Effort to preserve tree farm acreage west of Bremerton lands Forest Service grant

David Nelson for the Kitsap Sun
September 4, 2025

A forest conservation project in Kitsap County was one of just eight nationwide selected for a recent round of U.S. Forest Service grants, moving ahead a process aimed at preserving public access, forestry and habitat on timber land east of Green Mountain.

The Great Peninsula Conservancy will receive $600,000 toward an ongoing effort to establish what is formally known as a community forest, similar to GPC's 202-acrea Newberry Forest, outside Silverdale, and a 467-acre parcel known as The Divide, in North Kitsap. The community forest model sets aside timber land for public activities, like trails, while also preserving some forestry and selective logging, done with community input and planning.

The potential Green Mountain East Community Forest, as the project is referred to in an announcement issued August 25 by the U.S. Forest Service, could potentially include up to 350 acres of private forestland just west of Bremerton, known as the Ueland Tree Farm. Still operating as a working forest, some of the trails on Ueland property are open for non-motorized public use, including a popular one from Lebers Lane, just off Northlake Way, to the Dickerson Falls, along Dickerson Creek. Both GPC and Ueland confirmed that the Dickerson Creek watershed and surrounding area is of high interest to protect through the conservation process.

"These forestlands adjacent to the City of Bremerton and its Urban Growth Area are well-suited for the community forest model, which will help to preserve critical habitat and wildlife corridors, protect the existing trail system for continued public recreation, and engage local community members and partners in forest management planning," Monica Montgomery, conservations projects manager for Great Peninsula Conservancy, said in an email.

Montgomery and a representative from Ueland confirmed that the two are in negotiations about the community forest concept, though any formal agreement or purchase is likely years away. GPC has been awarded at least two Washington state Recreation and Conservation Office grants, in addition to the recent U.S. Forest Service award, though the organization continues to apply for additional grants and do other fundraising to complete the acquisition.

"The idea is to conserve the tree farm long-term for the community," Mark Mauren, chief operating officer for Ueland Tree Farm, said in an interview with the Kitsap Sun.
Mauren said that Craig Ueland, who purchased the 1,700-acre tree farm in 2004, wants to preserve the capacity of a working tree farm into the future while also conserving as much of the land as possible for appropriate public use.

A 440-acre portion of Ueland Tree Farm land that is included in the Bremerton Urban Growth Area, where residential development is intended to materialize, is in the planning stages for future development, Mauren said.

"They're going to protect what needs to be protected," Mauren said, speaking about GPC's understanding of high-value habitat and watershed areas.

The Divide in North Kitsap was formally acquired for $6.4 million as a community forest earlier in 2025, with about $5 million in state and county funding, as well as a $600,000 U.S. Forest Service Community Forest Program grant. The Divide straddles the Grovers Creek and Gamble Creek watersheds, and is adjacent to the Port Gamble Forest Heritage Park, creating a 5,000-acre wildlife corridor north of Poulsbo. Tours, planning meetings and surveys have gone on during 2025 to gather community input on stewardship and conservation plans.

Newberry Woods Community Forest was acquired in 2022 for $3.5 million, which included a partnership with the Navy, and is located just north of the county's Newberry Hill Heritage Park.

The eight projects funded in this round of competitive Community Forest Grants by the Forest Service were spread across the country, and the Kitsap grant was one of just four at the $600,000 amount, along with projects in Mississippi, New Hampshire and Ohio. The total amount in the program's 2025 cycle was $3.1 million.

“The Green Mountain East Community Forest represents the power of partnerships to meet both conservation and community needs,” said Jacque Buchanan, regional forester for the Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Region. “By conserving these working forests, we’re ensuring they continue to support local jobs, provide timber, and offer generations of Washingtonians a place to hike, explore, and connect with nature.”