The rare undeveloped Lake Washington shoreline is a critical wildlife corridor
Sept. 25, 2024 KENMORE, Wash. – Forterra has facilitated the purchase of a rare undeveloped stretch of land along the Lake Washington shoreline for the expansion of Saint Edward State Park in Kenmore. Forterra and Washington State Parks secured grant funding through the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program administered by the State Recreation and Conservation Office to transfer property near Arrowhead Point to State Parks. Forterra simultaneously acquired a conservation easement to provide an additional level of protection, preventing the land from ever being developed.
Arrowhead is a 6.46-acre parcel along the northern boundary of Saint Edward State Park. The transaction facilitated by Forterra enlarges this beloved urban park while enhancing its critical refuge for wildlife.
The hilly terrain showcases mature native forest of diverse species, providing critical habitat within the city of Kenmore. It adjoins a network of parks that is home to a surprising variety of animals – including bobcat, flying squirrel, long-tailed weasel and river otter. Its streams historically have supported Chinook, coho and other salmon species.
“Arrowhead has been a conservation priority for Forterra as one of the last unprotected parcels of wildlife habitat on Lake Washington’s northeastern shoreline. By partnering with State Parks, King County and the state RCO, we’re expanding this rare experience of nature in a highly urban and developed part of King County,” said Forterra President and CEO Michelle Connor. “This is the largest and most vibrant mature forest ecosystem in the entire Seattle Metro. Nearly every species present before European settlement has been documented to persist within the park today,” Connor added.
The addition of Arrowhead to Saint Edward State Park builds upon the existing connection to Big Finn Hill Park and O.O. Denny Park where Forterra owns the adjacent Denny Creek MacDonald Memorial Preserve. It adds to the integral natural area separating increasingly dense residential and commercial communities in the City of Kenmore and the Juanita neighborhood of Kirkland. Arrowhead’s buffer will prevent habitat loss from development and protect water quality in a rapidly growing region.
While offering one of the region’s best nature walks, Saint Edward Park also provides educational benefits. The University of Washington, Bothell uses Saint Edward State Park for its wildlife research study.
Future plans include Forterra monitoring the conservation easement and working with State Parks on periodic restoration projects to remove invasive plant species.
In addition to funding from the state RCO, funding also was provided by King County Conservation Futures and the King County Cooperative Watershed Management program.
