Nature, Brought to You by Our Partners in Progress

It's a little worse for wear but still holding up after more than two decades. The sign on the Kah Tai picnic shelter indicates the sources of government funding received by Port Townsend to acquire private lands and develop the Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park. The Department of the Interior (NPS), the Washington State Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation (IAC) and the incredible generosity of many local citizens created our oasis of tranquility. Let's honor those commitments and protect the Park in perpetuity for future citizens.

Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park Didn't Just 'Happen'

Excerpted from The Federal Land and Water Conservation Fund Program Manual: "The LWCF Act of 1965 was enacted...to assist in preserving, developing, and assuring accessibility...to outdoor recreation resources...to increase the number of protected state and local outdoor recreation resources and to ensure their availability for public use in perpetuity."

LWCF is intended to encourage sound planning and long-term partnerships to expand the quantity and to ensure the quality of needed state and local outdoor recreation resources. The LWCF State Assistance Program provides matching grants to States, and through the States to local governments, for the acquisition and development of public outdoor recreation areas and facilities.

Excerpted from the Project Description for the 1981 LWCF grant co-sponsored by the City of Port Townsend and the Port of Port Townsend that funded the purchase of private properties to develop the Park: "This acquisition project of approximately 78.5 acres through donation, land transfer, and purchase, is designed to consolidate under the ownership of the City the contiguous land along the perimeters of Kah Tai Lagoon, thereby enabling the City to plan and develop a municipal passive park around the Lagoon."

Citizens Support Natural Habitat, Park Survey Indicates

The Community meeting of the Parks, Recreation and Tree Advisory Board (24 June) was well-attended and citizens spoke up in strong support of preserving current natural habitat. The mail-in survey conducted earlier indicated that 94.5% of people who responded place a high value on parkland.

The 7th 'Whereas' in City Resolution 09-029 establishing the current PRT Board states:

'WHEREAS many elements of the Functional Plan remain to be implemented including master park planning for specific parks and acquisition of parcels of land to secure and expand Kah Tai lagoon nature park...'

For the complete resolution text, go to Resolution 09-029 to download it or read it online.

Rotary Invitation for Friends of Kah Tai, 27 July 2010

The Rotary Club of Port Townsend has invited the Friends of Kah Tai to make a presentation on 27 July 2010.

Parks/Rec/Trees Board meeting, 24 June 2010, 6 pm

Parks, Recreation & Tree Advisory Board – Community Meeting (Blue Heron School). Attend and show your support to protect Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park in perpetuity.

JTA board meeting, 18 May 2010, 1:30 pm

The next JTA board meeting will be at the Mountain View Commons on Tuesday. Come show your support for public transit in Jefferson County.

Protect Kah Tai Lagoon Nature Park!

If you would like to sign the petition to protect Kah Tai from commercial development, send an email using the contact link in the right column. If you would like to be on a Friends of Kah Tai email list, use the contact link to let us know.