Friends of Harper Pier - October 2022

Harper Pier is golden - a community treasure worth protecting!

After rushing through a feasibility plan to moor Fast Ferries at Harper during the fall of 2021, and receiving STRONG community opposition, Kitsap Transit stated that they would evaluate the possibility of mooring Fast Ferries at Southworth. Since then, no studies have been presented to the public, other than stating that parties are meeting to study the feasibility.

On October 20, 2022, Kitsap Transit released a draft Long-Range Transit Plan 2022-2042. Looking under Operating facilities for ferries, the part pertaining to Southworth fast ferry reads:

• Southworth Ferry Mooring: A moorage facility near Southworth for fast ferries.

It reads “NEAR Southworth instead of AT Southworth.” Kitsap Transit is still keeping Harper Pier on its list of possible moorage locations.

We must remain vigilant and continue to make our voices heard. Harper Pier is not an industrial site and not a smart choice for a ferry moorage/light maintenance facility. The Pier is a recreational pier in an ecologically sensitive area.

The next Kitsap Transit Board Meeting is November 1.

We need to continue to show our community's awareness and widespread concern.

Please send a letter, email, or call to the Kitsap Transit Board of Commissioners. It is super easy as you only need to send or call the Clerk of the Board, Stephanie Milne-Lane, at 360-478-6230 or stephanieml@kitsaptransit.com. All letters/emails/calls will be entered into the meeting minutes of the next Kitsap Transit Board Meeting. You do not need to email each board member.

You may also want to attend the Board meeting, the link is available at the end of this newsletter. Board meetings are held using Zoom. When you attend you can see and hear the meeting, but you will be muted. At the end of the meeting, the Chair of the Board will ask if there is any public comment. “Raise your hand” in Zoom, and you will be called on. Each commenter is allowed 3 minutes to address the Board. You are making comments to the Board, it is not a conversation, but it is very important that the Board frequently hears from a wide range of people concerned about the Pier.

Another opportunity to voice your opinion is at the Kitsap Transit 4th Qtr Community Meeting on November 5.

Voice your opinion, ask a question or possibly have a conversation with Director John Clauson. Saturday, November 5th, join a Zoom call with Director Clauson. Details can be found by clicking here.

Please make your feelings known to Kitsap Transit that Harper Pier is not an option for moorage or light maintenance of the Fast Ferries.

“In 1958, a group of the Harper-Southworth Community Club members got together with the Port of Bremerton and they let us tear down the old dock and use the old pilings to build a wooden dock for a fishing pier. The idea behind it was to have a recreational facility there that would benefit the whole South Kitsap community. Which it has.

I want to see the Harper Pier used as a recreational facility. We did the work to get the recreational fishing especially and pleasure docking.”

Bill Murtha

October 2021

Watch the full interview with Bill Murtha here.

The Harper Pier float has made its fall cruise to Bremerton where it will be stored safely away from winter storms. Expect to see it return around the opening of boating season 2023.

Changing views at Harper Pier

August reflective sunset with some smoke

Blake Island and the central basin of Puget under August fog blankets

Spectacular September sunrise

October smoke haze engulfed Puget Sound but didn’t stop transient Orca pod T36b from hunting in Yukon Harbor and Colvos Passage.

Harper Estuary News

The 2023-2025 Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board, an advisory board of the Washington Legislature, approved the ranked project list dated 8/16/2022. Harper Estuary Barrier Correction (Harper Estuary Bridge) is Project #7 of 102.

The next step is for the governor to build a budget for the 2023 legislature and then the 2023 legislature appropriates funding. Projects are funded in order as funds allow.

The Kitsap County Commissioners board approved the State Department of Ecology grant for $132,000 for the Harper bridge and estuary restoration project This grant will fund a survey of the area for slope easements and a DNR lease agreement.

Harper Park

In early August, the HARPER PARK STEWARDSHIP GROUP met to enjoy a tour of the trails and clay pit with James Heytvelt sharing the history of the Harper Brick Factory and the Park.

Harper Park Stewardship Group

Talking about the clay mining from the south side of the pit. There are plans for an interpretive sign explaining the history.

The viewing area on the north side will likely have fencing added and an interpretive sign in the future.

Jim Heytvelt explains the location of the Harper Brick Factory in the early 1900s.

At the late August HARPER PARK WORK PARTY, dedicated Harper Park volunteers, along with Kitsap Parks liaison, Sam Holwrath, cleared Scotch Broom from the estuary beach, cleared brush around the benches, cleaned out ivy, and picked up bricks out of the estuary for two hours. Jim Heytvelt then took advantage of the low tide to show everyone around the back of the estuary. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO GAVE A FEW HOURS OF TIME TO HARPER PARK.

Kitsap Parks coordinates Work Party dates at many of the County Parks. As this newsletter, there is no Harper Park Work Party scheduled; but the Volunteer Calendar can be found here if you want to keep watch for other opportunities.

Tracking down the Scotch broom.

On to the next work area.

Like many people, James is always picking up litter, keeping the shoreline healthy.

Sam Holwrath, Kitsap Parks, picking up another few buckets of old Harper bricks. When the brick factory was demolished, the bricks were pushed into the estuary. Their collection is a never ending process as they work their way up to the surface.

Puget Sound may be the second largest estuary in the contiguous United States by area (after Chesapeake Bay) - but it's the largest estuary by water volume. Check out this fantastic article from the Encyclopedia of Puget Sound to learn about different types of estuaries, why they are important, and how the deep basins of the Sound were carved by glaciers thousands of years ago.

Miscellaneous Topics and Events

Kitsap County Public Works recently completed a culvert replacement project on SE Olympiad Drive in South Kitsap. Two deteriorating concrete culverts were replaced with a concrete box culvert. This new culvert will enhance stream function and fish passage to Puget Sound and improve traffic safety. Click here to watch a time-lapse video of the installation.

On Saturday, November 5th, the Great Peninsula Conservancy is hosting the annual Kitsap Salmon Tour where you can watch the salmon run.

The free event is from 10am-2pm, at multiple locations around Kitsap County. You will find GPC staff at the Clear Creak Trail Ridgetop Pavilion, along with salmon docents and volunteers to answer all of your salmon-related questions. Visit the salmon tours website for all details.

Just a hint of Harper history in this article, “Old Olalla missile site now just a blip on community’s radar” in Gig Harbor NOW.

“The base’s activation by Army regulars in 1958 rendered obsolete the anti-aircraft batteries in Harper and Manchester where the two young National Guardsmen served. When the Army turned Olalla over to the Guard in 1959, they transferred.”

The anti-aircraft site at Harper was up above Harper Park in the Scatterwood Road area. At first arrival the troops camped on the Harper Park ball field. Their permanent buildings were in the area of Inlet lane and View Sound Road.

You’ll find the article here.

A fishing report from one of Harper’s fishermen: “Currently squid fishing is hot. Salmon fishing is slowing down. Always good for flounder and sea-run cutthroat trout. This year’s salmon season was really good!”

Beautiful catch by Nick Fox!

With tending and care, our soils produce also!!

Farmer Extraordinaire Stan Quinn, with 360 pounds of pumpkin!

Facebook, Website & Email

While our Friends of Harper Pier Facebook group has existed for 10+ years, in 2021 a website was created to highlight the many aspects of the Harper Pier community, recreational activities, and area history, and to present and discuss our advocacy on the Kitsap Transit Moorage issue. The website is also beneficial as a place to hold history and albums of photos. It also allows Friends of Harper Pier to provide information to Friends who do not use Facebook.

Click here to explore WWW.FRIENDSOFHARPERPIER.ORG

To send notices and timely announcements out to Friends of Harper Pier, we now keep an email list. You can sign up here. (Duplicate sign-ups are not a problem. If in question, sign up again.)

Please make sure that FOHPier@gmail.com is in your contacts so the newsletters, like this, don’t end up in your spam folder, or another folder such as promotions. Email servers often filter email, but we hope you will want to see our newsletters in your Inbox.

Upcoming Events

Kitsap Transit Board of Commissioners Meeting
Tuesday, 8:30 - November 1, 10:00 AM, Zoom

Kitsap Transit Board 4th Quarter Community Meeting
Tuesday, November 5, 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, or 1:30 PM. Zoom. The 1:30 PM section is focused on South Kitsap transit issues, but you can attend any session. Click on the link to register.

Port of Bremerton Commissioners Meeting
Tuesday, November 8, 10:00 AM, Zoom

Kitsap Transit Board of Commissioners Meeting
Tuesday, November 15, 8:30 - 10:00 AM, Zoom

Port of Bremerton Commissioners Meeting
Tuesday, November 22, 6:00 PM, Zoom

Kitsap Transit Board of Commissioners Meeting
Tuesday, 8:30 - December 6, 10:00 AM, Zoom

Port of Bremerton Commissioners Meeting
Tuesday, December 13, 10:00 AM, Zoom

Kitsap Transit Board of Commissioners Meeting
Tuesday, 8:30 - December 20, 10:00 AM, Zoom

Photo Credits:

Carrie La Jeunesse - Golden Pier

James Heytvelt - Harper Pier float

Rebecca Arnold - Foggy Blake Island

Molly Rainey - September Sunrise

Noelle Morris - Smoky Orca

Jason Boddy - Smoked salmon

Nick Fox - Harper Pier catch

Joy McFate Lee - remaining photos

Questions or comments? Email fohpier@gmail.com.

Friends of Harper Pier