Bulis Forest Preserve
Bulis Forest Preserve
Acres Preserved:
134
Year Conserved:
1996
Category:
Land Trust Preserve
Natural Features:
Activities:
Jan loved the forest. He loved to wander out there without a compass. We used to go out together and try to get lost and then find our way back, and doing that we found places around there that were very unique.
- Earl Kong, retired forester and friend of the Bulis family
A Birds-Eye View
Located just off Highway 20 south of Port Townsend, 134-acre Bulis Forest Preserve is a haven of natural beauty with a large swath of protected wildlife habitat and several unique features, including a pet memorial garden. The preserve is contiguous with Old Fort Townsend State Park and the Glen Cove conservation area, together totaling approximately 740 acres of open space.
Among the wonders in this preserve are a meadow that’s home to an enormous Scouler’s willow, thought to be one of the largest in Washington state; a historic orchard of cherry and apple trees; and a thriving second-growth forest where towering 100-year-old Douglas-firs, western redcedar, Pacific madrone, bigleaf maple, and red alder arch over an understory of native plants including rhododendrons and evergreen huckleberry.
At the pet memorial garden, visitors can stroll through the peaceful forest or rest on a bench while remembering their dearly departed companions.
The Preservation Story
After years of the Bulis family purchasing small portions of what eventually became a larger piece of forested land, Erika Bulis donated the preserve to Jefferson Land Trust in 1996 in honor of her late husband, Janis Bulis.
Janis and Erika’s shared love of animals is reflected in the generous donation of this land that supports so much local wildlife, including coyotes, black bears, woodpeckers, and owls. These values are further reflected in the 100 acres they set aside as a wildlife preserve area plus the two acres they set aside for the pet memorial — a place that’s become sacred to many.
Also in accordance with the couple’s love of forestry, 30 acres of the preserve were also set aside for timber and non-timber forest product harvest designed to help fund long-term stewardship of the entire property, its historic structures, the wildlife preserve area, and the pet memorial, while supporting forest health and resilience. Between 1999 and 2000, and again in 2014 and 2015, the Land Trust conducted selective harvests, opening up the forest’s canopy to provide sunlight and room for other trees — particularly western redcedar — to flourish.
In 2009, the Land Trust sold some of the carbon in the 28-acre working forest through the Northwest Natural Resources Group NW Neutral Program, the first sale of its kind in our area.
The Protected Property Today and Tomorrow
We continue to honor Erika and Janis’s extraordinary conservation legacy and uphold the primary conservation goals of Bulis Forest Preserve by supporting the property’s second-growth forest with regular monitoring and care. We have good structural and species diversity in both the preserve and in the working forest area, where we’ll continue to selectively harvest as needed.
Our stewardship staff, with the help of committed preserve stewards and other volunteers, regularly care for the land, monitor wildlife, and keep improving habitat conditions by removing harmful weeds.
Every 5-10 years, the Land Trust also conducts habitat health assessments on the property. These assessments, carried out with the help of volunteers, allow us to evaluate the ecological integrity and functions of forests and streams within the preserve and track the progress of our land management goals.
Visiting Information
Visiting Information
Visiting Bulis Forest
The public is welcome to walk the pet memorial loop trail, and to walk or bicycle the powerline trail. The wildlife preserve and working forest areas of this property are otherwise only open to guided access with Jefferson Land Trust staff members.