New parks, trails saved from development in Pierce County after $6.4M purchase
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Pierce County allocated $6.4M for six land conservation projects in 2025.
- Protected areas include prairies, wetlands and woodlands across key sites.
- Council split vote reflected tension between conservation and housing demand.
The Pierce County Council has approved a slate of new conservation projects that will restore prairies, add trails and protect forestland and wetlands.
Six Conservation Futures projects were approved on Aug. 27, totaling about $6.4 million. That includes a prairie restoration at Pacific Lutheran University, new hiking trails in the Waller-Summit area, 77 acres of protected woods and wetlands on the Key Peninsula, among other projects.
All four Democrats voted in favor of the resolution, and the three Republicans on the council voted against, expressing concern about conserving land in a time when Pierce County is in the housing crisis and needs to build more housing. All of the sites were listed as developable and for sale, according to county documents.
The Pierce County Conservation Futures program, established in 1991, preserves open spaces using funds collected by a tax levy. The Conservation Futures and Open Space Technical Advisory Committee conducted site visits and determined the eligibility of seven applicants that wanted to receive funding for their projects. The Conservation Futures and Open Space Citizens’ Board reviewed and recommended projects to the Pierce County Council.
What places will be preserved?
A $1.75 million funding request to preserve about 39 acres of undeveloped forest and wetland in the Gig Harbor Peninsula was approved. The site contains a tributary crucial for juvenile salmon habitat and “expands the matrix of protected forested land and the existing trail systems to provide [a] 219-acre habitat block,” according to the resolution. PetMet Parks will manage the restoration.
In Parkland, a request for $1.5 million to fund a 10-acre prairie restoration site at Pacific Lutheran University was approved. PLU will manage the property, and the park will be used for passive recreation and outdoor education opportunities, according to the resolution that was approved.
A request for $1.15 million to fund the conservation of 70 acres of the Muck Creek watershed in South Creek was approved. In addition to forested wetland, the parcel contains prairie and white oak savannah, according to the resolution. Passive recreation like bird-watching, research, education and volunteer activities happen on the site and the Nisqually Land Trust will manage improvements.
On the Key Peninsula a $930,000 funding request to protect 77.5 acres of woodlands and wetlands in the Longbranch area was approved. The Great Peninsula Conservancy will manage the restoration work and new soft surface trails for passive recreation and nature exploration are proposed, according to the resolution. The property is part of a larger conservation corridor connected to more than 250 acres between the site and Filucy Bay Preserve.
In the Waller-Summit neighborhood a $927,000 project was approved to protect about 13 acres of open space adjacent to the Pipeline Trail. The project will add five acres of passive recreation, including trails with an optional stream overlook. It will increase the tree canopy by 54% across the entire site, per the resolution. Pierce County Parks will manage the property.
The council also approved a $167,000 funding request by the Great Peninsula Conservancy to protect about 38 acres of undeveloped wetlands and forest in the Key Peninsula. The wetlands provide water to Minter Creek, which supports threatened steelhead trout and chinook salmon, and the purchase allows for walking and bike trail expansion, according to the resolution. Key Pen Parks will manage the property, and the purchase expands Key Pen Parks’ popular 360 Trails and Gateway Park property, building on a 530-acre block of protected land.
This story was originally published August 29, 2025 at 10:57 AM.
