the Divide Community Forest Opens with a Ribbon Cutting

Doug Maraist
2 days ago
1 min read

Spanning 467 acres of vital forestland, the Divide Community Forest (commonly referred to as The Divide) straddles the Grovers Creek and Gamble Creek watersheds and offers stunning views of both the North Cascades and Olympic Mountains. Purchased in December 2024, The Divide features diverse plant communities and a remarkable array of wildlife. The Great Peninsula Conservancy (GPC) will manage the property as a community forest, with the goals of creating an ecologically diverse, healthy, and climate-resilient forest ecosystem that provides opportunities for public recreation, environmental education, and sustainable revenue generation. The land includes the easement route of the Sound to Olympics (STO) Trail.

On Saturday, May 17, GPC celebrated the acquisition of the Divide Community Forest (click to read more) with a ribbon cutting event. This event featured a public tour of the property and remarks by Kitsap County Commissioner Christine Rolfes. In her role as Senate Chair of the Ways & Means Committee, Senator Rolfes was instrumental in securing $2.9 million in Community Forest funds for the project. Later, as Kitsap County Commissioner, she helped obligate $2 million in Kitsap County Conservation Futures funds for the project.

“GPC appreciates Commissioner Rolfes’ leadership helping to bring nearly $5M to this important community forest project,” said Nathan Daniel, Executive Director of Great Peninsula Conservancy. “This kind of partnership exemplifies how conservation projects get done.”