• BOCC Decision: No ReZone Upheld

    We are very pleased that the Kitsap Board of County Commissioners has voted to Keep Kitsap Green, by protecting rural Kitsap from large-scale residential overdevelopment.
    This is not about winning or losing, but an opportunity to come together on our shared goal of a bright future for the generations to come.[…]

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  • Help Protect Rural Kitsap From Overdevelopment

    Speak up! Email your comments by the  June 20 deadline and tell your county commissioners you support efforts to protect the rural parts of our county from rezoning that would turn it into subdivisions.

    On June 9, the county commissioners made a preliminary decision to turn down 14 requests to rezone rural portions of Kitsap County – including 400 acres adjacent to the Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park – for higher-density residential development.

    On June 23, they will make a final decision. Developers are pushing the commissioners to reverse that decision. Commissioners need to hear from the public! […]

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  • Increasing Public Engagement – letter

    Dear Planning Commission, Board of Commissioners, and Parks Director,

    First, I would like to mention that the recent Planning Commission meetings have been very impressive, with increased engagement, knowledgeable input, and discussion. I am pleased to see the more diverse experience at the Planning Commission table, and it is reflected in the quality of the meetings. I appreciate the addition of new Planning Commissioners to the group!

    I was intrigued by the question at the end of the Planning Commission meeting last night, June 3, 2025: how to increase public participation with the County. I applaud the Planning Commission and the Board of Commissioners for exploring the issue of increasing public participation in a future joint work session. […]

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  • DNR Firvana Timber Sale – letter

    Update: Firvana Timber Sale delayed thanks to letters from KEC, Kitsap County Commissioners, and You!
    The Kitsap Environmental Coalition (KEC) objects to the sale of timber at the Firvana site next to Green Mountain for the following reasons.
    First, the Commissioners of Kitsap County and KEC have called for delaying sales of structurally complex forests around Green Mountain. This delay provides time to evaluate the sites more and attempt to convert them from timber sites to areas preserved for future generations and nature. […]

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  • Planning Protocol MIA

    I am concerned that the 2025 PROS Plan before you is a complete replacement that jettisons all the good work that has gone before.
    The County has worked on land acquisitions for parks going back to the mid-1960s. The concept of Heritage parks came about in 1998-2000 and was followed by additional purchases of large tracts. These future Heritage parks were intended to provide recreation, but importantly were considered large enough to protect wildlife and habitat—the latter an important point for generating community support. […]

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  • Heritage Park, not Regional Park

    My husband and I were drawn to Kitsap County due to the community’s commitment to the natural spaces here. Before moving here full time, we took WSU Water Stewardship programs, learning how vital it is to protect wild corridors not only for their beauty and the species found in them, but for our own health, flourishing and quality of life. Those experiences changed our whole way of thinking.

    You see, we moved from an area of the southwest where most people have very little connection to wildlife, water resources and the lands that are quietly being converted to shopping centers and recreational complexes. […]

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  • Unless someone like you cares …

    My husband and I were drawn to Kitsap County due to the community’s commitment to the natural spaces here. Before moving here full time, we took WSU Water Stewardship programs, learning how vital it is to protect wild corridors not only for their beauty and the species found in them, but for our own health, flourishing and quality of life. Those experiences changed our whole way of thinking.

    You see, we moved from an area of the southwest where most people have very little connection to wildlife, water resources and the lands that are quietly being converted to shopping centers and recreational complexes. […]

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  • Speak Up for Heritage Parks – Community Comments

    Kitsap residents deliver their comments to the Planning Commission 5.20.25
    Comment period extended to May 27, 5 pm:
    Send your comment by email to the Planning Commission.

    Find your inspiration from a few of the comments from our Kitsap residents:

    Planning Protocol MIA
    Unless someone like you cares…
    Green Exercise
    Kitsap Heritage Park Trails
    Kitsap Parks are Precious
    Stewardship of the Heritage Parks
    A Walk in the Park
    Plan for the Public’s Parks
    A Bear in the Yard
    Heritage Park, not Regional Park […]

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  • A Bear in the Yard

    I would like to comment on the PROS Plan for the Heritage Parks.

    I’ve been having growing concern and a pit in my stomach every time I walk though the Gamble Heritage Park.  There are a lot of bikes – they move fast – and they are changing the way the woods function.  

    Many of us – and it’s not just ‘environmental types’ want to keep spaces that are dedicated to wildlife.  This includes things like ‘good habitat’ and undisturbed spaces.  […]

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  • Kitsap Parks are Precious

    Kitsap parks are precious to the residents who live here.

     This was clear in the County’s public survey that Kitsap citizens strongly value Kitsap’s natural environment and want our parks to protect valuable environmental resources where they still remain. Our Heritage Parks- North Kitsap, Port Gamble Forest, and Newberry Heritage Parks are rich environments that give us an opportunity to protect areas that are unique in their vibrant ecosystems. I am speaking specifically to these special parks. […]

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