“We felt there were many good groups working parallel but not together, and we wanted to start a dialogue and create a mechanism to sustain it,” said Beth Wilson, chair of Kitsap Conservation Voters and one of the West Sound Conservation Council founders.

The Council consists of eight groups: Chums of Barker Creek, the Hood Canal Environmental Council, Kitsap Citizens for Responsible Planning, Kitsap Trees, Friends of Miller Bay, Kitsap Audubon Society, Kitsap Conservation Voters, and the Stillwaters Environmental Education Center. The coalition's founders belonged to many of those organizations, and they reached out to find as many more as possible, Wilson said.

Although each organization has its own mission, together they act as one voice on environmental matters and strive to bring public awareness to important issues. One of their sponsored events is a yearly forum with Kitsap County commissioners.

The group's strength was demonstrated in October during the county Planning Commission hearings on the Critical Area Ordinance. They rallied about 80-plus people to come to one hearing and be in the audience in support of a strong ordinance. The council also provided testimony in favor of increasing some buffers even more than the current draft proposes - a request sharply opposed by property rights supporters.

Many other efforts are spearheaded by the council's member groups behind the scenes. Wilson said while currently only organizations are accepted as members, at some point in the future discussions may be held about allowing individual memberships.

Although Wilson is not as active in the council as she once was, due to her commitment to other organizations, she remains involved and possible and sees the council achieving its goals.

“It's worked out very well. There is strong communication,” she said.