Forty acres of forest, with abundant wildlife and trees upwards of 100 years old, are in imminent danger in our own community. Save the Juanita Woodlands is a DCNA project focused on saving the Juanita Woodlands for future generations.

The Juanita Woodlands, located south of the intersection of Juanita Drive and Holmes Point Drive in unincorporated King County, are held in trust by the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for the purpose of generating school construction funds. Economic pressures have forced DNR to put the woodlands on the market, and if we can't raise the necessary funds to save them from a private developer, the forest will come down and as many as 160 houses will go up.

The Save the Juanita Woodlands team has been working since 1996 with the intent of preserving this public property, now known as Juanita Woodlands. In spring of 2001 the situation took on a new form of urgency when the alliance learned that the property would be sold.

Our goal is to acquire the entire 40 acres in order to establish an urban woodland preserve and natural space for conservation of wildlife habitat and the Lake Washington watershed. Preserving the Juanita Woodlands will present future generations an opportunity to experience the original environment of what has become a densely populated urban area.

Accomplishments

DCNA on track with pledge payments
King County purchased the Woodlands as green space largely because we promised to raise $500,000 by January 2008. We contributed an initial $100,000 in early 2004. And in early 2006, we made an additional payment to the County of $200,000, right in line with our commitment. Our community’s ability to work effectively with elected officials depends on our credibility, so we are deeply grateful to all of you who have contributed on behalf of the Woodlands. We’re especially thankful to Woodland supporters who have made multi-year pledges and are continuing to follow-through with annual payments. Pledge reminders will be hitting the mail soon, so please keep an eye open for them. Remember: we still have to raise $200,000 over the next 18 months, so we’re not yet “out of the woods”.

State Senator Fairley Secures Woodlands Funding
DCNA also agreed to help the County find an additional $1.5 million to replenish the Conservation Futures Trust fund, which was used to buy the Woodlands. We’ve met on several occasions with our district’s legislators to explore the possibility of state grants. And we are very pleased to report that State Senator Darlene Fairley secured $275,000 in the state’s 2006 supplemental capital budget for the Juanita Woodlands. The state money that Senator Fairley obtained this year is an important first step in helping the County meet its funding objectives. Hopefully, we’ll be able to obtain additional
state support in the next legislative session, when a full 2 year capital budget will be approved.

How you can help

We are pursuing a number of avenues to save the Woodlands from development. However, because we have less than a year left, most legal or governmental avenues are unlikely to lead to a full solution in time. Consequently, our best hope is for you to donate or pledge funds to help us purchase the Woodlands and secure them as a nature preserve for future generations. You can also help us by volunteering. The DCNA is an active neighborhood association that has been very successful in enacting positive changes in our area, such as developing the salmon ladder on Denny Creek and working with local government to protect and improve O.O. Denny and Big Finn Hill parks. We always need more helpful hands and creative minds. Come meet your neighbors and get involved!

• To email us for more information on how to volunteer, click HERE. (volunteer@juanitawoodlands.org)

For more information about the Save the Juanita Woodlands project, visit www.juanitawoodlands.org.