Agate Passage Preserve

ABOUT

Friends of Agate Passage Preserve is a new volunteer group dedicated to assisting the Land Trust in achieving stewardship goals by helping with tasks on the preserve. To learn more and sign up, click here.

Questions? Please email Thea.

Agate Passage Preserve

In 2012 the Bainbridge Island Land Trust acquired a new shoreline preserve on the north end of the island. The property was purchased with private donations and grant funding from the Washington Recreation and Conservation Office and Salmon Recovery Funding Board, Puget Sound Partnership’s (PSP) Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration Fund and the Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program because of the intact shoreline, tidelands and riparian habitat. The project is approximately 12.5 acres that include 4.3 acres of tidelands, roughly 550 linear feet of undeveloped shoreline, and associated nearshore habitat. Protecting these properties has helped the Bainbridge Island Land Trust meet its goal of protecting habitat that supports multiple species of fish and wildlife and a broad range of ecological functions. The property will remain undeveloped, except for well-planned passive use including public shoreline access.

Why this property?

Bainbridge Island Land Trust’s conservation plan specifically identifies the protection of our shorelines as a priority for our organization. This project addresses that priority as well as PSP’s Puget Sound Action Agenda strategic initiative to protect and restore habitat to support salmon recovery. The preserve is a beautiful but sensitive site with extremely high conservation value. It has been identified as highly functioning nearshore habitat through the Land Trust’s shoreline analysis, the Bainbridge Island Nearshore Assessment, and the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project (PSNERP) shoreline analysis.

Along with extensive shoreline and nearshore habitat our Agate Passage Preserve includes 7.5 acres covered with mixed mature second growth forest, some open meadow areas, a non-fish bearing intermittent stream and wetlands. It also has incredible views of Agate Passage and the Olympic Mountains. We believe this property has incredible potential to help visitors connect with our natural world in a beautiful and intimate setting.

The preserve, along with adjacent Washington State Department of Natural Resources tidelands and a privately held conservation easement, provides for permanent protection of over 38 acres and 3,000 linear feet of nearly contiguous undisturbed shoreline.

Accessing the Preserve

Hours: Open sunrise to sunset

Parking: We recommend parking at Centennial Rotary Park and walking to the preserve. There is a small trail that leads North from Rotary Park and parallels the highway. The trail ends at Ada’s Will Ln. The entrance to the Preserve is approximately 400 feet up the small gravel driveway north of the bus shelter.

Please respect & protect this beautiful Island environment by adhering to the following guidelines.

  • Access by foot only – stay on trails
  • No dogs
  • No camping or fires
  • No clamming, fishing, or harvesting of plants or mushrooms
  • Pack it in, pack it out
  • Please do not trespass onto neighboring properties
Acres Protected

12.5 acres

Conservation Features
  • Undeveloped shoreline
  • 5 acre tidelands
  • Fish & wildlife habitat
  • Wetlands
  • Meadows
  • Second growth forests
  • Riparian habitat
CATEGORY
Land Trust Preserves, Public, Public