Is there Gig Harbor land you want to stay undeveloped? This nonprofit fund wants to know
People in Gig Harbor are worried about losing trees and wildlife habitat to development, they’ve told Councilmember Robyn Denson in recent years.
“On Facebook, whenever any parcel is clear-cut, you will see hundreds of replies from people who are upset or concerned about the loss of habitat in particular,” Denson said. “... For a long time I haven’t been able to say anything except: ‘Hang on, an announcement is coming soon.’ And now we’ve got an opportunity where everyone can contribute.”
A new nonprofit fund launched this month will help preserve undeveloped land in the city.
The Gig Harbor Land Conservation Fund, managed through the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, will be a tax-deductible way for people to donate.
“Right now, the fund is collecting contributions for future projects, which could exist anywhere in the greater Gig Harbor area,” Denson said. “Not just the city limits, but beyond as well.”
Work the city has done to preserve undeveloped land in the North Creek area is an example of the sort of preservation the fund will support, Denson said.
“We are in discussions with the city about a parcel of land right in the North Creek area as well,” Denson said. “It’s right in downtown.”
That parcel would be in addition to the 11.5 acres and 23 acres in that area that the city has already been working to purchase and preserve.
“We are on the lookout for other properties that the community would like to see conserved,” Denson said.
The grants governments and nonprofits go after for that sort of preservation work require matching funds, she said, which is where the new fund will come in for future projects.
When a nonprofit, park district or city identifies a property they want to preserve, the fund can help.
“The Fund may contribute dollars to serve as ‘matching funds’ for grants, for example for land purchases or conservation easements, or may contribute funds directly to escrow to support a purchase/easement by an eligible entity where a grant is not available,” its website explains. “All Fund recipient properties agree to record a restriction on title that ensures that the land will be kept in conservation forever.”
The fund’s board will make decisions about how to allocate donations.
“If we know that we’ve got the match ready to go, it makes our grant application so much stronger,” Denson said. “If an opportunity arises to secure a parcel of land that is otherwise going to be developed ... we want to make sure that we can jump right on that.”
Development in a growing city
The city grew by 5,000 people, 69 percent, between 2010 and 2020, a news release about the fund said. That meant development.
“We hope this fund grows quickly so that we can start saving more of our forests and critical stream habitat,” Jennifer Keating, a board member of the new fund and enrolled member of the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, said in the release. “When land has been clear-cut and developed, it’s simply too late — we’ll never get those trees back. The group has already identified a number of important parcels in Gig Harbor, the loss of which would be devastating for the character of our community and health of our ecosystem.”
There are six people on the fund’s board, including Denson.
“What can be a more meaningful legacy than to help preserve a forest or shoreline forever and ever?” board member Margarita Leas said in the release. “The lands conserved with the help of this fund will forever shelter animals, encourage plant-life and provide space for people to find respite and experience our area’s incredible natural beauty.”
Asked about balancing the need for preservation with the need for more housing in the area, Denson said the city needs both.
“Regionally, we all know that we need more housing at all levels of affordability, and that is something that the city is also really, really working on,” she said. “Even though we’re trying to conserve land, we’re not going to be able to conserve all of it. We’re really focused on key pieces that are in areas of development.”
She said there’s more to be done, but noted that Gig Harbor has exceeded its housing requirements under the Growth Management Act by about 800 units.
“We’re going to do our best to conserve the properties that the community feels are the most valuable for character as well as for the environment,” she said. “There’s still going to be housing developed.”
The land preserved through the new fund will be left natural, Denson said, with the possible exception of some low-impact trails.
“It’s going to be for habitat,” she said. “It’s going to be for people to get out around trees.”
They needed $10,000 to open the fund at the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation. They exceeded that in two days, Denson said, without public outreach.
Asked if they have a goal for how much they want to raise, Denson said they’ll continually fundraise to be able to support projects that come up, and may also do campaigns for specific projects.
“If they want to help preserve natural spaces in the Gig Harbor area, this is going to be the fund that is going to be able to help do that,” she said.
For more information, visit gigharborlandconservation.com.
