Vic Ulsh and Jim Aho will speak about The Illahee Preserve, a Kitsap County Heritage Park.

Jim Aho is originally from South Dakota and came to Kitsap in 1968 to work as an engineer for the US Navy.  Jim spent over 33 years serving both Puget Sound Naval Shipyard as a project engineer and PERA-CV modernizing aircraft carriers.  After retirement in 2001 he fully immersed himself in service to the greater Illahee community.  He has been an Illahee Port Commissioner since 2012.  He was a leader in transitioning the care of Illahee Preserve to volunteers which has been the case since 2004.  Jim also started the Illahee Forest Preserve 501(c)(3) non-profit for the purpose of independently pursuing acquisitions of land adjacent to the Preserve.  Thru Jim’s relentless efforts seeking grants, raising funds in the community, and negotiating for purchase from property owners, Jim has been the catalyst for expanding Illahee Preserve from the initial 352 acres up to the current 600 acres.  His efforts to expand continues today.   

Vic Ulsh spent 38 years working with commercial real estate in Kitsap County.  Since 2004 he has served in a volunteer capacity as chair of stewardship for Illahee Preserve.  It is fair to say that over these past two decades 97% of the maintenance and management of Illahee Preserve has been accomplished by volunteers.  It’s a pretty remarkable success story for community engagement. 

(Below is from the Illahee Preserve Website)

Native Americans called Illahee “a place to rest,” and treasured the forest abundant with wildlife, Douglas Fir, Red Alder, Maple and Western Red Cedar. In approximately 1732 a fire of unknown origin opened the canopy, allowing Western White Pine and Western Hemlock to sprout up among the more established species. Time passed, the forest recovered, and the natives returned to rest. Soon immigrants came and homesteads were established. A 640-acre piece of this land became the Illahee Trust Land by federal decree. Timber companies clear cut most of the trees in the 1930’s. Some of the Douglas Fir and Western White Pine were spared, however, and they stand majestically as 275-year-old specimens today. Over the years various efforts were undertaken to clear cut this forest again and develop it for commercial uses. A 25-year local campaign convinced farsighted government leaders and agencies to designate the land as park and preserve. Today, the all volunteer Illahee Preserve Stewardship Committee works hand in hand with Kitsap County Parks and Recreation and the Illahee Forest Preserve non-profit to manage this precious urban reserve.

• 570 acres of preserve lands.
• Approximately five miles of trails in the active use area of the Preserve.
• Wildlife – including over 55 species of birds sighted by the Kitsap Audubon Society.
• Portions of Illahee Creek, a fish-bearing stream containing coho, chum, cutthroat and steelhead.
• Major parts of a nearly self-contained, undeveloped watershed draining into Puget Sound.