County to help save Juanita woodland

By Keith Ervin
Seattle Times staff reporter

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A 2-½-year campaign by Juanita residents to save 36 forested acres from development is ending happily.

The Metropolitan King County Council's budget committee unanimously endorsed a $7 million deal yesterday to buy the land from the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which was prepared to sell the property to homebuilders if the deal had fallen through.

The full council is expected to approve the purchase soon.

The Denny Creek Neighborhood Alliance, which led the drive to save the land as open space and wildlife habitat, will pay $500,000 of the $7 million purchase price. King County will pay the remainder, but wants to be reimbursed for part of it later.

Separated by only a few houses from O.O. Denny Park, the woodlands will become part of a permanently protected natural area that stretches for five miles and includes Big Finn Hill Park, St. Edwards State Park and the Juanita Bay wetlands.

About 20 supporters of the woodland applauded the committee vote.

Cheryl Meyers, president of the neighborhood alliance, said supporters ranged "from the 8-year-old child who donated their pet-sitting money to the anonymous donor who presented us a $100,000 fund-match challenge."

"The community has done everything that we can," Meyers told the budget committee. "We've spoken loudly, we've spoken with our time and our resources and our finances to show our support for saving this particular urban wilderness. Now it's in your hands."

County Councilwoman Jane Hague, R-Kirkland, said the citizens group had done "stellar work without parallel." The land purchase is "one of the most far-reaching opportunities we've had to protect open space and vital linkages" for wildlife, she said.

The state DNR proposed in spring 2001 to sell the property for development of single-family homes. DNR once managed the property as part of the commercial timberland used by the state to fund public-school construction, but logging had become impossible in the heavily populated area.

Under state law, DNR was required to use the land to generate money for schools. In November 2001, the agency agreed to postpone sale of the property at the request of the citizens group, the county and the city of Kirkland.

DNR representative Howard Bronson told the County Council budget committee that Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland had taken a personal interest in finding a solution. The state Board of Natural Resources in August authorized DNR to strike the deal, which closes Jan. 4.

With the land costing $7 million and the neighborhood group kicking in $500,000, the county has agreed to cover the rest for now. The County Council already had budgeted $2 million of its conservation futures fund and real-estate excise tax proceeds to buy the land. The county will sell bonds to raise the remaining money; proceeds of the conservation futures fund will cover most of the debt.

The neighborhood group still must raise another $1.5 million in the next five years to partially reimburse the county. Otherwise, the county plans to sell up to five acres to pay a portion of its debt.

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com

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