Valley View Forest
Valley View Forest
Acres Preserved:
65
Year Conserved:
2024
Category:
Private Land, Wildlife Preserve
Natural Features:
The Valley View Forest property strategically links the upland working forestland on Chimacum Ridge and the permanently protected farmland in Center Valley that, in turn, is linked to the salmon habitat in Chimacum Creek.
– Erik Kingfisher, Director of Stewardship and Resilience, Jefferson Land Trust
A Birds-Eye View
Nestled between Chimacum Ridge, Center Road, and the rich agricultural valley below, lies Valley View Forest.
A resilient and diverse forest of western red cedar and Douglas-fir combine with bigleaf maple, sword fern, and huckleberry to create a thriving, dynamic landscape. The lush understory provides critical habitat for local wildlife, including coyote, Columbia black-tailed deer, and bobcat, while the forest offers refuge to a variety of birds.
One perennial and two seasonal streams on the property collect and filter water and important nutrients. These tributaries flow through the forest on their way to the vibrant agricultural valley and the west fork of Chimacum Creek below. Throughout Center Valley, the Land Trust has worked with many local landowners and a host of partners to protect farmland and creekside properties, as well as to restore habitat for endangered salmon.
The Significance of Valley View Forest in Chimacum
To learn more about Valley View Forest’s significance to the Chimacum watershed and our long-term community forest goals, check out this video featuring Erik Kingfisher, the Land Trust's Director of Stewardship and Resilience.
The Preservation Story
The 65-acre Valley View Forest was purchased in late 2018 from the Short Family. Jefferson Land Trust was in the first phases of protecting the adjacent Chimacum Ridge forest from development in partnership with the US Navy, Trust for Public Land, and the state legislature, when the opportunity to purchase Valley View Forest arose.
Recognizing the ecological significance of the property, and its importance as a critical connecting parcel between Chimacum Ridge and Center Road that offered the potential of future public access to the ridge above, the Land Trust moved quickly to acquire it.
Jefferson Land Trust opened Valley View Forest to the public in October 2020 for recreation and use as an outdoor classroom for the Land Trust's K-12 youth education program.
When the Land Trust successfully purchased Chimacum Ridge Community Forest in late 2023, the Valley View Forest property was added to the community forest and Land Trust staff members, contractors, and many dedicated volunteers began working to connect the trails between the two properties in preparation for opening Chimacum Ridge Community Forest to the public in the fall of 2025.
The Protected Property Today and Tomorrow
Serving as the entrance to Chimacum Ridge Community Forest, the Valley View Forest property has a parking lot and trailhead offering access to hiking trails, nature viewing areas, and an outdoor classroom (nature studies area) routinely used for school field trips and place-based education.
It also features a a stunning timber frame community pavilion, built with the help of dedicated community volunteers using trees harvested onsite at Valley View Forest. The pavilion’s design honors the trees: those that went into its construction, as well as those growing in the surrounding forest. With plenty of open space between the beams and a large skylight letting lots of natural light, the pavilion provides a tranquil shelter where school and community groups, families, and visitors of many ages and abilities can rest, reflect, and observe the beauty of the forest.
Visitors can access the community pavilion via a 525-foot wheelchair-accessible trail from the parking lot. The trail was built by our staff field crew with help from a Washington Conservation Corps crew. Our partners at DASH (Disability Awareness Starts Here!) helped with the initial site assessment and provided accessible guidelines (wide, packed gravel, no sharp turns or steep grades) for the trail's construction.
Our Vision for this Special Place
As part of Chimacum Ridge Community Forest this property will be managed for a balance of ecological, economic, recreational, and educational benefits.
Our community forest will model selective harvest forestry, contributing to the community’s economic vitality and the preservation of our rural landscapes and way of life.
This forest will provide a variety of community benefits, including:
- Preserving wildlife habitat and a diversity of plant
and animal life - Keeping our air clean, water pure, and night sky dark
- Protecting our local farms and food from runoff
and pollution - Stimulating economic development by providing a local source of timber for boat builders and specialty wood-products manufacturers
- Supporting partner nonprofits and local tribes with wood and harvests of non-timber products like cedar bark, cedar tips, and cranberries
- Creating new recreational opportunities for all — especially families
- Offering learning and programming opportunities
for students and school groups - Sequestering carbon
Special Thanks
Jefferson Land Trust offers special thanks for the support and partnership of the Valley View Family Trust, US Navy, US Forest Service Federal Community Forest Program, Washington State Legislature, Jefferson County Conservation Futures Fund, Hama Hama Company, Cross Charitable Foundation, an anonymous foundation, Horizons Foundation, Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation, James D. Scheinfeld Family Foundation, Trust for Public Land, Chimacum Corner Farmstand, and Finnriver Farm & Cidery.
We’re also deeply grateful to many individual community members for their generous personal gifts, hundreds of volunteer hours, and enthusiastic participation in helping shape the future of this community forest resource.
Visiting Information
Visiting Valley View Forest
Valley View Forest is a mix of big leaf maple trees, Western red cedar, and Douglas fir.