Great Peninsula “<= Conservancy Proteting our lands and waters for generations tome June 9, 2010 Commissioner Kitsap County 6514 DWision Street, Mis #4 Port Orchard, WA 98366, Re: North Kitsap Legacy Partnership (Dear Commissioner Bauer: ‘Thank you for meeting with Great Peninsula Conservancy Board members on April 8 and again with me ‘onJune 2, to share your bold vision for the future of 8000 acres of forestland owned by Olmpk Property Group in North Kitssp County, to be known as the North Kitsap Legay Partnership. Great Peninsula Conservancy appreciates the Partnership's interest in locating concentrated development on 1,000 acres adjacent to historic Port Gamble ina ‘sel-ustining’, vibrant community and permanently conserving the remaining 7,000 acres as publicy-owned forestland. While thousands of acres across Puget Sound énd Hood Canal are facing threat of conversion to urban development, we believe the broad vision ofthe Partnership provides a viable alternative for North Kitsap with significant public benefits From an environmental perspective, ths proposal wil preserve some ofthe last remalning contiguous tracts of forestiand in Kitsap County. We also appreciate the environmental, economic, and socal benefits of clustering development inasngle community around Port Gamble for efcent delivery of public services. The proposed development wil provide a needed economic boast to historic Port ‘Gamble while providing @ desirable resort destination and residential community for locals and vistors alike [As we consider implementation of the North Kitsap Legacy Partnership, two lsues are of paramount concer to Great Peninsula Conservancy ‘+ Permanent protectior of the 7,000 acres of public-owned forestland ‘+ Stewardship ofthe 7000 acres of publil-cwned forestland Permanent protection ofthe 7000 acres of publily-owned forestland: Great Peninsula Conservancy believes thatthe most appropriate method for ensuring permanent protection ofthese forestlands ‘through a conservation easement. Public ownership ofthe land combined withthe durability ofa conservation easement ia popular, time-tested exible, and legally rigorous strategy fr ensuring permanence of conservationlands. A conservation easement wil provide the public with assurance that ‘today’ vison of permanent rotection is nat thrown aside in the future. Ieensures that this 1 Kitsap Way, Suite 5, Bremerton, WA 98312 (360) 373-3500 " (866) 373-3504 » info greatpeninsula.org » wwv.greatpeninsula.orgCommissioner Steve Bauer North Kitsap Legacy Partnership June 9, 2010 Page2 community-ovned forest wll continue t provide the myriad benefits of clean water, wildlife habitat, and public rll for future geverations of Kitsap ctlzens. The only way to keep the ‘legacy’ inthe North Kitsap Legacy Partnership sith a conservation easement. Great Peninsula Conservancy currently hols mote than SO conservation easements on mare than 3,000, acres of forests tals wetlands, streams, and farms across Kitsap, Mason, and western Pages enuntiog \We are the ony local and rst operating on-the-ground in North Kitsap County. GPC has partnerships with variety of government entities; we hold conservation easements on forestlands owed by Kitsap County (Banner Forest, Indianola Waterfront and Woodland Preserve, and Wyn Jones Par), Siverdale Water District Eldorado forest, and PenMet Parks (Sehmel Homestead Park and Wollchet Bay Estuary Park) n Pierce County. We ae a trusted community partner with our oldest conservation easements ‘ating from the late 1980s. With the enduring support of our members and community partners, we continue to grow our consenation portfolio each year, Great Peninsula Conservancy is inthe best position to hold and monitora conservation easement placed on North Kitsap Legacy Partnership forestinds. We would ike t offer our services as holder of the conservation easement and are eager to work wth you and the ctiens of Kitsap County to preserve ths legacy forever. Stewardship ofthe 7,000 acres of publily-owned forestland: Conservation does not end with puble ‘ownership ofthe land. As holder ofthe conservation easement, Great Peninsula Conservancy wil help steward the North Kitsap Legacy Partnership forestlands to: ‘+ Preserve critical habiat for native plant and animal species Keep our air clean and our water pure and pent Maintain the rural character, scenic landscape, and forestry heritage of North Kitsap County Provide public tral fr low impact recreation and tourism Generate revenue frm forest products and services to support stewardship ofthe lands ‘To accomplish these goals, ws believe management options fr the land need to be kept flexible within «brood environmental framework, n order to improve the forest, while responding to new knowledge, changes in conservation protes or unpredictable environmental change inthe future. In partnership ith the greater Kitsap community, we hope to help develop a vision forthe land that involves a transition from te industrial forest model used under current ownership to an ecological forest model ‘most suitable for publily-owned ands. tthe same time, carefly-considered forest practices can be used to generate modest income from a varlety of forest products and ecosystem services that wl help to perpetually sustain stewariship ofthe Fores. ‘Great Peninsula Conservancybelieves the forest of the North Kitsap Legacy Partnership should be ‘managed to showcase @godstandard of forest stewardship. Port Gamble i historic logging town with a proud forestry tradition. Future residents and visitors to the community wl be eager to learn ‘and contebute tothe protection of tis natural and cultural legacy. Fortunately, an internationaly- recognized forestry certification program called Forest Stewardship Counc (FSC) certification provides, an ideal framework Forest Stewardship Council certification is supported by many nationally known conservation ‘organizations and ecologicali-minded forest landowners because it establishes stringent standards inCommissioner Steve Bauer North Kitsap Legacy Partnership June 9, 2020 Pages order to achieve healthy, biobgialy-iverse, and ildife-tienly forests and forest ecosystems. Forest ‘management practices on SC certified forests are designed to obtain a preponderance of older age trees, complex forest canopies and understoris, extensive riparian and wetland buffers, and imitations ‘on sie, location, and frequency of cuts. When applied tothe 7,000 ares of North Kitsap Legacy Partnership forestiands, the public willbe assured thatthe forest is managed with its natural, cultural, and hstorial values atthe forefront. Great Peninsula Conservancy recommends adoption of Forest Stewardship Counc certification on these forestlands. ‘At our meeting on Api, you mentioned your interest in establishing a Forest Stewardship Committee to oversee management of County forestlands, including the 7,000 acres inthe North Kitsap Legacy Partnership. We believe sucka committee could serve an important role in guiding community stewardship of forestlands. Great Peninsula Conservancy woud lke to have a representative serve on this committe. We believe we would bring technical expertise and conservation credentials tothe discussions. Additionally, GPC would ike to make a presentation tothe Fores Stewardship Committee describing the benefits of Forest Stewardship Counc certification and permanent conservation easements in safeguarding Kitsap County's forestland. While we understand that others are taking the lead in puting together 2 funding package to implement the North Kitsap Legacy Partrership, GPCis ready to asist in those efforts as the need arises. Great Peninsula Conservancy appreciates the opportunity to provide these recommendations for Implementation of the North Kitsap Legacy Partnership. Thank you for your consideration of our concerns and of our interest in becoming an actvepartiipant in the Partnership through holding conservation easement on the forestlands and serving on the Forest Stewardship Committe. sincere, Sirti ep liabetis Sandra Staples-Bortner Executive Director CC: Commissioner Josh Brown ‘Commissioner Chalette Garido ‘Great Peninsula Conservancy (www grestpeninsula.org) Ia private, nonprofit lane trust working to preserve forever the natural habitats, ural landscapes, and open spaces ofthe Great Peninsula a ‘region encompassing Kitsap, western Perce, and most of Mason counties, Washington. Great Peninsula Conservancy has protected over 2,00 acres of this spectacular region of west Puget Sound, inclu magnificent forests, untouched shorelines, salmon streams, and wilde ieh estuaries. The Conservancy's works fundec by its members, with support from community groups and public grants.