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

Would everyone in this room who walks through the N Kitsap Heritage Parks please raise their hands?

Lucky you. You’ve been able to experience nature first-hand. You’ve very likely seen wildlife and the natural wonders that very possibly inspired you!    That’s the power of Heritage Parks.  They bring us together, heal our spirits, safeguard our air and water, stabilize our climate, and provide habitats for wildlife.  They are sanctuaries of peace, solace, serenity, and a unique connection to nature and wildlife.

I hope you’ll join us, your constituents, your grassroots supporters in being informed by leading voices in the Nature Sciences to act for Kitsap County Heritage Parks and execute a people’s  vision that puts more emphasis on preserving Kitsap’s natural habitat by:

1. Preserving habitats with pedestrian-only trails throughout Heritage Parks.
2. Supporting and enhancing the volunteer Park Stewardship program.
3. Maintaining Port Gamble Heritage Forest’s status as a Heritage Park. Don’t convert it to a regional park.
4. Doing a better job of involving the community in decision-making, and involve Park Stewards in planning
5. Enhancing public participation through more informational meetings, Q& A sessions, and extended comment periods.

Nearly 1,500 people responded that their most used recreation facilities were “nature trails, open space, natural habitats”, according to the draft PROS PLAN (p.58)

The Kitsap County Rural and Resource Lands Community Survey stated that:

• 87% of respondents believe maintaining Kitsap County’s rural look and feel is important
• 82% support policies to protect rural open spaces, agricultural land, and scenic areas.

With respect, we are holding you accountable to meet this moment with new energy, a new strategy, and renewed dedication to the vision of the people and communities who make up your constituency and whose trust you need to earn. We hold your decision to continue to support the values of your constituency, in high regard so that together we can make a lasting difference in the lives of Kitsap’s current and future walkers.

Walking in nature is a cherished pastime for many of us.  The ability to wander amidst towering trees, feel the warmth of sunlight on our skin, and breathe in the invigorating scent of the natural world, can be both calming and rejuvenating.  It’s no wonder that poets throughout the ages have found inspiration in these serene surroundings.

Poet Rainer Maria Rilke’s words remind us of the transformative power of nature and its ability to awaken our senses.

A Walk by Rainer Maria Rilke

My eyes already touch the sunny hill.
going far beyond the road I have begun,
So we are grasped by what we cannot grasp;
it has an inner light, even from a distance-

and changes us, even if we do not reach it,
into something else, which, hardly sensing it,
we already are; a gesture waves us on
answering our own wave…
but what we feel is the wind in our faces.

………………………………………..

Keep Kitsap Green

Because

People need Heritage Parks.

So does wildlife

Glenda,

Kitsap Resident

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

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