Community Environment Government
PenMet adding 39 acres to McCormick Forest Park
Hikers will have more nature to explore with the likely expansion of PenMet Parks’ McCormick Forest Park. A potential 38.6-acre acquisition from a private landowner would boost the park to 258 acres.
The purchase cleared a hurdle Tuesday, Aug. 26, when the Pierce County Council approved a $1,754,000 Conservation Futures grant. The state Recreation and Conservation Office already bestowed an $858,125 Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program-Urban Wildlife grant in July. Each award would satisfy matching fund requirements for the other, said Executive Director Ally Bujacich.
Courtesy of state Recreation and Conservation Office
PenMet plans limited development for the addition: Just a small parking area, signs and soft-surface trails. They would connect to the existing 4-mile trail network where possible.
McCormick Forest Park straddles Bujacich Road and Gig Harbor’s urban growth area. The east side is in the UGA. The west side, which includes the Rotary Bark Park, isn’t.
The potential park addition is on the west side. It runs alongside the city limit border and Latitude 47 industrial park, is across Bujacich Road from the women’s prison and abuts a southeast sliver of the existing park.
One of last large tracts in area
The grant application describes the property as mixed conifer-deciduous forest with 300 feet of a McCormick Creek tributary flowing through 25 acres of wetlands. The sale will safeguard one of the last sizable tracts of undeveloped land in the Gig Harbor region, and provide critical habitat for wildlife in the increasingly urbanized area, according to state grant application. Denizens include bears, river otters, deer, coyotes, raccoons and several migratory bird species.
Gig Harbor and Key Peninsula Land Fund members informed PenMet and the Great Peninsula Conservancy (GPC) about the property in 2023 after the owner expressed interest in selling it for conservation.
“One of our volunteers is a friend of the property owner (Carl Campen) and connected us,” said Robyn Denson, a land fund committee member and Pierce County councilwoman. “We invited everyone for a site visit, and we couldn’t be more thrilled it resulted in the conservation of 40 acres.
The property, on the right, borders on the east with Latitude 47 industrial park. Photo by Ed Friedrich
“The property is beautiful. The owner has taken really wonderful care of it. Given the property is adjacent to other PenMet properties, we thought this relationship would be a perfect fit. It will provide excellent expanded habitat and wildlife corridors.”
Bujacich met with Campen to learn more about the property, its history, and its conservation and recreation potential. She said it became clear that acquiring the land aligns with community priorities enunciated in the park district’s 2023 Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Plan.
Aligns with PenMet PROS plan
“Community members identified being close to nature as one of the primary reasons for visiting a park, walking and hiking trails as one of the most important amenities, and indicated there should be an emphasis placed on preservation of natural resources,” Bujacich wrote in an email.
Conceptual plan for the 39-acre addition. Courtesy of state Recreation and Conservation Office
Great Peninsula Conservancy will guide the purchase, including an appraisal and negotiations with the landowner. The Bremerton-based organization boasts expert staff dedicated to acquiring properties for conservation that its partner cities and park districts don’t.
“To offer that bandwidth to our partners is what we’re situated to do,” said Senior Conservation Project Manager Ali Querin.
Great Peninsula Conservancy handling sale
After completing a sales agreement, GPC will turn the property over to PenMet to own and manage for conservation and passive recreation. Bujacich said acquisition could be complete as early as 2026 or 2027. The proposed cost is $1.7 million, according to the state grant application.
GPC prefers to add acreage to an already-protected property.
“McCormick Forest is a wonderful, loved park, and being able to build on that and provide more access is always great,” Querin said. “From a conservation standpoint, having larger protected spaces buffers and protects those natural resources, which then creates healthier forests and healthier streams by protecting larger areas versus lots of small pieces spread out.”
The grant programs provide the means for landowners to affordably leave their property to the community.
A view of the Campen property. Courtesy of state Recreation and Conservation Office
“Generally, a lot of folks who are willing to work with us and wait this long are thinking about their legacies,” Querin said. “The Conservation Futures program is wonderful because it is an opportunity for us to purchase properties from landowners so that they can still have that legacy and create spaces for the community and our natural resources even if they’re not able to just donate a property flat out.”
More trails planned
PenMet announced in January that it budgeted $550,000 to enhance or add trails on the west side of Bujacich Road. The plan including some trails only for mountain bikes. After evaluating costs and public feedback, the district opted to do away with dedicated mountain bike trails.
The park district expects to hire a consultant by the end of September, according to the project webpage. The firm will perform conceptual planning and public outreach for multi-use trails from October through January. PenMet hasn’t determined a timeline for design and construction.
The Pierce County Council approved five other Conservation Futures grants Tuesday, including two to acquire property on Key Peninsula. The GPC will receive $930,000 to buy 77.5-acre Filucy Bay Community Forest near Longbranch. The conservancy will manage woods and wetlands for passive recreation and nature exploration, forest health and wildlife habitat. It proposes soft trails and parking.
Key Pen Parks gets $167,000 to purchase 38 acres to expand its 360 Trails and Gateway Park facilities and create a 530-acre block of protected land. The property includes 27 acres of wetlands and a Little Minter Creek tributary. Key Pen Parks proposes minimal work besides some trails.