This land in Gig Harbor could become 18 homes or be saved as 5 acres of salmon habitat
When the sun breaks, outdoor spaces surrounding Gig Harbor come alive. With a walkable downtown, surrounding trails and parks, and waterfront accessible to recreate on, it’s no wonder our area has seen significant growth and development in the last 10-15 years.
Put simply: the change is hard to miss. It’s apparent in traffic congestion, the number of people encountered anywhere we go, and in new housing developments underway. And while I won’t address every implication of area development, the Lorax in me is excited to see progress in preserving natural spaces during Gig Harbor’s continued expansion.
The Gig Harbor Land and Conservation Fund (GHLCF) was established earlier this year with the goal of preserving Gig Harbor’s natural spaces; from the lush, green forests to healthy salmon habitat. Excitingly, they are already working to support the city of Gig Harbor’s effort to conserve 5.15 acres just north of Donkey Creek Park for critical habitat, cultural heritage, and low-impact public trails.
The property is currently the site of a proposed 18-home development and new road. If it were to be developed as proposed, those with the GHLCF point out that stormwater run-off would flow directly into North Creek at Donkey Creek Park.
Residential stormwater run-off can carry habitat-damaging sediment and chemicals. This particularly impacts the North Creek Watershed where coho, coastal cutthroat trout, chum, and Endangered Species Act-listed Puget Sound steelhead trout have all been identified.
Each of these species use different parts of the watershed for spawning, egg rearing, and juvenile habitat. This means that both adults and juvenile fish would cross through the section of creek with stormwater run-off. Adult salmonoids would go up the creek to spawn and juveniles swim down the creek to enter Gig Harbor Bay and the greater Salish Sea.
‘Challenging to develop anyway’
With that in mind, residents may still have concerns about how land preservation – like this parcel slated for new housing – could affect the housing market. It’s no secret that Gig Harbor has felt the squeeze of limited housing inventory juxtaposed with the rising demand for homes.
As a recent homebuyer myself, the real estate market is not for the faint of heart right now. The reality is, the GHLCF is not going to be able to conserve land to the point of any measurable impact on housing prices. As Robyn Denson, chair of the GHLCF Advisory Board said: “That would take a whole lot of land.”
In more developed areas of our community, land worthy of conservation for open space and wildlife habitat is already in short supply, Dennis Moore, GHLCF board member explained.
“The Gig Harbor Urban Growth Area has naturally been a target of large housing development for some time, and in some cases, development has been done without enough regard for important watershed values. Protecting these natural values for future generations is a goal we must sustain,” Moore said. “If we are fortunate to be able to conserve larger properties in our urban area, it’s likely due to the critical importance of the property for habitat, which, by nature of what makes good habitat, is likely going to be property that is more challenging to develop anyway.”
And that’s probably why a seller would consider working with a conservation group to purchase their land. Ultimately, those with the GHLCF want a balance in our community between housing, amenities and nature. It’s important for the overall health of Gig Harbor – especially with more development coming.
“It’s important that people in our area have access to decent housing and it’s also important to protect the fragile environment in which we are so fortunate to live,” said Puyallup Tribe historic preservation staff member Jennifer Keating, who is a GHLCF board member. “The GHLCF is one part of a larger effort to make sure we are preserving enough of our natural areas to retain not only the beauty of our community, but to ensure equitable access to open space for the growing number of residents and to safeguard a place for our trees and wildlife to live.”
For the North Creek property, it’s clear that wildlife depends on this habitat. The land is also historically and culturally important as part of the ancestral homelands and main village site, txʷaalqəł, of the sxʷəbabč peoples, the original residents of the area. The Puyallup Tribe has confirmed that this area would have been vital to every day tribal life and has a high likelihood of additional archaeological findings/cultural resources. There are also multiple state-confirmed archaeological sites in the immediate vicinity, as noted by the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation.
The target closing date of the acreage by the city is mid-May. Those with the GHLCF are collecting pledges to reach their fundraising goal of $50,000 by April 30 and are also looking for volunteers to assist in organizing events, helping with graphics and photography, donor relations, and more. Information about donating or volunteering can be found on their website, gigharborlandconservation.com, or by emailing ghlandfund@gmail.com.
