Cities
After years of community advocacy, SeaTac has received an $8 million grant to help permanently protect 45 acres of North SeaTac Park.
The King County Conservation Futures award is a major victory for residents, advocates, and city leaders who have worked for years to secure the land.
“This is a really important piece for us,” SeaTac Communications Manager Krista Carlson told The Highline Journal. “This is an effort to preserve about 45 acres in that general area that we’re trying to preserve for future generations.”
North SeaTac Park has a unique history stretching back more than 50 years. Beginning in 1974, the Port of Seattle used Federal Aviation Administration grant funding to purchase residential properties near the airport. Most of the land was later leased to SeaTac as mitigation connected to construction of the third runway in the 1990s.
Today, North SeaTac Park is a heavily used community space with forests, wetlands, trails, ballfields, a rugby field and other recreational areas. The Port still owns the land, while SeaTac has operated and cared for the park since the 1990s.
Most of the park is covered by a long-term agreement. But the 45 acres at the center of this effort are under a different lease. The Port can give SeaTac 180 days’ notice to leave if the land is needed for aeronautical purposes.
That uncertainty has hung over park supporters for years.
For many years, Defenders of Highline Forest (formerly named Defenders of North SeaTac Park) has helped lead the push for permanent protection, organizing residents to sign its Community Forest Consensus. Nearly 3,800 people, including residents, organizations and elected officials, have signed the document.
The grant gives SeaTac a path to purchase the 45 acres and preserve them as parkland. SeaTac and the Port requested $10 million, so negotiations and funding questions remain.
The two agencies must still agree on the property’s value, determine how the grant may be used and decide how to cover any remaining costs.
The transfer is not complete, but this hard-fought grant brings permanent protection closer than ever.
Members Discussion
Highline Journal Comment Guidelines
We believe thoughtful conversation helps communities flourish. We welcome respectful, on-topic comments that engage ideas, not individuals. Personal attacks, harassment, hateful comments, directed profanity, false claims, spam, or sharing private information aren't allowed. Comments aren't edited and may be removed if they violate these guidelines.