Two of Bainbridge Island’s conservation nonprofits have officially launched a fundraising campaign to purchase a segment of the Grand Forest, after the BI School District voted to surplus the land in January.

The BI Land Trust and the BI Parks and Trails Foundation have set a goal of at least $2 million to acquire the 39-acre property in Grand Forest East, which will allow the BI Metro Parks and Recreation District to officially enfold the land into its ownership.

“Acquiring this property and formally protecting it for conservation and recreation has been a longtime goal of the park district, and this is an opportunity to realize that goal,” said Dan Hamlin, executive director of BIMPRD.

Initially slated to become the site of a second high school, BISD’s portion of the Grand Forest has been an unofficial part of the park district’s trail network since the 1980s. It has remained undeveloped, but it’s too precious to be left unprotected, said Cullen Brady, executive director of BILT.

“It sits within a major wildlife corridor that stretches across the island from east to west. With abundant snags and logs, a tall tree canopy, and a diverse native understory, this special place offers crucial foraging and nesting habitat for a range of important species,” Brady said.