History:

The South Kitsap Parks and Recreation District was established in 1979 to manage South Kitsap Community Park, located at the corner of Jackson and Lund. South Kitsap Community Park is the District's principal and largest park.
A campaign began in 1976, as local community members rallied to save this 200-acres of Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) land from developers and to set it aside for park recreation.* A 1979 special levy was passed to purchase 100 acres for $709,000. Through land trades with Kitsap County, the community was able to save all 200 acres for park designation with the South Kitsap Parks and Recreation District retaining deed to approximately 100 acres. The balance of the land was leased from the county at a rate of $1 per year, to be used for park purposes. According to a citizen's group, "The first levy passed, bringing enough revenue to pay for half of the land. The following levy failed, but members of the community made a survey of all the patches of land in Kitsap County belonging to the county, and came up with a plan to trade them to the State Department of Natural Resources for the park. The transfer of property from one agency to the other, whereby Kitsap County obtained possession of the park took place on December 19, 1986."

Our Vision:

Our vision is for a family and neighborhood park that is used by the community, and the community is responsible to host a variety of activities. A paid staff will help South Kitsap Parks and Recreation District meet community needs more readily, and someday there will be a community center.

The South Kitsap Parks and Recreation District currently receives no tax support, and the operations budget relies on activity fees and donations. The District depends exclusively on volunteers to coordinate parks operations and maintenance.
The 2003 goals are to rejuvenate the parks' culture, natural systems, recreational uses, and funding