North Creek Forest forms green corridor connecting to North Creek wetlands and eventually to Sammamish River
“Prize the natural spaces and shorelines most of all, because once they’re gone, with rare exceptions they’re gone forever.” – Richard Louv, Last Child in the Woods
Imagine a large forested wetland with mature native trees, abundant flora and fauna in the middle of a fast-growing suburban city near Seattle. This green space connects to a creek, then a river that flows into Lake Washington and via a ship canal, to Puget Sound, providing a functioning salmon stream. Are we dreaming here? No. Remarkably, such a place still exists: The North Creek Forest in Bothell, Washington, a city of 30,000+people.
Located just a mile from City Hall in northeastern Bothell, North Creek forest encompasses 63.8 acres of undeveloped mature coniferous forest with nine distinct wetlands. It forms a one-mile long and 1/3-mile wide corridor extending from Canyon Park Junior High in the north to the North Creek wetlands by University of Washington Bothell Campus, and eventually to the Sammamish River. This green belt directly benefits fish, wildlife, birds and people who frequent the area. In addition, it provides less obvious but substantial “free public services” such as clean air, Carbon Dioxide absorption, fresh water, flood control and soil stabilization.
Since 2000, forest friends and neighbors have worked tirelessly to protect this land. Toward this end, last year they obtained a $200,000 matching Conservation Futures grant from King County. Two individual friends of the forest have since purchased six acres in the central portion of the forest to save it from development. The long-term goal is to safeguard the entire 63.8-acre natural area so that it remains a major green space for the benefit of Bothell’s citizens and others in the region.
Bothell’s slogan is “Bothell, a great place to live.” Bothell is currently undergoing a downtown make-over assisted by Vulcan Northwest. Saving North Creek Forest would compliment this effort by assuring access to quality green spaces and natural habitat within its city boundaries. If Bothell responds favorably to this opportunity, it will indeed be a GREAT place to live.
If you would like to help save this forest, write to: northcforest@yahoo.com
