BI Land Trust secures Little Manzanita Estuary property
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Bainbridge Island Land Trust recently announced its successful closing for the Little Manzanita Estuary property, a rare nearshore ecosystem and one of only two remaining unaltered estuaries on the island.
To complete permanent protection, the BILT is launching a community effort to raise $425,000 through its Stand for the Land campaign. Reaching this goal will unlock a matching $425,000 state grant, doubling the impact of every gift and ensuring the shoreline is conserved forever, per a news release.
“Little Manzanita is the keystone for this model of uplands-to-shore conservation on Bainbridge – an intact estuary that filters water, supports salmon, and builds climate resilience,” said Cullen Brady, BILT executive director. “Our role here on Bainbridge Island matters to the broader regional effort to safeguard natural systems and wildlife habitats. We’re honored to have secured it and now ask our community to help lock in permanent protection”.
The 5.1-acre parcel includes nearly 1,200 feet of shoreline and 2.8 acres of tidelands that support the health of Puget Sound. The acquisition expands protections west of the land trust-owned Miller-Kirkman Preserve, connecting a conservation corridor of about 165 acres within the island’s largest watershed, from Manzanita Park down to Little Manzanita Bay.
“Protecting this estuary strengthens the entire food web,” said Gina King, conservation director. “Salmon and herring spawn here, feeding orcas, eagles, and shorebirds. Intact marine wetlands are biologically rich habitats that filter water, store carbon, and help shield our community from stronger storms and sea level rise impacts. A healthy estuary is critical for a healthy Manzanita watershed.”
Since 2018, Stand for the Land has added 166 acres across 10 properties, bringing a total of 1,604 acres of BILT-protected lands across BI, the release says.
