As President of KEC, I want to thank you for your enthusiastic support of the Coalition, our natural world, and the work of protecting it. As we start the new year, many of us are carrying heavy feelings about the direction of our country and our planet. The daily stream of troubling news can leave us feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and at times even hopeless.
Here in Kitsap County, we face tremendous pressure to develop our remaining open spaces to provide housing and services for people moving from more crowded places. How can this be done without damaging our irreplaceable ecosystem? It is a complex challenge, involving the Growth Management Act, Urban Growth Areas, Critical Areas Ordinance, competing interests, and extremely limited state and county budgets.
There are always more places to protect and more losses to prevent. Yet from where I sit, there are also real reasons for hope. Here in Kitsap County, the care people show for their land, water, and neighbors continues to grow. Local Community Advisory Councils throughout the county are filled with people actively engaged in problem-solving. Neighborhood groups focused on environmental concerns are forming, collaborating, and taking action. Our own KEC Presents events continue to grow in attendance, diversity, and depth of involvement. This shared commitment sustains our collective energy and fuels our determination to meet today’s challenges head-on.
When the bigger picture feels chaotic, the most powerful thing we can do is focus on what we can influence. We start where we live. We strengthen our communities, support one another, learn and share knowledge, speak up, and protect the places that make this region home. It is this love of place that keeps the fire of environmental stewardship alive.
My hope is that KEC can be a source of connection, grounding, and purpose — a place where we stay informed, take action when we can, and remind one another that meaningful change begins locally, together.
Thank you for being here, and for supporting our work to Keep Kitsap Green.
David Onstad
President
Kitsap Environmental Coalition
