Creating Even Better Hiking for the Port Gamble Forest

The Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park is a much-beloved recreational space for hikers, joggers, birders, mountain bikers and other outdoor enthusiasts. 

It’s an area where WTA has built and maintained trails and it offers miles to hike, an easy day trip from many big cities in the Puget Sound area.

From 2014-2017, with the help of nonprofit Forterra, local tribes, recreation groups and the community, Kitsap County was able to purchase 3,500 acres of forest. While they acquired the land, at the time they did not get the timber rights for 2,690 acres known as the “Upland Forest.”

An effort is underway to protect up to 756 acres of trees within the Port Gamble Forest. Photo courtesy of Forterra. 

Now, Forterra, Kitsap County and the timber company Rayonier are working together to transfer timber rights on up to 756 acres. By buying the timber rights from Rayonier, the county can directly own and manage mature stands of trees. The 756 acres were selected because they are the most critical forest areas. They also offer opportunities for recreation. Purchasing timber rights from Rayonier gives Kitsap County the ability to manage and improve the forest health of mature stands of trees on the property. 

This project has been developed in close partnership with the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe and Suquamish Tribe, both of which view the land which supports the forests targeted for purchase and conservation as critical ancestral land and important ecological forest and wetland habitat.   

At WTA, we’re excited to see this project continuing, and for hikers to have even more areas to explore — all while enjoying all of the benefits of a healthy forest.

Community support made it possible for this forest to be protected originally, and it will be needed to help with this next stage as well.

Learn more about the project and how you can support it.