44 spoken comments (in-person and online)

25 – Opposed the Rural Residential Rezones

19 – Supported the Rural Residential Rezones

Duration – 3 hours, 20 minutes (with a 10-minute break)

Thank you, everyone, for your hard work over months and years on this challenging issue.

Our work is not done, but it is time to celebrate what we all , our community, and commissioners have accomplished together.

This is not about winning or losing, but an opportunity to come together on our shared goal of a bright future for the generations to come.

Keep Kitsap GREEN

BOC Decision: No Rural Residential ReZone!

Tue, 24 Jun 2025 03:44:00 GMT

In a split vote on June 23 the Kitsap Board of Commissioners upheld their decision to not rezone rural wooded land, protecting the county from suburban sprawl.

Critical Time to Speak Up - June 23

Sat, 21 Jun 2025 20:07:00 GMT

Critical Time to Speak Up for Protecting Rural Kitsap at the Public Hearing on June 23

Help Protect Rural Kitsap From Overdevelopment

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 17:01:00 GMT

Help Protect Rural Kitsap From Overdevelopment

Speak up! – Email your comments by the June 20, 10 am deadline and tell your county commissioners you support efforts to protect the rural parts of our county from rezoning that would turn it into subdivisions.

On June 9, the county commissioners made a preliminary decision to turn down 14 requests to rezone rural portions of Kitsap County – including 400 acres adjacent to the Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park – for higher-density residential development.

On June 23, they will make a final decision . Developers are pushing the commissioners to reverse that decision. Commissioners need to hear from the public!

Email: compplan@kitsap.gov & kitsapcommissioners@kitsap.gov

You can also comment (3-minute limit) at the public hearing on Monday, June 23, at 10 am . (Public Comment period B, “Raise Hand” to comment)

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87036792517 .
By phone, dial 1-253-215-8782; Webinar ID: 870 3679 2517
In Person: Kitsap County Administration Bldg, 619 Division Street, Port Orchard, WA 98366

You can also comment on these issues important to rural land use policy:

ATTEND AND SPEAK UP AT THE PUBLIC HEARING
June 23, 10 AM , 3-minute limit (public comment period B, “Raise Hand” to comment)

Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87036792517 .

By phone: dial 1-253-215-8782; Webinar ID: 870 3679 2517

In Person: Kitsap County Administration Bldg, 619 Division Street, Port Orchard, WA 98366

KC Press Release:

Board of Commissioners to Consider Residential Rural Rezone Requests at June 23 Public Hearing

KEEP KITSAP GREEN!

Special Message to KEC Members

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 15:15:00 GMT

Speak Up for Rural Kitsap - Action Needed!

Tue, 17 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMT

Increasing Public Engagement – letter

Sun, 08 Jun 2025 02:06:00 GMT

The following letter was written in response to the 2025 PROS Plan Comments Review

Exploring How to Increase Public Participation with the County

June 4, 2025

Dear Planning Commission, Board of Commissioners, and Parks Director,

First, I would like to mention that the recent Planning Commission meetings have been very impressive, with increased engagement, knowledgeable input, and discussion. I am pleased to see the more diverse experience at the Planning Commission table, and it is reflected in the quality of the meetings. I appreciate the addition of new Planning Commissioners to the group!

I was intrigued by the question at the end of the Planning Commission meeting last night, June 3, 2025: how to increase public participation with the County . I applaud the Planning Commission and the Board of Commissioners for exploring the issue of increasing public participation in a future joint work session.

The recent process with the Parks department PROS Plan is an example of why many who participate in the County’s “ public comment and participation ” efforts end up feeling like taking part in the process is a waste of their time and appears to be more for show than substance.

I was disappointed at the County Parks Dept’s responses to the strong public comments at the previous Planning Commission meeting and Hearing about the PROS plan on May 20, as well as written comments collected in the PROS process shared and discussed on June 3. Nearly 50 people commented, asking the Parks Department to consider making the PROS plan a draft instead of a final product, to change direction in areas such as the involvement of stewards, the focus on conservation over active recreation, and other significant issues. Seeing the comment matrix and Parks Department responses was frustrating, to say the least. Multiple responses rubber-stamping “ NO CHANGE ” and boilerplate answers to real concerns about the PROS plan, brought up by the nearly 50 community respondents, is a glaring example of how public participation becomes seen as “ public participation theatre. ” Many of the responses did not actually answer the real concern a commenter expressed, such as about ongoing plans for development in parks: referring to the Sound to Olympics trail through parks or the mountain bike park (active developed recreation) in Port Gamble Heritage Park and North Kitsap Heritage Park in contrast to natural trails and respect for conservation values. (The County Parks department responder only addressed that the “proposed sports complex at the Raydient property was not within the Heritage Park” and this is not even what the comments were about)

What is the message to the public who took the time to comment on this plan? How can we feel our time is well spent if all comments are answered with “No Change” and boilerplate language? Are County departments truly serious about public participation or is it an inconvenient annoyance, a box to check off, interfering with a timeline for passing an agenda? And then a claim is made of “ robust public participation ”.

As a person who has been involved with public participation with the County as a community member since 1990 and recently in the North Sound to Olympics trail process, the Comprehensive Plan, the CAO working group, the PROS plan, and now the Year of the Rural, I see a continued pattern of what is touted as “ community engagement ” and “ robust public participation ” – being a process of more show than substance. It appears that the County departments generally have an agenda they are pushing or are overly influenced by overpowering voices such as real estate interests or mountain bike groups with large amounts of money.

As examples, in both the NSTO process and the PROS plan, the community comments were collected into a “comment matrix” without evidence of openness to consideration and engagement, but rather met with rebuttal.

During the NSTO process, the choice was made of a “ preferred route ” that would put a developed trail through North Kitsap Heritage Park despite loud outcry by overwhelming numbers of community members against it. Other options were not seriously considered.

The Park Director, in the Parks Department PROS plan discussion on June 2, addressed the concerns about the change in stewards’ involvement by dismissing it as an issue with “ only one of the Heritage Parks ”. Where is the exploration of what the issues are that have interrupted the commitment and dedicated volunteer work by this large group of Stewards? His statement was avoidant of the concern about the stewards’ issues and did not encourage reflection about the concerns and restoring the ongoing valuable public involvement of these dedicated stewards.

These are a few examples of the seeming disregard for and incorporation of public comment into a plan, but instead rubber-stamping the department’s preferred plan and agenda. I have experienced more examples of this behavior over the years when working with the County.

Community members will not continue to participate in public processes if they do not see their input considered in a meaningful way, or their voices reflected in the County’s plans after they have poured in their time and energy.

Thank you so much for considering these reflections as you move forward with trying to make improvements in the County’s processes and increase public participation.

Sincerely,

Beth, Indianola

KECP: Water as Habitat Forum | 6.15.2025

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 04:38:52 GMT

KEC Presents at the Village Green

FORUM PANEL:

Paul Dorn, Friends of Miller Bay Board Member

Charlie Kratzer , Hydrologist, Suquamish Tribe

Ben Harrison, Water Resources Scientist, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe

Tom Doty , Amphibian Biologist

Michael Higgins , Habitat Biologist, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe

WHEN: Sunday, June 15 , 2025 - 3-5 pm

WHERE: Kingston Village Green Community Center
26159 Dulay Road NE, Kingston, WA 98346
REFRESHMENTS : Bring your favorite snacks to share

In Part 3 of our 3-part series on Water, our forum panel discusses local water and how it functions as a healthy habitat for flora and fauna. We take a closer look at four types of water habitat: Stormwater; Ponds & Wetlands; Rivers; Seawater – and,

Riparian zones for each of these
Water quality testing when funds and resources aren’t available
Impact of toxins and pollutants
How does nature counteract the toxins and maintain life in this water ?
Damming of water
What’s the interplay among the types of water that connect with your area of attention?

LEARN MORE:

Is a River Alive? (podcast) Robert Macfarlane
Darkening Oceans (article) The Guardian
Crunchy Seabirds (article) Inside Climate News
Homewaters (book) David Williams
Backyard Habitat Grants Kitsap Conservation District

KECP: Rokalu Farm – Composting Workshop | 5.31.2025

Sat, 31 May 2025 05:04:05 GMT

KEC Presents Field Trip to Rokalu Farm

Presenter: Bob Gilbey , Rokalu Farms

When: Sunday, May 31 , 2025 - 2-4 pm

Where: Rokalu Farms
Port Orchard - RSVP for address and directions

Farm Visit and Composting Workshop. Farm owner Bob Gilbey gives an in-depth workshop on large-scale composting on a working farm that can be applied to small-scale composting.

Bob will describe the basics of composting chemistry and what a composting process needs in order to be successful, and help folks address particular challenges in their setup.

Picture above represents a loaded bunker after the shelter structure was built, with compost thermometer showing.

This workshop is open to a limited group of twelve participants. Please RSVP to receive confirmation and directions to the farm.

DNR Firvana Timber Sale Paused

Sat, 31 May 2025 01:57:00 GMT

Update: Firvana Timber Sale delayed thanks to letters from KEC, Kitsap Commissioners, and You!

DNR Firvana Timber Sale – KEC Letter of Objection

May 5, 2025

The Kitsap Environmental Coalition (KEC) objects to the sale of timber at the Firvana site next to Green Mountain for the following reasons.

First, the Commissioners of Kitsap County and KEC have called for delaying sales of structurally complex forests around Green Mountain. This delay provides time to evaluate the sites more and attempt to convert them from timber sites to areas preserved for future generations and nature.

Second, the logic used by DNR to justify the timber sale and clear cutting is the presence of tree pathogens and infected trees at the site which may eventually lead to many more infected and dead trees. However, this logic is based on the assumption that timber value will be lost if the site remains Trust Land dedicated to income generation. As stated in Point #1, this assumption about the long-term status of the site may not be correct. If the site is conserved instead of harvested, then the presence of pathogens will be acceptable and seen as part of nature. PNW trees have co-existed and co-evolved with pathogens for thousands of years. These natural pathogens play a critical role in the successional process — creating standing dead trees and canopy openings that allow shade tolerant tree species like hemlock and cedar to emerge from the understory.

Third, this stand is entirely a Maturation II forest that regenerated after a wildfire that occurred over 80 years ago. It contains a mosaic of different plant species and communities with fire-scarred old growth snags and a variety of wildlife. It’s located above the popular Tin Mine Trail in Green Mountain State Forest and the Gold Creek Beaver Ponds. This is one of the only Maturation II stands in the entirety of Green Mountain State Forest. Thus, KEC believes that it should be preserved to contribute as a mature forest to the ecosystem including the Ponds and valley below. DNR must know that the public significantly enjoys the healthy, ecologically prosperous ecosystem as they hike at Green Mountain. Please do not permit soil erosion and invasion of weedy species to occur by clear cutting the site.

David Onstad, President

Martha Burke, Vice-President

Paul Larson, Treasurer

Beverly Parsons, Secretary

Dave Shorett

Thanks to Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove for his action to protect this vital resource .

Planning Protocol MIA

Sat, 24 May 2025 05:47:00 GMT

One of the many comments about the PROS Plan delivered to the Planning Commission Hearing on the PROS Plan: 5.20.25

Dear Chairman Beam and members of the Planning Commission:

The County has worked on land acquisitions for parks going back to the mid-1960s. The concept of Heritage parks came about in 1998-2000 and was followed by additional purchases of large tracts. These future Heritage parks were intended to provide recreation, but importantly were considered large enough to protect wildlife and habitat— the latter an important point for generating community support .

I am concerned that the 2025 PROS Plan before you is a complete replacement that jettisons all the good work that has gone before. PROS Plans were written in 2006, 2012, and substantially expanded in 2018. The 2018 PROS Plan was a solid effort.

The 2018 PROS Plan incorporated three important elements for Heritage parks:

(1) Reliance on the stewardship groups .

(2) Protection of wildlife and habitat .

(3) A planning protocol for Heritage parks was detailed with sequential steps to

A. Assess resource and ecological assets,

B. Determine appropriate land use via a Landscape Classification system, and

C. Identify restoration and development activities.

The Landscape Classification was first used in the 2015 Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park master plan and all three steps of the planning protocol were followed for the North Kitsap Heritage Park master plan.

Overall , the Planning Commission should be very concerned with the weak planning and policy aspects of the 2025 PROS. In addition to the concerns above, the following elements need to be addressed:

(1) Carrying capacity of Heritage parks. We can love these parks to death. There have to be limitations on access and parking and, also, on trail locations and mileage. Studies on carrying capacities are necessary.

(2) Financial responsibility. Stewardship groups were essentially free and in 2026 Parks is projected to lose 2-5 FTEs. There is no Plan B.

(3) Meaningful community participation and engagement. Hasn’t that always been a desirable feature of county government?

(4) Electric and alternately powered mobility devices . E-bikes and their cousins can and do have deleterious effects on recreation in natural settings. This is a current issue that should have been addressed in the PROS Plan. Not to do so is irresponsible.

A fixed schedule has been set for approval of the proposed 2025 PROS Plan. That should go out the window. The public has not been allowed any opportunity to participate or comment on policy-level park issues until the final draft was recently released. I personally have attempted to engage since 2023, but without success. The process has been neither transparent nor participatory.

A PROS Plan should not be generalities that can be interpreted in myriad ways. This 2025 PROS Plan needs to be comprehensive and needs to have specifics. Abandoning the solid 2018 PROS Plan and bringing in an outside consultant has not proved to be a good strategy. As a result, the Planning Commission is faced with the uneasy task of changing course .

There is considerable community support for that task.

Good luck,

Joe Lubischer

Indianola

Send your own comment by email to the Planning Commission by May 27, 5 pm.

> Return to Community Comments

Heritage Park, not Regional Park

Sat, 24 May 2025 04:34:00 GMT

One of the many comments about the PROS Plan delivered to the Planning Commission Hearing on the PROS Plan: 5.20.25

The current PROS Plan draft does not build on the goals and strategies for Heritage Parks found in the 2018 PROS Plan. Instead the current draft turns the Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park into a regional park (Table 2-13: Existing Parks & Open Spaces, p. 37) which reduces and eliminates many of the protections, conservation and rural attributes so many Kitsap residents highly value as reported in the The Kitsap County Rural and Resource Lands Community Survey . I ask that the Planning Commission insist the PROS Plan maintain Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park as a Heritage Park. It’s also time to prioritize trails within the Port Gamble Forest as pedestrian-only trails in the capital improvement plan for conservation and safety purposes.

The northwest area of the Port Gamble Forest is becoming highly developed with the mountain bike ride park, parking lot, along with fundraising efforts to build a second beginner jump trail, which further challenges the goal to conserve and protect natural areas. Funding, from sources like the “Forest and Bay Initiative,” was secured to purchase land for conservation, and not make the park into a high-impact, active recreation center. Currently, Tessa’s trail is the lone pedestrian-only trail in the forest. (See p.34 new park Classification) A regional park classification definition does not protect or conserve natural areas within a park.

The future PROS Plan must provide specific goals, strategies and capital improvement plans that conserve and protect forest habitat and wildlife in our nature-based Heritage Parks. These goals should closely align and support the 2024 Comprehensive Plan PROS Element, especially “Goal 5: Environmental Compatibility”. Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park’s status must remain as a Heritage Park and not change to a regional park. Residents and visitors to our Heritage Parks need equitable access to passive, low-impact recreation trails to support a sustainable future for the forest and for the health of those who are unable to participate in active recreation.

Robin

North Kitsap County Resident

Send your own comment by email to the Planning Commission by May 27, 5 pm.

> Return to Community Comments

Unless someone like you cares …

Sat, 24 May 2025 03:04:00 GMT

One of the many comments about the PROS Plan delivered to the Planning Commission Hearing on the PROS Plan: 5.20.25

To the Kitsap County Commissioners and Park Planner:

My husband and I were drawn to Kitsap County due to the community’s commitment to the natural spaces here. Before moving here full time, we took WSU Water Stewardship programs, learning how vital it is to protect wild corridors not only for their beauty and the species found in them, but for our own health, flourishing and quality of life. Those experiences changed our whole way of thinking.

You see, we moved from an area of the southwest where most people have very little connection to wildlife, water resources and the lands that are quietly being converted to shopping centers and recreational complexes. This is often at the expense of soils, vegetation and water pathways that took centuries to form. The worst part is that many people in those places are so uninformed and uninvolved that they have no idea what they are losing.

Here, we know how spectacular, yet fragile, this special place is. Kitsap has a natural inheritance that is unimaginable in most parts of the country. I have also met so many wise and generous people here who literally spend their lives working for the health and wildness of our parks. What a resource we have in them.

Look at Bainbridge Island. Their commitment to wild places is one reason why it is one of the most desired places to live on the West Coast. They also welcome community input and involvement with hundreds of local citizens who regularly and passionately volunteer in their natural spaces.

We may not have the resources Bainbridge Island has, but we have more parks and hundreds of passionate community members who have worked for decades to preserve and restore the health of wild spaces in our county. They know these places by heart and are highly motivated to work to preserve them. Please keep those people involved in what they know and love. You can’t buy or hire that kind of life-long commitment.

Kitsap County is growing and some upgrades to our parks are definitely needed. But the more man-made structures we build and visitors we attract, the more monitoring, maintenance and cleaning services will be required. If the county parks department is already under-staffed, that issue must be addressed and funds generated. Cleaning up overflowing trash cans and bathrooms is a job that volunteers won’t and shouldn’t do. Most of them want to help nature clean up after itself and educate the public on what “ecosystem services” means and how to sustainably meet needs with cutting edge low impact systems.

Our park system stands as one of the only places where we, the people, still have a collective voice to speak on behalf of the wildlife, native vegetation, flowing waters and wildness that are disappearing all over the world at an alarming rate. They are also living classrooms for teaching our citizens about the importance of the natural environment in preserving the healthy way of life we take for granted here.

Let’s try going in a different direction and become known as the county that took the high environmental road when it comes to the PROS Plan. Let’s be a pioneering example to other counties, not a passive follower. We can always change course and do what everybody else is doing. It will take real courage and vision to do something different with the unique living resources we have in Kitsap County before it is forever altered.

I end with a quote by Dr. Suess’s Lorax , “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

Thank you for your time, and I wish you great wisdom as you lead.

Respectfully,

North Kitsap County Resident

Send your own comment by email to the Planning Commission by May 27, 5 pm.

> Return to Community Comments

Speak Up for Heritage Parks – Community Comments

Sat, 24 May 2025 03:03:00 GMT

Kitsap residents delivered their comments to the Planning Commission 5.20.25

Comment period extended to May 27, 5 pm:

Send your comment by email to the Planning Commission .

Find your inspiration from a few of the comments from our Kitsap residents:

Kitsap Parks are Precious

Sat, 24 May 2025 03:02:00 GMT

One of the many comments about the PROS Plan delivered to the Planning Commission Hearing on the PROS Plan: 5.20.25

Kitsap parks are precious to the residents who live here.

This was clear in the County’s public survey that Kitsap citizens strongly value Kitsap’s natural environment and want our parks to protect valuable environmental resources where they still remain. Our Heritage Parks- North Kitsap, Port Gamble Forest, and Newberry Heritage Parks are rich environments that give us an opportunity to protect areas that are unique in their vibrant ecosystems. I am speaking specifically to these special parks.

Our parks are not only for human activity – but as the County develops, Heritage parks are the largest areas of habitat for wildlife, becoming rare reserves for biodiversity. We want the county to support natural recreation, such as simple walking trails through natural terrain that allow habitat for creatures and natural ecosystems to thrive. Our large Heritage Parks are especially valuable for providing habitat while allowing natural recreation.

The updated plan appears to push for more active recreation that is not in balance with preserving habitat, and a focus on development and standardization rather than respecting areas that are prime habitat and rich ecosystems. A different approach is needed in Heritage parks.

To plan wisely for upholding the protection of environmental resources, there needs to be a process of assessment of natural resources and landscape classification. It is crucial to determine what sensitive resources are in the park landscapes before planning any development. The current plan that is being considered does not meet this goal and could potentially cause harm to important and unique natural resources, because of the lack of knowledge from initial assessments.

The Current Pros plan appears to take a turn away from public input, away from valuing of habitat and natural recreation, and proceeds blindly with poor planning without environmental assessment. Changes in this plan from the 2018 plan are not of benefit to the unique richness of the parks that we hold – together- as a County and for the future. The Parks Department in this document are not upholding what the citizens wholeheartedly support. This is especially damaging to the valuable Heritage parks that give us a chance to protect natural resources while citizens can enjoy their natural beauty.

— Why the change in naming them Heritage Parks? Leave them and protect them as Heritage Parks.

— Why leave Stewards groups out? They are a cost effective and valuable community resource, give them respect and support.

– Why ignore public comments ? Let’s have true public involvement instead of lip service.

More work needs to be done on the PROS plan to bring it into better balance of environmental protection of valuable natural resources – especially in the Heritage parks, and more honoring of citizen input and true participation in planning. Let this current PROS plan be a draft — send it back to the drawing board to create a better plan.

Thank you,

Beth

North Kitsap County Resident

Send your own comment by email to the Planning Commission by May 27, 5 pm.

> Return to Community Comments

A Bear in the Yard

Sat, 24 May 2025 03:02:00 GMT

One of the many comments about the PROS Plan delivered to the Planning Commission Hearing on the PROS Plan: 5.20.25

I would like to comment on the PROS Plan for the Heritage Parks.

I’ve been having growing concern and a pit in my stomach every time I walk though the Gamble Heritage Park. There are a lot of bikes – they move fast – and they are changing the way the woods function.

Many of us – and it’s not just ‘environmental types’ want to keep spaces that are dedicated to wildlife. This includes things like ‘good habitat’ and undisturbed spaces.

These kind of spaces are disappearing so quickly – and once they are damaged it is very hard to bring them back.

I know bikes and other users are also valuable – but I request that they should not be the only consideration. When you add the pressure of proposed projects like the STO and general development – it starts to paint a dire picture for wildlife.

You know, my neighbor saw a bear in their yard this month. But it’s not because the bear population is thriving – but because their habitat is shrinking. And a crowded park is not an actual habitat.

Thank you for your consideration – and please do what you can to advocate for more quiet and undisturbed places in the County. It’s want we all really need.

Reed Blanchard

Indianola

Send your own comment by email to the Planning Commission by May 27, 5 pm.

> Return to Community Comments

KECP: Water & Kitsap's Future - Hydrology & Sustainability | 5.18.2025

Sun, 18 May 2025 04:21:37 GMT

KEC Presents at the Village Green

Speaker: Ben Harrison, Water Resources Scientist, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe

When: Sunday, May 18 , 2025 - 3-5 pm

Where: Kingston Village Green Community Center
26159 Dulay Road NE, Kingston, WA 98346
Refreshments : Bring your favorite snacks to share
Poster: Download, print & share

In Part 2 of our 3-part series on Water, we take a closer look at the hydrology and sustainability of our local water supply. What is the impact of climate and land use on streamflow and the unique challenges for the county, including many disconnected small drainages, heterogeneous small aquifers, and groundwater and rainfall dependence? What are the current pressures on Kitsap water management and the science behind water resources locally? Gaining a better understanding of, and more responsible stewardship of our local watersheds.

Speak Up for Heritage Parks - Action Needed!

Wed, 14 May 2025 19:35:00 GMT

Water and Kitsap's Future - Reminder

Sun, 11 May 2025 12:00:00 GMT

What is the impact of climate and land use on streamflow for the county including many disconnected small drainages, heterogeneous small aquifers, and streams?

Water and Kitsap's Future - KEC Newsletter

Mon, 05 May 2025 14:59:00 GMT

What is the impact of climate and land use on streamflow for the county including many disconnected small drainages, heterogeneous small aquifers, and streams?

Gold Creek Legacy Forest - Action Needed!

Sun, 04 May 2025 00:29:00 GMT

Legacy Forest Defense Coalition urges DNR to honor its legal commitment to conserve & restore structurally complex forests in Western WA, by canceling Firvana sale.

KECP: Water in Local Nature - Working with its Connectivity | 4.20.2025

Sun, 06 Apr 2025 01:47:07 GMT

KEC Presents at the Village Green

Speaker: John Williams, Publisher of Salish Magazine

When: Sunday, April 20 , 2025 - 3-5 pm

Where: Kingston Village Green Community Center
26159 Dulay Road NE, Kingston, WA 98346
Refreshments : Bring your favorite snacks to share
Food Donation: Please bring a food donation for Fishline and ShareNet

An exploration of the many facets of our local marine and freshwater environments — as habitat, a transportation medium, a food delivery system, and an important part of the chemical processes of living things. We identify relationships in the ecosystem and see the ecosystem itself as a complex system. This has implications for how we approach managing nature and our impact on it—how do we avoid unintended consequences when we finite humans are making decisions about something infinitely complex?

Bioblitz 2025 – City Nature Challenge

Wed, 19 Mar 2025 00:58:00 GMT

KEC Volunteers and Participants Wanted for April 26 Bioblitz

registration form

KECP: Growing our Local Food Network | 3.16.2025

Sun, 16 Mar 2025 05:54:29 GMT

KEC Presents at the Village Green

SPEAKERS:

Diane Fish, Kitsap County Conservation District – History of Ag in Kitsap County

Bob Gilby , Rokalu Farm– Composting and Farm Succession

Kathy Curry, Farrago Farm – the Giving Garden

Kitsap Farmland Preservation Coalition

WHEN: Sunday, March 16 , 2025 - 3-5 pm

WHERE: Kingston Village Green Community Center
26159 Dulay Road NE, Kingston, WA 98346
REFRESHMENTS : Bring your favorite snacks to share
FOOD DONATION: Please bring a food donation for Fishline and ShareNet ( List of most needed items )
POSTER: Download, print & share

Agriculture is on the front lines of a changing climate, and Kitsap County’s Year of the Rural. Local and sustainable farming will be a necessity to make Kitsap County more resilient as our weather and climate changes. Join us in discovering the food webs in our county and engaging with local farmers in their needs to help make our local areas sustainable.

In-progress list of farm and local Ag groups invited to share information (may change with updates) .

Around the Table Farm : Dana Steege-Jackson
Dusk to Dawn : Maia Ostrom
Fat Turnip Farms : Bryan Custer
Fishline: Jessica Trevino, Amelia Stites
Full Tilth Farm : Renee Ziemann and Becky Zaneski
Grow-A-Row / KitsapHarvest : Laurie Davis
Kitsap Community and Agricultural Alliance : Karissa Holcombe
Kitsap Farm Preservation Coalition
Kitsap Fresh : Julia Zander
Sage and Willow Farm (formerly Smithshyre): Roni Ryan
ShareNet : Mark Ince
The Giving Garden : Kathy Curry

Comparison of 2025 to 2018 PROS Plan

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 01:59:00 GMT

Use the following information gathered by the KEC Working Group to inform your own comments (Overview section) here: PROS Plan Public Comment Form

Comparison of 2025 to 2018 PROS Plan

The 2025 PROS Plan has the task to build on and make updated improvements from the previous 2018 PROS Plan . Instead the draft 2025 version is a rewritten document that doesn’t reflect back to 2018, eliminates or adds goals not presented for public discussion and doesn’t always align with the current Comprehensive Plan. As stated in the 2025 PROS Plan Preface (p.5) “The PROS Plan is intended to refresh and update ”, and as stated in the Purpose section (p. 4), “is an element of the Kitsap County’s Comprehensive Plan.”

The 2018 PROS Plan is 45 pages in length. The 2025 Draft is 147 pages and 638 pages of appendices. Completion and release of the Plan to the public was delayed for months. Much of the text is repetitive and some of it is not internally consistent and hard to follow. It represents a radical departure from the style and substance of the 2018 plan. There has been little effort to show what parts of the plan are changes from the 2018 plan. Meaningful review of it is very difficult and time-consuming. The draft plan is months overdue without any chance for review and input from concerned groups such as the Parks Advisory Board or KEC. The public and concerned groups should be given additional time to digest this lengthy document and to make meaningful suggestions or voice concerns about changes in park policy and planning.

Use this information gathered by the KEC Working Group to inform your own comments (Overview section) here: PROS Plan Public Comment Form

> Return to PROS Plan 2025 – Overview of KEC Comments Listing

PROS Plan 2025 – Overview of KEC Comments

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 01:46:00 GMT

Your opportunity to comment on the 2025 draft PROS ( Parks, Recreation, and Open Space ) Plan ends Sunday, March 16 , 2025. You will need to use the PROS Plan Public Comment Form to submit your comments by the deadline.

The 2025 draft PROS ( Parks, Recreation, and Open Space ) Plan is now available for public review . The public comment period ends in a few days— Sunday, March 16 , 2025. You need to use the PROS Plan Public Comment Form to submit your comments.

This is the first and only time that the Parks Department has scheduled for you to review this policy document . (It is unusual that there is only one opportunity for public review of a draft of such an important policy document.) The document includes major changes in the Parks Classification system and the long-standing Stewardship Program, among other changes. While it is supposed to be an update of the 2018 PROS Plan it is actually a rewrite of the PROS Plan. The changes have major implications for our parks, their management, and use. The written document will be the guiding policy document for the next six years.

Please point out what you like, the problems you see with the document and/or propose what you do want the plan to include.

A KEC working group has identified the following topics and prepared some explanations to give you a jump start on selecting the areas that you may want to address in your comments. The public comment period was too short for the working group to develop their ideas as fully as they had hoped to do. (They requested a longer public comment of the County Commissioners but that request was not granted.) They present these ideas, however, to help KEC members and friends to develop their own ideas on the topics. Click on headings for more detail to inform your comments:

The Role of Park Stewardship Program in Heritage Parks

Comparison of 2025 to 2018 PROS Plan

The 2025 PROS Plan has the task to build on and make updated improvements from the previous 2018 PROS Plan . Instead the draft 2025 version is a rewritten document that doesn’t reflect back to 2018, eliminates or adds goals not presented for public discussion and doesn’t always align with the current Comprehensive Plan. As stated in the 2025 PROS Plan Preface (p.5) “The PROS Plan is intended to refresh and update”, and as stated in the Purpose section (p. 4), “is an element of the Kitsap County’s Comprehensive Plan.”

The new plan was envisioned during a staff meeting (Nov 2023), not built on the foundation of the 2018 Plan. It lacks the policies of land use conservation established in 2018, and hints at divesting of parks that aren’t income-producing.

Park Classification

The new classification system needs further explanation of the purpose and consequences of its use. Also the draft PROS Plan uses the Washington State Parks Classification System inconsistently. For example, Kitsap Heritage Parks are not properly identified, and a Regional Park designation is questionable for Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park.

Parks Carrying Capacity

Trail Usage

Parks Advisory Board

The Parks Advisory Board (PAB) seems to be sidelined throughout the Draft PROS Plan. The PAB needs to be properly included in the development of the PROS Plan and its role presented in the Plan.

Parks Department Staff Roles

The role of the Parks Department staff seemed inappropriately elevated over the public’s involvement and the proper governance structure of the County.

Relationship to Existing County Policy Documents

The draft PROS Plan inadequately draws on important existing documents such as the 2024 Comprehensive Plan and the 2018 PROS Plan.

The draft PROS Plan is missing an analysis of the big picture documents—the policy documents—within which the new PROS Plan should be situated. The Kitsap County 2024 Comprehensive Plan, the Kitsap County Habitat Conservation Plans, the Kitsap County Non-Motorized Facility Plan, and the 2018 PROS plan present the policy context for the new PROS Plan. Yet this analysis is not provided in the draft PROS plan.

PROS Plan Vision

The relationship between the Draft PROS plan goals and the goals from the 2018 PROS plan and the 2024 Comp Plan PROS chapter is not clear. A comparison of the goals and rationale for the differences need to be explained.

Capital Improvement Plan

The foundation for the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) is framed around four themes —(a) Conservation and Landscape Resiliency ; (b) Connectivity and Trail Development ; (c) Access and Safety ; and (d) Recreation Facilities and Amenities . However, the prioritization among these themes is not clear nor are the priorities among the long list of possible CIP projects.

Public Involvement Survey Data Presentation and Analysis

There is a disconnect between the data collected from the Public Surveys and the interpretations and priorities set. The Public Involvement section (p. 46-84) has data presentation and analysis problems. The survey data have been inadequately analyzed and data from multiple data collection methods have not been integrated into meaningful presentations and interpretations.

Public Involvement (p. 8) “A description of how the planning process gave the public ample opportunity to be involved in plan development and adoption. ” The public had no opportunity to view or comment on the draft or data analysis early in the draft process.

Organization of PROS Plan

The organization of the 2025 PROS Plan needs improvement. It is internally inconsistent and repetitive.

Use this information gathered by the KEC Working Group to inform your own comments (Overview section) here: PROS Plan Public Comment Form

KEC Letter to Extend Review PROS Plan 2025

Sat, 08 Mar 2025 22:24:00 GMT

March 7, 2025

Dear Board of County Commissioners:

Kitsap Environmental Coalition is requesting a public comment period extension until the end of March for three major reasons.

In our discussions of this draft so far, we are seeing other issues that need further consideration. However, the ones presented above seem to us to be sufficiently important to justify an extension in the review of this draft PROS Plan.

Please extend the review period for this draft PROS plan to at least the end of March 2025.

Thank you.

KEC Board

KECP: Preserving Biodiversity on a Swiftly Tilting Planet | 2.16.2025

Sun, 16 Feb 2025 06:21:36 GMT

KEC Presents at the Village Green

SPEAKER:

Dylan Mendenhall, Principal Ecologist, Haven Ecology and Research, LLC

WHEN: Sunday, February 16 , 2025 - 3-5 pm

WHERE: Kingston Village Green Community Center
26159 Dulay Road NE, Kingston, WA 98346
REFRESHMENTS : Bring your favorite snacks to share

Dylan Mendenhall draws on over 15 years of experience in the practice and study of ecological restoration, including co-management of a small family forest. His presentation ”Preserving Biodiversity on a Swiftly Tilting Planet,” further explores ecological restoration in a changing environment.

Ecological restoration often presupposes that native plant communities are a necessary foundation to support the overarching biodiversity of an ecosystem – a belief that stems in part from the assumption that native plant species are uniquely well-adapted to the local site conditions. However, as climate change continues to accelerate, some conservationists have argued that the entire concept of a “native species” is increasingly meaningless, or that the control and eradication of invasive species is rooted in xenophobia. Why do we continue to give native plants such precedence? And how do we reconcile invasive species management with the need to relocate species that are imperiled by climate change? In this talk, we will interrogate the idea of ecological restoration in the context of the climate crisis. We will also explore practical solutions for increasing the adaptive capacity of our local ecosystems without abandoning the native plants that call this place home. Finally, we will reimagine ecological restoration, not as a futile effort to reclaim the past, but as a creative process of navigating our way to the flourishing future that we all know is possible.

What is Biodiversity?

Biodiversity is the full range of life in all its forms. Biodiverse ecosystems have a high variety of plants, animals, and other organisms that interact with one another and the environment in complex and varied ways. Biodiversity measures an ecosystem’s complexity, richness, and resiliency.

Why is it Important?

Generally, biodiversity is an indicator of how healthy – or damaged – an ecosystem is. The diversity makes these ecosystems better able to adapt to environmental changes. Ecological functions like pollination, water purification, nutrient cycling, seed dispersal, pest control, climate regulation, and many more rely on biodiverse ecosystems.

Restoring Kitsap Heritage Parks’ Biodiversity

All Kitsap Heritage Parks have been logged at some point since 1853. Some have been left alone for several decades and are slowly re-naturalizing, others, like Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park face the challenge of continued logging for one more “rotation.” Can and should these parks be restored and preserved as biodiverse wildlife preserves? We’ll be discussing this controversial topic.

Arborwood DA Extension Hearing - Feb 3

Thu, 30 Jan 2025 02:47:00 GMT

Arborwood Development Agreement Extension

Public Hearing: February 3, 5:30 pm

Poulsbo City Hall, Council Chambers, 200 NE Moe Street, Poulsbo

This meeting is open to the public , in person, via Zoom, or by phone:

Speak up now, before it is too late.

The Public Hearing is scheduled for February 3rd, for the County Commissioners to decide whether to extend the Development Agreement for the Arborwood project in Kingston. The Commissioners need to hear from the community , the residents who will be most impacted by this large-scale 751-unit subdivision.

FACT: All new construction in Washington State and Kitsap County must meet current codes and regulations.

However, the developers of this project want to extend their 15-year-old agreement, which expires in February 2025 , under regulations from the 1990s , not current ones.

It is your turn to speak up at this public hearing – to insist that Arborwood must adhere to current regulations . If you prefer to write your comments to the Commissions, please send by email immediately:

Kitsap Environmental Coalition (KEC) works to protect clean air, water, and soil for the health of the entire ecosystem upon which our communities depend. KEC advocates for the use of Best Available Science, the application of current regulations, and supports the January 8, 2025 letter sent by Kingston Community Advisory Council to the Commissioners:

“It has come to our attention that the Commission will be considering a request by the Arborwood developers to extend their 15-year development agreement. This development is an important part of the County’s efforts to comply with growth management goals, but as the development agreement relies on analysis and supporting documentation from the 1990s, we believe the Commission should consider the current community context and the history of community concerns before approving the renewal.

There are three areas we believe should be reviewed:

1) Kingston has grown and changed considerably since the 1990’s, the values and assumptions that underlie the development agreement should be reviewed and updated.

2) The community is much more aware of the impact of development on the environment, the strategies for managing stormwater have significantly improved, and we now have stronger policies supporting the importance of critical areas and our natural open space. In addition, the science revealing the impacts of climate change has become much more sophisticated and should be factored into the development agreement.

3) Transportation needs, volumes, patterns and modes (particularly bicycles and passenger ferry) are much more varied than they were in the 1990’s and we would like the Commission to consider current transportation goals and data when considering an agreement extension.

Thank you for considering this request. Respectively submitted by the Co-Chairs on behalf of the Kingston Community Advisory Council.”

Kitsap Environmental Coalition adds a fourth point:

4) We would like the Commissioners to require that any development under an extension meet current county and state regulations including the recently approved Critical Areas Ordinance.

We urge everyone to express your own concerns to the Commissioners at this crucial time — this is your opportunity to make a real difference in your community.

KECP: Wildlife Corridors & Habitat Connectivity | 1.19.2025

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 02:18:48 GMT

KEC Presents at the Village Green

SPEAKERS:

Glen Kalisz, WSDOT Habitat Connectivity Support Structures

Nate Daniel , Great Peninsula Conservancy

WHEN: Sunday, January 19 , 2025 - 3-5 pm

WHERE: Kingston Village Green Community Center
26159 Dulay Road NE, Kingston, WA 98346
REFRESHMENTS : Bring your favorite snacks to share
POSTER: Download, print & share

While roads are so ubiquitous they're practically invisible to us, wild animals experience them as entirely alien forces of death and disruption. We share the Kitsap Peninsula with abundant wildlife, from amphibians and fish to bears and everything in between. But with our rapidly expanding infrastructure, shopping centers, housing developments, and even recreational trails, we are fragmenting their habitat to the point of daily collisions and imminent destruction. Join our discussion about harmonious solutions.

LEARN MORE:

BOOKS

Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet | Ben Goldfarb (local bookstores, library, and Amazon )

ARTICLES

INTERACTIVE MAPS :

Wildfish Conservancy
Fish Passage Barriers – WSDOT

VIDEOS & PODCASTS

Keep Kitsap GREEN

Sat, 07 Dec 2024 22:29:29 GMT

Save Our County from Uncontrolled Development

The things we love about Kitsap County are at risk from uncontrolled and mismanaged development. This threatens our quality of life, our natural areas, and the environment.

It’s time to demand that our Kitsap County Commissioners and government put the people and environment of Kitsap County first, not the interests of large, corporate developers who have no stake in our communities.

Our county leaders need to know that we want to advance Keep Kitsap GREEN through thoughtful, managed progress that:

Protects the environment, including natural habitats
Benefits all who live here

The environment is the space shared by all living things. Our forests and other natural areas, waterways, wetlands, and shorelines work together to create a thriving and resilient habitat for plants, animals, and people, and to reduce the effects of a changing climate.

The environment also includes rural and urban communities. Maintaining a balance of natural, rural, and urban areas protects our quality of life, gives us choices in how and where we want to live, supports smart economic growth, and provides Kitsap County residents with jobs and commerce, as well as educational, recreational, and cultural activities.

We do not oppose development, but we believe it should be measured by its total impact on the community and environment, and that true progress benefits everyone.

To Keep Kitsap GREEN , we urge our county leaders to implement and enforce land use policies that preserve a balance of natural areas, rural communities, and vibrant urban areas. As our representatives, we want our county government to:

Stop rubber-stamping development projects
Preserve our Heritage Parks as natural areas
Protect and restore the wildlife habitat
Protect farmland and our county’s family farmers
Defend our right to clean, safe sources of drinking water
Recognize natural areas as a valuable land use

Topics to Consider for Comprehensive Plan Comments

Tue, 22 Oct 2024 04:25:00 GMT

Here are some topics to consider when composing your own comments to the Commissioners for the Public Hearing on October 28, 2024, 5:30pm. 1) Add Natural Character to the 2025 Year of the Rural focus: We are pleased that the County did not rezone in rural areas this year and plans to address both rural rezoning and farmland issues in 2025. Please expand the 2025 focus to include attention to nature as a whole to make significant strides in protecting our environment in both rural and urban areas. [...]

KECP: Growing Healthy Soils to Feed the World | 5.19.24

Sun, 21 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Anne Biklé and David Montgomery explain the science behind creating healthy soil in “ Got Dirt? Get Soil! “

And in “ The Conversation ” article, Montgomery dispels farming myths, and explains how p lanting a diverse blend of crops and cover crops, and not tilling, helps promote soil health. Learn more.

Comp Plan Comment to BOCC: Non-Motorized Transportation

Wed, 17 Apr 2024 19:28:00 GMT

Good evening Commissioners,

I would like to focus your attention on the detailed and thorough submission by Paul Dutky of the West Sound Cycling Club (pages 199 through 311 of the Comprehensive plan comments). These are in regard to the County’s non-motorized transportation plan and how the needs for bike facilities has been inadequate all over North, Central and South Kitsap . This document includes many photographs of roads showing actual shoulder widths demonstrating most roads in Kitsap County lack the minimum standards for bicyclists to safely travel between communities, commute to work, or to access services. Often, they have no shoulder on one side and an inadequate shoulder on the other side for riders. And where there are sidewalks running parallel to the roadway, they are not wide enough to meet the shared path standards of being 10 feet wide.

As we encourage people to live in urban growth areas within close proximity to locations they need to go to on foot, bicycle, wheelchair or with strollers they need the infrastructure to do this safely.

There have been several cycles of widening improvements being part of the past road plans only to have those dropped leaving the needs unmet.

Meanwhile, there has been way too much effort and expense applied towards the feasibility study for the NSTO which would provide only 8 miles of paved path going from Kingston, through and degrading the North Kitsap Heritage Park to get only as far as the Port Gamble area at an estimated cost of 89.4 million dollars .

This study has been a distraction from developing a connected, comprehensive non-motorized transportation system for the County’s residents to use in day-to-day travel and not solely for recreation.

We have limited funds, and if we want to move forward with the goals set forth in the non-motorized plans we need to look clearly and systematically at developing a useable non-motorized transportation system. We need to use re-paving opportunities to build useable shoulders. We need a system that meets County resident needs and is not skewed by the ideas of a corporation and special interest groups.

Please refocus the goals for county employees in Public Works to meet the non-motorized needs of all of Kitsap County.

Doug, Kitsap County

Comp Plan Comment to BOCC: KEC Ten Principles

Tue, 16 Apr 2024 00:42:00 GMT

Good evening. I’m Beverly Parsons from Hansville. I’m co-chair of the Kitsap Environmental Coalition Steering Committee and speaking on their behalf. We deeply value diversity, caring, inclusion and grounding our orientation in science.

Earlier today we submitted comments online in which we provided ten principles about the preferred land use decision and its implementation. Our comments are posted on the KEC website for others to see.

I’ll highlight 3 points now:

1. Prioritize attention to climate and environmental conditions . Make these the first chapters in the Comp Plan. Act to protect and regenerate our ecosystems for the well-being of current and future generations of all Kitsap inhabitants including wildlife. Reduce our county’s contribution to climate change and prioritize resiliency.

2. Build your decision on Land use Alternative 2 with concentrated housing in the UGAs and increased missing middle housing. At the same time, intentionally reject Alternative 1, which has promoted contradicting development, and reject Alternative 3, which invites sprawl into rural Kitsap.

When a person goes on a diet to improve their health, they both eat certain foods AND stop eating others. What we do and what we do NOT DO are both important if we want to keep what makes Kitsap special — including our rural and natural areas.

3. It takes us all. Bring multiple voices together in ways that enable us to listen to one another, suspend our assumptions and see how we together protect our beloved Kitsap County and the many forms of life that reside here. Protecting our natural environment and caring for one another takes us all.

Beverly Parsons, KEC Steering Committee Chair, Kitsap County

Ten Principles for the Preferred Land Use Decision

Highlights from submission by the Kitsap Environmental Coalition Steering Committee for the Board of County Commissioners public hearing, April 8, 2024.

Joshua Wright, an inspiration to Youth and all who care about the environment

Sat, 13 Apr 2024 00:18:00 GMT

Starting in September 2023 Joshua began exploring and documenting every remaining naturally regenerated “Legacy” forest in Green Mountain State Forest, including a forest targeted by the upcoming “Breaking Bud” timber sale by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). In his role as Programs Director for the Legacy Forest Defense Coalition he documented a globally imperiled plant community on Green Mountain. This rare ecosystem was then verified by DNR’s natural heritage program and covers at least 257 acres. Most of these acres had been scheduled for logging prior to the discovery of this rare plant community.

Working together (and with data provided by Joshua), the Kitsap Environmental Coalition , the Washington Legacy Forest Defense Coalition , and the Kitsap County Board of County Commissioners have been able to get the Breaking Bud timber sale indefinitely canceled . Joshua is now working with these parties to ensure protection for the remaining legacy forests of Green Mountain. Joshua lives in Mason County.

In a recent phone interview with Joshua, he calls on us all to get involved.

You can view one of his videos @ https://www.primevideo.com/detail/Edens-Last-Chance/0OEB9WJ6EO9DWX97B5CUF40Q99

You can also view his photos of the at-risk Breaking Bud Timber Sale https://www.universalwildlands.com/photography-archive/2023/10/1/breaking-bud-timber-sale-wadnr

KECP: The Environmental Cost of our Food | 4.21.24

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 20:13:00 GMT

The Power of Regenerative Agriculture. Our guest speaker, Renee Ziemann from Full Tilth Farm, will join our conversation about community support of local farming.

KECP: Beyond Climate | 3.17.24

Sat, 02 Mar 2024 00:20:00 GMT

Continuing with KEC Presents’ Conversations about Climate Action, Beyond Climate takes viewers beyond the headlines and into the heart of the issues. The film holistically connects the larger patterns of climate change with the human dimension, and what it looks like from across the Salish Sea to the Okanogan Valley. Shot throughout the province over many years, the collective wisdom and perspectives of Indigenous leaders, local communities, scientists, and policymakers are featured. Dr. David Suzuki – renowned scientist, broadcaster and environmentalist – helps guide the journey as the narrator of the film. But David is more than just a narrator; he’s a long-term resident of BC, having lived most of his life in Vancouver, and this film is part of his enduring legacy. Now, in his 80s, Suzuki reflects back on his life and how his home province is changing and offers his personal perspectives on the environment, economy, and opportunity to navigate our complex future if we “pull back and give nature a chance.” Addressing many of the pressing issues facing BC – from pipelines, liquefied natural gas, salmon, and Indigenous rights – the film is a timely contribution to the province and country as we grapple with climate change, the paramount issue of our time.

After a break, we continue with Katharine Hayhoe’s TED Talk:
The most important thing you can do to fight climate change: talk about it .

Bioblitz at PGFHP on April 27

Sat, 02 Mar 2024 00:20:00 GMT

Volunteers are needed to join small groups and help find and identify plants, mammals, birds, bugs, amphibians, fungi, etc. Please note any knowledge you have in identifying park wildlife in the registration form which helps the event committee organize groups.

Attend optional Preparing for the Bioblitz

Get Started!

Connect your iNaturalist & SciStarter Accounts

Why? Earn credit, find more events/projects, help measure collective impact. By connecting to SciStarter, your iNaturalist observations will automatically contribute to “ One Million Acts of Science ” during April. These actions only need to be done one time.

Want more information:

Learn more about participatory science. Take free online Foundations of Citizen Science Tutorial and earn a badge!

How to connect your SciStarter and iNaturalist accounts, and iNaturalist help videos

How will we value the amphibians?

Wed, 18 May 2022 22:03:00 GMT

How will we value the amphibians?

At a time of increasing awareness of an environment in precipitous decline, STO proponents are, in effect, advocating for further habitat damage to the wetlands at North Kitsap Heritage Park (NKHP). While there are shared levels of environmental damage over which individuals have little influence (power generation, food production, etc.), protecting small wetlands is a scale at which we can do the right thing with minimal inconvenience. The STO as an AASHTO (American Association of State, Highway and Transportation Officials) roadway is an act of willful ignorance. Perhaps they just don’t understand the value of preserving amphibians (frogs and salamanders).

Ignoring, for the moment, the philosophical ramifications of extinguishing amphibians, it is instructive to metaphorically liken species diversity in an ecosystem to the rivets in an airplane wing. Repeatedly take out one rivet among hundreds, when does the wing fail? How many species can we lose before ecosystem failure? Neither is known, exactly…

Consider DNA and the library at Alexandria. The sum total of human knowledge was burned down, as many as nine times. Someone likely objected. The loss of even one species carries with it DNA encoding biochemical solutions to problems we may not yet be aware of. Amphibian DNA represents structural and functional evolutionary experiments leading to refinement over 365 million years, a massive informational loss.

Moist, permeable amphibian skin is a seemingly ideal environment for fungi and bacteria. Why are there not commonly massive skin infections among these species? Your feet would rot. They have immune systems, not unlike our own, that produce anti-fungal and anti-bacterial compounds which mostly have not been studied. Accepting their loss is short-sighted given that most of our effective pharmaceuticals come from obscure organisms living in obscure habitats.

Amphibians play a critical role in micro nutrient delivery from aquatic to terrestrial environments. Perching birds (70% of all birds) are having difficulty calcifying their eggs, partly due to acid rain washing Ca++ from soils. This loss is further compounded by the decline in availability of juvenile amphibians dispersing into woodlands, carrying their calcium-rich bones upon which birds and small mammals normally feed.

Dying amphibians can be viewed as wetland habitat canaries, signaling the environmental future for more resistant species. Because they are transparent to water borne toxins, amphibians are among the first to show the effects of aquatic contaminants. We should be alarmed when frogs die.

Amphibians eat the bugs that eat wood, resulting in an increase in carbon sequestration. Ensatina, a local woodland salamander, has recently been shown to reduce the CO2 introduced into the atmosphere by up to 17% by consuming the bugs that normally convert wood into CO2.

There has been little interest, and little research money, dedicated to understanding the critical role played by amphibians in ecosystem dynamics. These are not farm or game animals. They are not charismatic and they present inconvenient obstacles to “development”. NKHP should be viewed as an environmental park. That is it’s “Heritage”, threatened by the proposal to pave a two-mile road through the center.

Article by Thomas Doty, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor of Biology at Roger Williams University. Retired.

A Call for a Moratorium on Clear-Cutting of WA State Forest Lands

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 17:56:00 GMT

Stop Clear-cutting of Washington State Forest Lands

We, the undersigned, call on Washington State leaders to take actions that will STOP ALL CLEAR-CUTTING OF STATE FOREST LANDS FOR TEN YEARS. The urgency of impending (and already begun) climate catastrophe outweighs all other considerations regarding our forests. We understand that livelihoods and the state’s funding are linked to the current way our state manages its forests. But we can no longer afford to maintain the present system at the expense of the planet’s greater survival. Destructive wildfires have become routine, their smoke choking our towns and cities; summers are hotter and drier; hemlocks and cedars are dying: climate change is already with us. The time has come to direct all possible resources toward realistic solutions for preserving the precious ecosystem that sustains life.

A 10-year moratorium on clear-cutting can help offset 52.5 million metric tons of greenhouse gases from the present Washington State carbon footprint and restore the health of the forests, soil, water, air and all species that depend on forests for habitat and food. The moratorium on clear-cutting does not advocate ceasing all timber harvesting.Clear-cutting has involved large-scale application of toxic herbicides. The use of sustainable alternatives will promote the recovery of habitat critical to the health of soil, wildlife, streams and sea life, including salmon and orcas —ultimately, every aspect of the natural environment. The elimination of toxic herbicides also protects human health.

The tribal nations of Washington State are the original stewards of the environment, living with the natural world in mutuality, not exploitation. Just as indigenous people’s identities, health, and survival depend on nature in balance, so does the survival of all Washingtonians.

A moratorium on clear-cutting might seem like an inconceivable social and economic shift. But if the coronavirus pandemic has taught us anything, it is that when a great crisis occurs, citizens and leaders are capable of marshaling the will for great, and rapid, change.

For more information, visit Kitsap Environmental Coalition: www.kitsapenvironmentalcoalition.org or email info@kitsapenvironmentalcoalition.org

To sign and support this moratorium, click on the following link:

http://chng.it/5BzCWBmJ

SPONSORS:

Kitsap Environmental Coalition

350 West Sound Climate Action

Mason County Climate Justice

Frequently Asked Questions

The following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) provides background for this petition:

How does this request fit with the mission of the Washington State Department of Natural Resources?

In its own words, the mission of Washington State’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is to “manage, sustain, protect the health and productivity of Washington’s lands and water to meet the needs of present and future generations.” It also has responsibilities for some funding of education and county services through its trust lands.

Currently, the priority appears to be the state budget rather than protecting our ailing forests, lands, and waters. The routine business of the Board of Natural Resources (BNR, which oversees the DNR) consists of selling state lands, and timber rights on state lands, to the highest bidder in order to help fund state schools and county services.

Current forestry practices do not support the long-term health of our forests that are essential to the well-being of all of life for future generations.

If clear-cutting is not allowed, what forestry would be allowed?

Rather than engaging in clear-cutting of even growth trees, we call on DNR to look at alternative methods. These may include selective logging (harvesting) of uneven growth trees. That is, a forest needs to have trees of many different ages to support the health and well-being of the soil, water, plants, and animals in the forest. Such harvesting needs to be done in a way that preserves the many functions of trees in a forest. We also call on DNR to be receptive to Indigenous approaches to forestry.

Why is stopping clear-cutting of our forests so important?

Here are three reasons: (a) the ability of forests especially mature trees to sequester carbon, (b) the prevention of forest fires, and (c) the protection of biodiversity of plant and animal species.

Carbon Sequestration

As the Washington Environmental Council (WEC) has stated: The forests of the Pacific Northwest are among the most carbon-dense ecosystems on the planet. Short rotations and intensive harvesting significantly reduce our forests’ ability to sequester carbon. Carbon sequestration can be dramatically increased by changes in forest management.

A diverse forest with the many forms of life within it, contributes to the natural cycle of water (including capturing moisture from the clouds and bringing it down to the streams), the protection of the streams (through, e.g., shading the streams from excessive heat from the sun and maintaining the structure of the soil during heavy rains), the support of species from bacteria and fungi in the soil to large mammals that live in the forests, and more.

In industrial-scale forestry, trees are often harvested when they are in the 40-50 age range when their natural life is in the range of 100-120 years. Those trees are being harvested as they approach the years when they are sequestering the most carbon.

Forest Fire Prevention

In September 2020, entire towns and forests in Washington, Oregon, and California were devastated by wildfire and the very air we breathe was being polluted. Accelerating climate change, long predicted, is surely to blame.[1] Clear-cutting is hastening the irreversible loss of habitat for wildlife and livable environment for human beings. Clear-cutting relies on use of toxic pesticides which also act as desiccants—drying agents which enhance flammability.

Protection of Biodiversity

Biodiversity of plants and animals is an essential means by which nature handles the range of conditions that affect life. Although we often want to think otherwise, humans have insufficient knowledge to handle the complexity of nature. The diversity of trees and other species which make for a regenerative forest that maintains flexibility and supports the biodiversity needed to sustain life is being undermined by clear-cutting.

How are decisions being made about forestry practices?

Currently the interests of industry, big business, and the prioritization of using our forests to generate revenue, have dominated decision-making. Despite the pleas of citizens’ groups citing scientific evidence of the direct relationship between deforestation and climate change, the current practices of DNR are hastening climate collapse.

How urgent is the need for a moratorium on clear-cutting?

The UN has warned that ten years remain to affect climate change. The recent fire crisis in California, Oregon, and Washington, are evidence of the urgency and suggest that ten years may be optimistic.

See related ‘TEDx Talk’ video: https://youtu.be/2mCu3rRZUjI

Can we make such a major change?

The state, nation, and world’s response to COVID 19 shows that we can make changes that once seemed impossible when faced with a crisis. Climate change is a bigger crisis than COVID 19; it is just relatively slower moving. However, it’s pace is picking up and is of a greater magnitude. We must leave remaining forest lands to do their precious work of maintaining watersheds and carbon sequestration.

How was the greenhouse gas sequestration amount estimated?

The current WA State carbon footprint is 78.7 million metric tons of CO2. In WA State, DNR manages 2.1 million acres of forest. One acre of forest can sequester 2.5 metric tons of CO2 per year. Then the footprint of CO2 to be sequestered is 5,250,000 equal to 5.25 million metric tons of CO2 per year. Thus, during a 10-year moratorium, 52.5 million metric tons of CO2 would be sequestered.[2]

[1] https://www.npr.org/2020/09/13/911935457/as-wildfires-grow-more-intense-iconic-western-forests-may-not-come-back?fbclid=IwAR1_DjcuOt7uxd4Q-1oBrXH9at5UcOVVDkJ8pu1gHEDY68wKler8PIhducY

[2] These calculations are based on the following resources: the decarbonization roadmap shown in https://ecology.wa.gov/Air-Climate/Climate-change/Greenhouse-gases and data from the DNR website.

Memorializing Forests of the Pacific Northwest

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 23:43:00 GMT

If you come to Oregon or Washington today, you might question why I’m commemorating something that seems so alive and present. Ahh, you’re seeing the trees but not the forest. Look closer.

The original forests, while dominated visually by trees, were alive with diverse vegetation and animal life. The cycle of life—an infinite pattern of birth, maturity, release, and reconfiguration of elements—worked together as a complex system. The forests anchored and stabilized the soil so that heavy rains were absorbed. They protected the top soil that had been developing over thousands of years. Their canopies captured the fog from the Pacific Ocean and brought water to the streams. They sequestered massive amounts of carbon.

Today you may be looking at the monoculture of Douglas fir trees, industrial timber farms. The undergrowth is meager. There is no moss on the trees. This year, you are likely to see large areas of clear-cut land. The industrial forests are clear-cut every 35 to 40 years with the specific timing depending on the timber market. Timber prices are high now, especially in markets outside of the US, so the land is stripped. You might even see a small plane flying overhead spraying chemicals to control the undergrowth before fir trees are planted in preparation for the next market cycle.

Less obvious changes may be the most important. The micro biome of the forest’s soil is diminished. Pesticides have entered the streams. The salmon are dying due to their high sensitivity to toxins. The diversity of wildlife, birds, bees, plants, and more are gone. See Behind the Emerald Curtain that tells the story of situations in Oregon.

Fortunately, you may also see forests where sustaining the diversity of trees, plants, animals, and “living” soils are all being taken into account. These forests will not look like the original forests but they are being managed in a way that respects and protects abundant life.

We need not stand idly by. We can proactively help restore and rebuild the forest ecosystems or whatever ecosystems are important where we live and work. We are not going to bring back the forest of centuries past but we can use our creativity and expanded knowledge to support a healthy ecosystems keeping in mind the value of diversity and respect for nature, its cycles, and its mysteries. Nature is ready to do its part if we humans support nature’s ecosystems instead of undermining them. See the Rights of Nature to learn more about how to engage with nature and its cycles.

Beverly Parsons

Dangers of Glyphosate

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 23:14:00 GMT

Dangers of Glyphosate

Glyphosate, the world’s most widely used broad-spectrum herbicide and the primary ingredient in the weedkiller Roundup, is the key ingredient in the toxic mix of chemicals routinely sprayed in industrial farming and on forest clearcuts, because it’s the most cost-effective way to prevent “competition” by weeds. Glyphosate went on the market in 1974, and since 2002 (when Monsanto’s patent expired) it has been the basic ingredient in most other commercial herbicides as well. The Guardian reports that almost seven million tons of glyphosate-based weedkillers were sprayed worldwide between 2005 and 2014. Contrary to the statements made by manufacturers, glyphosate is NOT safe for humans, animals, or the environment.

On the internet you will find conflicting information regarding the safety of glyphosate—how toxic it is to humans and animals, how deeply it penetrates into the soil and water table, how far it may drift in the air when sprayed, and how long its effects last. Monsanto/Bayer has paid scientists to write articles that minimize glyphosate’s dangers, or which simply omit incriminating data. It is important to understand that companies such as Monsanto (now owned by Bayer) pour many millions into the misinformation campaign that floods the broadcast and social media.

But hundreds of objective scientific studies demonstrate the serious long-term dangers of glyphosate. A new University of Washington study finds that exposure to the chemicals in Roundup increases the risk of some cancers by 40 percent. A recent Western Washington University study has found increased incidence of Parkinson’s disease linked to exposure to glyphosate, implicating consumption of well water. Glyphosate is found in the urine of almost all people tested in a California study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Scientists are concerned about its possible neurological effects on child development .

New research at the University of Northern British Columbia concludes that glyphosate persists for at least a year in plants not even directly targeted in aerial spraying. Glyphosate is present in cereal , and in fact, virtually everywhere in the food chain . Its disruption of endocrine functions , gut bacteria, and reproduction is likely contributing to the rapid extinction of insects ( bees most catastrophically), amphibians , and other species. Furthermore, the chemicals in pesticides have been shown to cause even worse toxic effects in combination than in isolation.

It’s no accident that Monsanto (now owned by Bayer) and other corporations sell both agricultural seed and weed killers. These companies developed new versions of crops by altering their genetic makeup so they’re resistant to chemical weed killers. The new engineered crops are what’s meant by GMOs, genetically modified organisms. So the vast majority of the world’s food—fruits and vegetables, fish and shellfish—as well as lumber—are now grown this way. GM food crops and trees are grown and maintained “scientifically” with the aid of poisonous herbicides which kill everything but the crop in question. What’s more, fruits, vegetables, and grains are sprayed several more times with glyphosate as they’re crated and transported to market. Thus, the vast majority of food in the world is part of a cycle that enriches the chemical corporations , from seeds to your table.

You can’t wash glyphosate off; it becomes part of the plant. The only way to avoid ingesting these poisons is to buy organic produce and hope that the poisons from neighboring mega-farms have not drifted to the organic producer’s land.

Claudia Gorbman

Newsletter APRIL 2019 – GLYPHOSATE, FOOD, WATER, AND HEALTH

Mon, 01 Apr 2019 21:42:00 GMT

GLYPHOSATE, FOOD, WATER, AND HEALTH

Are you aware of the dangers of pesticides that are inundating our water and food? Glyphosate, the world’s most widely used broad-spectrum herbicide and the primary ingredient in the weed killer Roundup, is the principal ingredient in the toxic mix of chemicals being sprayed on forest clear cuts in Kitsap, as well as in most industrial food farming. Scientific research increasingly shows that glyphosate causes cancer —a new 2019 UW study finds that glyphosate increases the risk of some cancers by 40 percent.[1] Other studies suggest it’s also a cause of Parkinson’s disease. And its disruption of endocrine functions is likely contributing to extinction of insects, amphibians, and other species in our area.

Since 80% of Kitsap County is on wells, homeowners should know that glyphosate leaches into the groundwater .

Glyphosate is so under-regulated, and used so much in industrial farming and forestry, that it’s now virtually everywhere in the food chain : in water, plants, animals, and in humans . Every single study that has measured human contamination with glyphosate has found it. In a public testing project carried out in 2015 by a laboratory at UC-San Francisco, glyphosate was discovered in 93 percent of urine samples.[2] Its effects are cumulative. To think glyphosate is someone else’s problem is a grave mistake. The EPA, Big Agriculture, and Big Forestry are not looking out for our health.

The main lumber company in Kitsap, Pope Resources (a.k.a. Olympic Resource Management or ORM), doesn’t grow natural, sustainable forests. Pope plants genetically modified glyphosate-resistant trees. It “manages” these forests by spraying glyphosate to kill competing plants and trees. Why are we seeing the harvesting of thousands of acres of trees across our area in the last year or two? The price of wood has never been so high, and Pope is cashing in as never before. Despite the company’s rhetoric of doing “sustainable forest management,” profit—the bottom line—is what governs all its practices.

Pope may be seeing the writing on the wall too. The use of glyphosate is causing the chemical industry big problems. A jury ruled unanimously just last month that Bayer must pay out $81 million in damages to California resident Edwin Hardeman who claimed that Bayer/Monsanto’s Roundup caused his non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. In a similar case last year, the sum was $289 million, reduced to $78 million on appeal. Since that first verdict, Bayer’s shares have lost 40% of their value—and there are still more than 11,000 such cases pending .

How badly did Bayer/Monsanto want to discredit international cancer scientists who found Roundup to be a “probable human carcinogen” and promote their counter-message that glyphosate was safe? Badly enough to allocate about $17 million to their propaganda campaign in one year alone, according to evidence obtained by lawyers representing cancer victims who are suing Monsanto.

Recent publications have detailed the strategies whereby Monsanto and governments have hid the cancer evidence. Investigative journalist Carey Gillam’s book Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer, and the Corruption of Science , carefully documents the history of Monsanto’s misdeeds, blocking of regulatory action, and the adverse health and environmental impacts of skyrocketing glyphosate use.

Federal agencies don’t even know how much glyphosate is present in our food and drinking water because glyphosate has never been included in the federal pesticide residue testing program . This is outrageous given that about 300 billion pounds of it are used each year in U.S. agriculture and timber.

Earlier this month the Lancet Commission on pollution and health issued a consensus statement identifying pollution from chemicals and pesticides as the

The test results cited above

says Ronnie Cummins, international director of the Organic Consumers Association.

What can YOU do about the spraying of glyphosate and other chemicals on clear-cuts in Kitsap?

Contact local officials and tell them what you think:

Hilary Franz, Commissioner of Public Lands;

Your Kitsap County. Commissioners (Robert Gelder for North Kitsap)

Your State Representative and Senators

KPUD Commissioners

We need to ban glyphosate in Kitsap!

– Talk to your neighbors and friends—and spread the word. Education is key!

– See the Kitsap Environmental Coalition’s website and FB pages for more info, and join kitsapenvironmentalcoalition.org and

-Facebook Group: Kitsap Environmental Coalition

-Monthly meetings of KEC are held on the last Wednesday of the month, 6:30-8 pm, in the Village Green Community Center in Kingston. Come and get involved!

We want Clean Water (no poison!!!)

NOW HEAR THIS Newsletter FEB 2019 – WHY WORRY ABOUT GLYPHOSATE?

Sat, 02 Feb 2019 07:23:00 GMT

Monsanto (now owned by Bayer) developed Roundup 40 years ago and turned it into the most popular weed killer in the world. Now there’s a raging debate about Roundup’s main ingredient, glyphosate, as a cause of cancer. Kitsap’s forest practices are bringing the debate home to our area. Several large land parcels around Kingston, Indianola, and Poulsbo have been clear-cut this year. The spray comes next.

The timber industry routinely sprays clear-cuts with a glyphosate cocktail to kill unwanted “volunteers” like maple, alder, and Scotch broom so that newly planted fir seedlings don’t have to compete for sun and nutrients. The chemicals are sprayed aerially–from helicopters. The industry justifies their approach by saying:

– They’ve always managed their forests this way.

– Spraying with glyphosate is the only cost-effective weed control available.

– Glyphosate is safe – it might be toxic for a few days but it’s completely “gone” or “neutralized” within six months.

– They must obey strict environmental regulations before governmental watchdogs will issue spraying permits.

– Spraying is done by expert pilots and technicians, assuring that no poison goes beyond their land.

The truth is:

– Glyphosate was invented only in the 1970s, and few studies have been done about the extent of its long-term toxic damage. Research used by the forestry industry to claim that glyphosate is safe does not attend to its cumulative effects over time.

– Before glyphosate became widespread, controlled burns cleared forested land. Other natural methods now being tested include manual weeding, horticultural vinegar, and simply not spraying. The original sustainable method used for millennia was selective cutting, enabling not just one tree species (monoculture) but many.

– Glyphosate is not safe. The World Health Organization calls it a probable cause of cancer. Many scientific studies document the harm it causes to animal and human reproduction, including insects and amphibians essential to forest ecosystems. It stays in the soil and water.

– Washington State’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) does have rules regulating the use of pesticides in sensitive ecological areas—but the rules were written by the timber industry!

– Aerial spraying does not respect boundaries. Wind blows the poisons onto private residential property and public property. The soil and water table are all connected—glyphosate is everywhere now, is seeping into our wells, into the streams and the saltwater around us. It’s present in humans and animals too.

– Protective wear is often not supplied to workers spraying glyphosate from backpacks or trucks. These employees are usually immigrants with little knowledge of the chemicals or the danger they pose to their health.

Monsanto suffered a major blow last August when a landmark lawsuit brought by Dewayne Johnson, a California school groundskeeper dying of cancer, won a settlement of $289 million (later reduced to “only” $78.5 million). Now thousands of lawsuits have been filed against Monsanto-Bayer by cancer patients who trace their illness to this weed killer.

Because of a long history of corporate lobbying, industrial use of Roundup is still legal. The timber companies are using it like it’s going out of style. Lumber companies and the DNR are harvesting large parcels of timberland right now, including 467 acres just southwest of Kingston. Pope Resources has just announced it’s going to clear-cut and spray an additional 1600 acres in Jefferson County.

Over a dozen countries have banned use of glyphosate. Let’s get Kitsap to join cities and counties across the US that have already banned these poisons.

What can we do about this severe threat to our health and the environment?

– Talk to our elected officials (many accept large campaign donations from the very companies that poison the water and land). Call and email the officials listed below and ask them to move to truly sustainable forestry practices–balancing economic, environmental, and social well-being. When they hold town halls, attend! And stay on message about these unacceptable forest practices that need to change for our health and survival.

– Vote smart: find out who is fighting for you, not big-money interests, on our local clear-cuts and development projects.

– Insist on independent testing of our public water supplies and wells.

– Buy organic and non-GMO products when possible.

– Boycott Monsanto and Bayer. Stop using Roundup!

– Tell your neighbors about Roundup and the spraying of clear-cuts (most of it in our area is by Pope Resources).

– Participate in kitchen table discussions. Are you near a sensitive area? What can you do about it?

– Join the Kitsap Environmental Coalition!

About the Kitsap Environmental Coalition

We’re a nonpartisan group of 800 North Kitsap residents/homeowners deeply concerned about our wells, water, children, wildlife and beautiful lands. The KEC’s Facebook page and website (http://kitsapenvironmentalcoalition.org) are full of information about our area’s fight for a clean and healthy environment, about meetings, info sessions, and direct actions that need your participation and support. We raise public awareness, regularly work with elected officials to ban glyphosate and other harmful forestry practices, and closely monitor harvesting and spraying. We’re working with Kitsap PUD (Public Utilities District) to conduct water testing, and we’re starting to work with other organizations that can help with legal, organizational, and educational resources.

Contacts for elected officials:

Gov. Inslee: 360-902-4111 (send message through his website)

Sen. Patty Murray 206-553-5545 (send message through her website)

Sen. Maria Cantwell 206 220-6400 (send message through her website)

Rep. Derek Kilmer 202-225-5916 253-272-3515 (send message through his website)

Lands Commissioner Hilary Franz 360-902-1001 cpl@dnr.wa.gov

State Sen. Christine Rolfes 360-786-7644 Christine.Rolfes@leg.wa.gov

State Rep. Sherry Appleton 360-786-7934 sherry.appleton@leg.wa.gov

State Rep. Drew Hansen 360-786-7842 (send message through his website)

Kitsap County Commissioner Robert Gelder 360-337-7080 rgelder@co.kitsap.wa.us

KPUD Commissioner Debra Lester 206-588-9588 debra@kpud.org

Poulsbo Mayor Becky Erickson 360-394-9700 berickson@cityofpoulsbo.com

Kitsap Environmental Coalition

Friends, forests and photography

Kitsap Bioblitz 2026 | April 24-27

Book Worms - Book Club

Why do we like to walk?

CROAK! A first-hand intro to amphibian monitoring

4.19.26 KECP: Dark Skies - Why it matters

Details:

Thank You! KGG 2026

Nature Lovers Challenge is ON!

Today is the day: Donate to KEC and Keep Kitsap Green

Kitsap Great Give starts March 1st!

3.15.26 KECP: Stewardship begins at home - Sustainability

Details:

A message from KEC President, David Onstad

2.15.26 KECP: Replay available - Stewardship begins at home

Watch the replay:

In February, KEC Presents begins a "Stewardship begins at home" series, offering actionable ways to support a healthy ecosystem in your own backyard.

Details:

Additional information about our speakers:

Op-Ed: Why Kitsap County Can't Stop Sprawling

KECP: EarthViews Conservation Society | 1.18.26

Join us for the first KEC Presents of 2026 with a deep dive into an incredible tool that gives a first-hand look at our local waterways.

Details:

Additional information about our speaker:

Featured artist: John Abromowski

State of our Forests and Public Lands

Grades at a Glance

Key Highlights:

Legislative Outcomes:

KECP: Winter Solstice | 12.21.2025

KEC Presents Celebrate Winter Solstice with KEC

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

WHEN: Sunday, December 21, 2025 - 3-5 pm

WHERE: Kingston Village Green Community Center

Kitsap Farmers Fighting Hunger

Here's a way to help local farmers and Kitsap residents suffering from cutbacks in food programs.

KEC Presents: Green Mountain Summit | Recap

KEC Presents

Green Mountain Summit : Preserving Critical Habitat

Event recap and resources

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

WHEN: Sunday, December 7, 2025 - 3-5 pm

WHERE: Bremerton Public Works Conference Room

Year of the Rural - Public Hearing | 11.10.2025

Year of the Rural - KEC Letter to Board of Commissioners

KECP: From the National to the Neighborhood | 11.16.2025

KEC Presents From the National to the Neighborhood : Federal Forest Policy and Ecological Forestry in Kitsap

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

WHEN: Sunday, November 16, 2025 - 3-5 pm

WHERE: Kingston Village Green Community Center

Kitsap Business Magazine features KEC

Protecting Kitsap's Future: Inside the Work of the Environmental Coalition

Eglon Park Unveiling Celebration | 10.11.2025

Island Lake Townhall | 10.29.2025

KECP: The Future of Kitsap's Forests | 10.19.2025

KEC Presents at the Village Green

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

Helping Insect Pollinators Over the Fall and Winter | 9.30.2025

KEC Presents: Helping Pollinators Over the Fall and Winter

Additional resources:

WSDOT Studies New Plans for Gorst Area Traffic Flow

KECP: Bringing It All Together - Building Community and the Future We Want | 9.21.2025

KEC Presents at the Village Green

FACILITATOR: Sarah van Gelder , CoFounder of Yes! Magazine

WHEN: Sunday, September 21, 2025 - 3-5 pm

WHERE: Kingston Village Green Community Center

26159 Dulay Road NE, Kingston, WA 98346

REFRESHMENTS: Bring your favorite snacks to share

What to expect:

Why Attend?

Let’s build a better future together.

Help Save a Forest!

Help Preserve 40 Acres of Miller Bay Watershed with a Trust Land Transfer

Bremerton Eco Forum - Sept 8

Hosted by Bremerton City Councilor Anna Mockler

Forest Habitat Stewards Workshop - Sept 6-29

Forest Habitat Stewardship Workshop 2025

More about the Workshop

Background

KEC Presents
Celebrate Winter Solstice with KEC

KEC Presents
From the National to the Neighborhood : Federal Forest Policy and Ecological Forestry in Kitsap