A project that began in 2021 was successfully completed on August 28, 2024 with the purchase of Phase IV of the North Creek Salmon Heritage Site, also known as the txʷaalqəł Conservation area. This area is the ancestral home of the sxʷəbabč people, a band of what became the Puyallup Tribe. In the Lushootseed language, txʷaalqəł means “place where game is found.” Check out this video from the Puyallup Tribe on proper pronunciation of txʷaalqəł.
The 11.5-acre expansion to the 50+ acre greenspace in Gig Harbor closed thanks to a community-led campaign and public-private collaboration among Great Peninsula Conservancy (GPC), volunteers from the Gig Harbor & Key Peninsula Land Fund and the City of Gig Harbor.
“This project exemplifies how governments, nonprofits, and community members can come together to accomplish meaningful conservation work that wouldn’t be possible alone. This project will protect vital salmon habitats while ensuring the community has greenspaces for recreation. We appreciate how easy it is to work with City staff as well as the Gig Harbor & Key Peninsula Land Fund, which recently joined GPC as a special committee,” said Nathan Daniel, Executive Director of Great Peninsula Conservancy.
This property protects undeveloped, healthy riparian forest habitat along 500 feet of North Creek (also known as Donkey Creek), which provides habitat for coho salmon, coastal cutthroat trout, chum salmon, and ESA-listed Puget Sound Steelhead trout. The property will also enhance the existing loop trail on the txʷaalqəł Conservation Area, currently known as the “Lushootseed Loop” and be owned and managed by the city along rest with the area encompassing the txʷaalqəł Conservation Are.
“We are deeply grateful for the efforts of Great Peninsula Conservancy, the Gig Harbor & Key Peninsula Land Conservation Fund, and Pierce County for making this acquisition possible. Their commitment to conservation aligns with our mission to protect and preserve natural areas, sustain local wildlife, and enhance the quality of life for our residents and future generations to enjoy. With their help, we were able to acquire this property without spending any monies from our general fund. This property will bring the city’s total of natural and conservation areas to 120 acres, which is unheard of for a small city like ours,” said Tracie Markley, Gig Harbor Mayor.
Great Peninsula Conservancy negotiated the sale between Walter and Carolyn Brooks of Federal Way and the City of Gig Harbor. Funding from the Pierce County Conservation Futures Fund, Gig Harbor & Key Peninsula Land Fund, The Russell Family Foundation, The Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation, Gig Harbor Rotary and the KGI Watershed Council made the purchase possible.
“The Gig Harbor & Key Peninsula Land Fund could not be more thrilled,” commented Fund Committee member Robyn Denson. “Our committee members have been heavily involved in all four of the phases of the txʷaalqəł Conservation Area and we are so thankful to the community for stepping up to conserve more than 50 acres of critical stream-side habitat. The residents of Gig Harbor are passionate about preserving the health and beauty of our natural environment. They are passionate about the trees, the animals, opportunities for natural/passive recreation and about the overall health of our lands and waters. Our residents put their passion into action and the results will benefit generations to come. We are so thankful to our donors, to the City of Gig Harbor for their leadership and to the Great Peninsula Conservancy for their partnership. This is truly a historic, legacy project for Gig Harbor and we are grateful for the opportunity to play a role in its success.”