DNR forest land completes Newberry Hill Heritage Park
December 9, 2011 · 6:53 PM
The state Board of Natural Resources Tuesday approved the transfer of a 304-acre parcel of state trust-owned forest to Kitsap County, according to a release from the state Department of Natural Resources.
The land will be managed by Kitsap County Parks and Recreation and fills the hole in Newberry Hill Heritage Park near Silverdale.
Volunteers on a stewardship committee have been making improvements to the park.
The process of piecing together the 1,100-acre park began in 2004 when the county acquired 247 acres in the northern area of the park and in 2009, received 520 acres of the southern parcel. The third portion the county acquired is just south of Klahowya Secondary School.
Because the 304-acre parcel was state forest trust land, the state took over managing it and the county benefitted from the funding earned off of it. Under state law, a county may request the transfer of state forest trust land to county ownership if it is for public park use.
In June 2010, the Board of County Commissioners approved a master plan of the park, which included the 304-acre parcel. The plan includes new parking lots, trail heads, and an outdoor classroom near Klahowya and a children’s play area.
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