We are delighted to share exciting news, in January Great Peninsula Conservancy (GPC) acquired the beloved Petersen Farm, securing 142 acres of prime agricultural land and vital salmon habitat in Clear Creek Valley. Through this acquisition, we’ll create an affordable farm leasing program to create farming opportunities for beginning and underserved farmers.
“GPC’s mission is three-fold; protecting land, stewarding that land, and connecting people to nature. By securing the Petersen Farm we accomplish all three of those goals. First, we will reactivate high-quality Kitsap farmland. Second, we will restore salmon habitat in Clear Creek. And third, we will extend the Clear Creek Trail northward, allowing trail users to enjoy the mental and physical health benefits of spending time outside.” says Nathan Daniel, GPC Executive Director. “This acquisition is a win for conservation, salmon habitat protection, and local farm preservation efforts.”
The property features 80 acres of prime agricultural soils, which is large by Kitsap County standards. The farm’s central location just off of the Trigger Avenue exit along State Route 3 makes the farm ideally located for low impact agricultural production. The Petersen Farm was identified as a priority farming area by the Kitsap Farmland Preservation Coalition in 2023.
The farm also boasts 3,000 ft of salmon-bearing Clear Creek, providing essential habitat for various salmon species, including coho, chum, cutthroat, and historically limited runs of ESA-listed steelhead. We are partnering with the Suquamish Indian Tribe to fund and implement critical stream restoration work. Projects include channel meanders, removal of reed canary grass, removal of artificial barriers (e.g., culverts) to fish passage that occur on the property, and replanting with a diverse community of native trees and other vegetation. These actions will add complexity to the stream and riparian habitats over time.
“This is a rare opportunity to protect and restore salmon and steelhead habitat for future generations in a significant floodplain reach of Clear Creek that would provide refuge for salmon in a changing climate and from encroaching development”, said Rob Purser, Fisheries Director with the Tribe.
Additionally, the farm’s location adjacent to the Clear Creek Trail provides an opportunity for future trail extension northward to Kegley Road, helping to better connect Central and North Kitsap communities. “GPC partners with Kitsap County to maintain much of the existing Clear Creek Trail, so extending the trail system makes sense,” says Daniel.
“The strategic acquisition of the Petersen Farm has been a long time in the making,” said Christine Rolfes, Chair of the Kitsap County Board of Commissioners. “By preserving working farmland, protecting Clear Creek, and expanding trail access in central Kitsap County, GPC will greatly improve our community’s quality of life.”
The land’s farm history dates back to the 1880’s, when it was homesteaded by the Levin and Holms families. Purchased in 1948 by the Petersen Family, the land remained a working farm for decades, first operating as a dairy and later raising beef cattle. In 1956, the Petersen family was named Kitsap County’s Conservation Farmers of the Year by the Bremerton Junior Chamber of Commerce. With a passion for preserving the farm’s legacy, Gerald Petersen included instructions in his will that the land remain a working farm.
“As one of the last pieces of open space in the Clear Creek Valley, the Petersen Farm is well-known and supported by the local community,” says Daniel. With the help of many community groups and individual donors, in 2014, GPC placed an agricultural conservation easement on a majority of the farm. “The easement protected the property from subdivision and development, but did little to activate the farm, restore Clear Creek, or extend the trail,” said Daniel.
Looking ahead, we’re excited to partner with Kitsap Farmland Preservation Coalition, Kitsap Conservation District, WSU Kitsap County Extension, Business Impact NW, WA Farmland Trust, and others to develop an affordable farm leasing program that provides farmland access for beginning and underserved farmers.
“Kitsap Conservation District is excited Great Peninsula Conservancy has reacquired the historic Petersen Farm! Preserving this farm is an important step in securing land for future generations of Kitsap’s farmers,” says Albert Allpress, Board Chair of the Kitsap Conservation District. “The District looks forward to working with GPC and assisting farmers working this land to manage natural resources and accomplish their farming goals.”
The $1,790,700 purchase was made through Kitsap Conservation Lands, LLC (KCL), a wholly owned, but separate and independently operated entity of GPC. This purchase was funded through a loan from the WA State Housing Finance Commission’s Farm Protection & Affordability Investment (FarmPAI) loan program, along with contributions from the Petersen Estate and a major private donation. KCL and GPC will seek additional funds to repay the loan through grant programs and community support.
For more information, reach out to Samantha Hale, Communications Manager, samantha@greatpeninsula.org, 360-373-3500 ext. 108 or or Nathan Daniel, Executive Director, nate@greatpeninsula.org, 360-373-3500 ext. 101.