BRINNON — A proposal that could expand Dosewallips State Park by up to 1,300 acres is in the early stages of discussion.

Washington State Parks, The Nature Conservancy, landowner and timber company Pope Resources, the Hood Canal Coordinating Council and other entities are working to secure grant money to allow the state to purchase the property south of the Dosewallips River.

The purpose is primarily to protect a segment of the river’s riparian corridor.

Robin Stanton, communications specialist with The Nature Conservancy, said the main intent would be to acquire property within 1,500 feet of the south bank of the Dosewallips River.

Dosewallips State Park is a 425-acre, year-round camping park with 5,500 feet of saltwater shoreline on Hood Canal and 5,400 feet of freshwater shoreline on either side of the Dosewallips River.

The proposal also would protect elk habitat where there are traditional tribal hunting grounds and open trail access to Mount Jupiter.

Three grant applications totaling about $2 million have been submitted to the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, the Recreation and Conservation Office and the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition.

“It’s still very preliminary,” Stanton said. “As far as the big picture, State Parks is proposing three grants and The Nature Conservancy is supporting it.”

The conservancy has had acquisition and preservation of the river corridor on its radar for about 10 years, Stanton said.

“It’s important for salmon,” Stanton said. “It’s important for salmon preservation.”

The river is habitat for all salmon species, she said.

John Shea, business development director with Olympic Resource Management, said Pope Resources owns 3,300 acres near the river in a separate block, one of the company’s most southwest properties on the Olympic Peninsula.

“We were approached by The Nature Conservancy,” Shea said. “They put together a loose coalition of potential buyers.

“It’s pretty early in the process, but we’re working cooperatively with every one.”

Jupiter Tract

Shea said the company was interested in selling the entire 3,300 acres known as the Jupiter Tract, not selling it off piecemeal.

Both Shea and Stanton declined to discuss specific real estate negotiations.

Shea said the company saw the site as “a nonstrategic piece,” part of which has been logged.

Some land is close to the river and some timber runs toward Mount Jupiter, south of the river.

The proposal is gaining support in Jefferson County.

Sara Spaeth, executive director of Jefferson Land Trust, said her agency could get involved.

“We’ve certainly been part of the conversation,” Spaeth said, adding she was unsure of what the land trust’s role would be.

If the state park system owns the property, she said, the land trust would have no role.

“We want to support the protection of the riparian corridor,” she said.

Jefferson County commissioners Phil Johnson and John Austin said they support the proposal.

“I’m in favor of expanding it, especially around the river,” said Johnson, who serves on the Hood Canal Coordinating County, which is also involved in the proposal.

Austin, whose district includes the Dosewallips River, said the advantage of state ownership is that trees grow back and the trail access would take hikers farther west.

“One of the nicest trails now ends abruptly” at private property, he said.

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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.