Dedicated NKTA members, volunteers, grants, donations and funds from local events have helped NKTA make progress towards its goal "To unite North Kitsap County with a regional trail system of land and water trails". Here's some good news:

• Kitsap County adopted NKTA's NK String of Pearls Trail Plan (2011)
• Kitsap County is studying the STO route between Miller Bay and Port Gamble Roads
• A NKTA led coalition created a Conceptual Site Plan for the Port Gamble trails, which provided a foundation for the County’s three 2014 grant applications, with a goal to acquire land for the STO trail corridor and a mountain bike Ride Park in Port Gamble.
• Bainbridge Island obtained grants for STO trail to High School Road.
• The Kitsap Peninsula Water Trail was recognized as a National Water Trail!
• Kitsap County acquired 534 acres and 1.5 miles of Port Gamble shoreline. By the end of 2014 the County expects to acquire the 366 acre NK Heritage Park expansion and GPC hopes acquire180 acres across from NK Heritage Park.

NKTA continues to promote land and water trails, trail events, advocate for safer bike facilities and the Sound to Olympics Trail. Our highest priority, after the STO trail corridor is acquired, is to work with the Kitsap Forest and Bay Project to conserve forest lands and miles of trails near Port Gamble. However, even if all three 2014 County grant applications are successful, about 3/4 of the Port Gamble trails and land are still unprotected. To promote the preservation of more land and trails at Port Gamble, the NKTA board supports the idea of an additional timber harvest rotation (and replanting a mix of native species), to decrease land acquisition costs.

North Kitsap's citizens care deeply about trails. The challenge is that trails cannot exist without public access to open space. Join us and help save the land and trails so future generations will have the opportunity to enjoy what we treasure. This is a once-in-forever opportunity.