$596,000 will help this Pierce County city finish preserving 50 acres of salmon habitat

The Pierce County Council recently approved funding for the fourth and final phase of the North Creek Salmon Heritage Site.

The final 11.41 acres marks an incredible achievement for Gig Harbor by ensuring that more than 50 acres of connected land along North Creek is protected in perpetuity.

The benefits of land conservation are numerous. As a baseline, conserving land preserves acreage for future generations and wildlife by protecting habitat and our water supply. Here that means critical, native habitat for chum and coho salmon, as well as steelhead and Endangered Species Act-listed Puget Sound cutthroat trout.

The conservation area is also historically and culturally important as part of the ancestral homelands and main village site of the original residents of the area.

While the additional acreage continues protecting North Creek’s habitat for juvenile and spawning fish, it’s also significant as the last undeveloped piece of property in the corridor between Gig Harbor’s wastewater treatment plant and houses to the north.

Securing it as a continuation of the conservation area is like laying the final piece of a puzzle. It ensures connected conservation of North Creek while protecting the last untouched stretch of land along it.

“The property has a lot of wetlands and a mix of different types of trees – both deciduous and evergreen – that completely cover the property,” said Jennifer Haro, Gig Harbor’s parks manager. “The mix of trees provides a healthier forest than some of the land we have that is all Douglas fir planted by lumber companies. The creek is also well-shaded with the trees and native undergrowth.”

While this final parcel is currently zoned R-2 (medium-density residential), the city is working with its community development department to consider the creation of conservation zones that these properties could be reclassified to during their 2024 comprehensive plan update.

Though it may seem like land conservation is at odds with housing demands, parcels that are best suited for conservation are often poor candidates for development. This conservation area squarely falls into this category based off of its land characteristics and the wildlife that depend on the habitat.

The additional acreage is no different with North Creek continuing to meander through it and the presence of wetlands; two factors that Haro said would make the land very difficult and expensive to develop.

“As an example, a developer would need to install a bridge over the creek to access most of the developable land, which is very expensive,” Haro said. “The wetlands and stream setbacks also cut into the amount of land that could be developed.”

$596,000 grant from Pierce County Conservation Futures

The Pierce County Council approved funding from Pierce County Conservation Futures in late September. The grant amount is $596,000 with a required match. The approval will allow the city to take the next steps with the current landowners and line up the additional required match funding, which the Gig Harbor Land Conservation Fund (GHLCF) will be helping to match.

Haro said their timeframe for these next steps and finalizing the purchase will be based on the availability of Conservation Futures funds, which will be available from 2024-2025.

The Conservation Futures program is funded through Pierce County property tax revenue and provides funding to preserve open space, wildlife habitat, timber and agricultural lands, and wetlands throughout Pierce County. Past funds have supported the creation of Gateway Park, Sehmel Homestead Park and Narrows Park.

Pierce County Councilwoman and GHLCF co-founder Robyn Denson said that GHLCF will be fundraising a total of $53,000 in matching funds for the Conservation Futures Grant.

“It’s our goal to build a large ‘conservation chest’ to have funds available to purchase properties,” Denson said.

This includes the matching funds for the final conservation area parcel, but also funds that enable GHLCF to move efficiently to conserve other properties.

Grant timeframes don’t always allow for an immediate purchase, so having funds ready to go could mean conservation success.

As Denson put it: “Most properties won’t wait years for grants to come in.”

The Gig Harbor Land Conservation Fund will be kicking off fundraising for the match soon. In the meantime, anyone interested in donating toward local land conservation can do so through GHLCF’s website at gigharborlandconservation.com.

Carly Vester has been writing an environmental column for The Peninsula Gateway since 2019. Her storytelling focuses on the intersection of people and the outdoors — from adventures across the west, to our environment and the rich history surrounding it. Her documentary films have screened internationally and her writing has been published locally and regionally.

This story was originally published October 31, 2023 at 5:30 AM.