Aerial view of the Quimper Wildlife Corridor. Photo by John Gussman.
We’re thrilled to share that the Camilla Chandler Family Foundation has awarded Jefferson Land Trust a $2 million grant to support additional land protection in the Quimper Wildlife Corridor. This grant will catalyze a whole new phase of protection progress: supporting the next wave of property acquisitions, funding short- and long-term stewardship needs, matching public and community fundraising, and making it possible to add a new staff position to the Land Trust’s conservation team.
“This transformational grant from the Camilla Chandler Family Foundation helps us take a huge stride forward toward our goal of protecting the entire corridor, forever,” says Sarah Spaeth, the Land Trust’s Director of Conservation and Strategic Partnerships, who was hired more than 30 years ago to begin work on this project. “We’re extraordinarily grateful to the foundation for its investment in helping to preserve this essential natural refuge for our human community and the wildlife that call it home.”
“The foundation is a firm believer in the value of open space that can be protected from encroaching development,” says Alex Spear, a Camilla Chandler Family Foundation Trustee. “When these spaces are lost, they are lost forever to the detriment of wildlife and recreational value for people. As a long-time resident of Port Townsend, I am so appreciative of the work the Land Trust has done and continues to do to preserve and enhance special parcels of land for the benefit of all.”
Thousands of residents and visitors enjoy walking, biking, and birding each year on the miles of trails weaving through the Quimper Wildlife Corridor. Fresh snow inspired this young resident to try a different form of non-motorized transportation. Photo by Robert Tognoli.
Over the past few months, Jefferson Land Trust has closed on three properties totaling 1.5 acres of permanently protected land along some of Port Townsend’s most beloved trail corridors. While modest in size, these parcels are strategically significant. Two are located along key east-west and north-south connector trails that allow people to move through town on foot, horseback, or bicycle (and even by sled in the winter). Blue Heron Middle School and other educational programs use these trails for field experiences. Neighbors walk them daily, and riders and hikers rely on them as natural passageways from one part of the city to another.
One newly protected property sits at the junction of the 39th and Hendricks Street trails, preserving a native forest buffer of Western redcedar and Douglas-fir with a lush swordfern understory. Another lies within the 100-year floodplain that drains toward the Chinese Gardens at North Beach, helping protect wet forest habitat and the natural systems that filter stormwater and support wildlife.
These additions build on a surge of protection over the past five years. Since launching the Quimper Wildlife Corridor Challenge in early 2021, the Land Trust and partners have more than doubled the amount of permanently protected land within the corridor.
And there’s more to come.
Quimper Wildlife Corridor wetland. Photo by John Gussman.
The Hendricks Street trail corridor has emerged as a shared priority in ongoing conversations with the City of Port Townsend. Protecting forest buffers along this route supports wildlife movement, trail users, and long-term utility and stormwater planning. Recognizing both its ecological and infrastructure value, city partners have expressed strong support for continued conservation in this area.
In mid-January, the Land Trust mailed letters to 125 private landowners with undeveloped properties in priority areas of the corridor. Many of these parcels remain buildable under current zoning, and protecting them now is key to preventing fragmentation of wetlands and forest habitat in one of the city’s most important ecological corridors.
The early response has been encouraging. Nearly 20 landowners have already replied, with most expressing interest in learning more about how a potential sale or donation might work. Some have held their properties for years as long-term investments and are now considering the possibility of conservation. Others are exploring options such as bargain sales or outright donations that may provide tax benefits.
As always, the Land Trust relies on documented appraisals and independent review to establish fair market value before making any purchase offer. “We’re not speculative in how we approach this work,” says Conservation Project Manager Blaise Terhune. “We rely on qualified documentation and a clear process.”
A similar outreach effort in early 2020 helped catalyze the momentum that led to a significant increase in protected properties in the corridor over the last five years. The Land Trust is ready and eager to continue that progress.
The team is now preparing to apply for additional project funding through the state’s Urban Wildlife Habitat Program, administered by the Recreation and Conservation Office. This will be our third application for corridor funding. Previous grants in 2020 and 2022 helped secure key property acquisitions.
The grant requires at least a 50 percent funding match, and follows a multi-year review and legislative approval process. Applications are due in late April, with funding decisions anticipated in 2027. Over the coming years, we’ll be ramping up grant applications and community fundraising for this keystone project.
Pileated Woodpecker in Quimper Wildlife Corridor. Photo by Wendy Feltham.
If you notice new Land Trust signs or pink and blue flagging tape along corridor properties in the coming weeks, don’t be alarmed. Boundary marking is underway as part of our routine stewardship activities. Signs and flagging help Land Trust staff and trained volunteers monitor protected lands, safely undertake forest health work, and respond to emerging property needs. Please leave them in place.
With this exciting boost in funding, positive landowner response, and expanded staff capacity, the Quimper Wildlife Corridor continues to grow. Parcel by parcel, trail by trail, acre by acre.
Stay tuned as the next chapter unfolds!
On this map, the yellow line shows the Quimper Wildlife Corridor habitat area, the green areas show public parks and permanently protected land (protected by easement or owned by Jefferson Land Trust and other partners), and the yellow stars indicate entrances to the corridor.
