Great Peninsula Conservancy of Bremerton has acquired the 467-acre Divide Community Forest, a land conservation project in North Kitsap that preserves wildlife habitat and supports regional trail connectivity.
Now permanently protected, the land will offer a significant conservation and recreational resource for the county, GPC executive director Nathan Daniel said, adding it’s the largest acquisition in its 25-year history.
The $6.34 million property is the final large parcel necessary to complete an over 5,000-acre wildlife corridor spanning the Kitsap Peninsula from the Hood Canal to Puget Sound’s Central Basin. The project marks the culmination of the two-decades-long Kitsap Forest & Bay Project, which has been a collaborative effort of more than 30 community groups to protect the natural character of north Kitsap.
Jon Rose, Raydient vice president of real estate, said: “GPC has worked for over ten years to find a path to ownership. Their tenacity, strength and sophistication are an asset to the region.”
The property includes a section of the future route of the Sound to Olympics Trail, connecting the Mountains to Sound Greenway with the Olympic Discovery Trail.
“Conserving The Divide property as a habitat corridor with the Sound to Olympics Trail will allow people of all ages and abilities to appreciate nature for generations to come, whether on foot, bike, horse or wheelchair,” said Judy and Don Willott, founding members of the coalition. “And, it will connect Kitsap residents to Washington, D.C., and La Push as part of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy’s Great American Rail-Trail.”
Historically part of Pope Resources’ ownership (now Rayonier), this closing represents the final piece of Pope Resources’ commitment to community land conservation. Over 5,000 acres of former Pope Resources land are now owned by the county and GPC. Additionally, 800 acres have been sold to the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe to expand its reservation.
“The creation of a 5,000-acre system of land and water trails that connects all of North Kitsap communities has had the additional benefit of eliminating over 250 residential lots throughout our rural areas while at the same time helping to augment North Kitsap’s tourism economy,” Rose said.
The coalition has now protected the county’s 799-acre North Kitsap Heritage Park, GPC’s 320-acre Grovers Creek Preserve and the county’s 3,493-acre Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park, along with smaller parcels.
The acquisition received letters of support from the Suquamish, Port Gamble S’Klallam, and Skokomish Tribes, as well as the North Kitsap Trails Association, among others. County Commissioner Christine Rolfes helped to secure $4.8 million in state and county funding.
The project was funded from several sources, including a $2.9 million grant from the State RCO Community Forest Program, a $2 million grant from Kitsap Conservation Futures, several major donations from private individuals and a loan from the Washington Opportunity Fund. In 2025, GPC will launch a project campaign to raise $1 million to secure the funding gap and pay off the loan.
GPC plans to hold a ribbon-cutting this spring and will hold public meetings to develop a management plan, including potential trail development. For details go to www.greatpeninsula.org.
