Family with BI roots donates land to conserve Seabeck estuary

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Great Peninsula Conservancy recently announced the protection of the entire Little Beef Creek estuary near Seabeck, fulfilling one woman’s lifelong wish to permanently protect a corner of Hood Canal. The Drury family of Bainbridge Island donated 14 acres of estuary and forest to GPC in honor of Gretchen Elizabeth Drury, who passed away in 2021. Combined with GPC’s recent acquisition of an adjacent 1.85-acre property, the project permanently protects critical spawning and rearing habitat for threatened Hood Canal summer chum salmon.

“When my parents bought the property in 1994,” explains Andrew Drury, “they realized it came with ownership of much of Little Beef Creek itself. I think my dad told me at the time that they bought five acres, but four were underwater. This was funny to us initially, but before long we grasped that—especially with all the attention on salmon habitat restoration in Kitsap County and beyond —it was an extraordinary thing that one family owned pretty much an entire wetland.”

When Gretchen and Don Drury first visited the banks of Little Beef Creek in the early 1990s to view the property, they were struck by the beauty of the place. “I didn’t even see the cottage at first,” explains Don, “but I got out of the car and just knew.” It was love at first sight. From the beginning, Gretchen knew she wanted the property protected from development, and whenever the family gathered for holidays or special occasions, she would share her deep sense of commitment to the family stewarding the property in some permanent way, a news release says.

Gretchen’s passion for nature revealed itself in countless ways, often through her fascination with the smallest details. “She loved every part of the landscape, from big to small,” explains Don.

For 40 years, Gretchen and Don co-owned Drury Construction Co., which built numerous community buildings on Bainbridge Island, including the powerful 276-foot Memorial Wall at the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial. Gretchen volunteered with Bargain Boutique, Bainbridge Arts & Crafts, Helpline House, and Bainbridge Performing Arts, and served on boards including IslandWood and Bremerton Symphony. Together with Don, she was honored with the Hannah Langer Spirit of Philanthropy Award by Kitsap Community Foundation.

Following Gretchen’s passing, Don, Andrew, and Peter reached out to Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, which introduced them to GPC. “Mom wanted to protect this place from development, as did we all as a family,” Peter explains, “and now we’re so grateful that GPC has the expertise, resources, and desire to do something we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish by ourselves.”

The Drury family donation encompasses the entire Little Beef estuary, including significant tidelands, and is located less than 2,000 feet from Big Beef estuary, an important natal stream for Hood Canal summer chum recovery, per the release. GPC recently acquired an adjacent 1.85-acre property from the Harlow family, completing protection of the estuary.

Together, the properties will be managed as a wildlife preserve and will permanently protect the existing high-functioning estuarine habitat for Hood Canal summer chum and other salmon species, including coho and coastal cutthroat trout.

“Most conservation projects revolve around negotiation, price, and legal fine print,” explains conservation director Erik Steffens. “It was special to work with the Drury Family on a project focused on mutual respect, communication, and family legacy. I’m equally glad this gem of an estuary is protected, and that it was protected with such a wonderful intent of honoring a loved one.”

Even more protection was made possible through an innovative partnership with the U.S. Navy’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) program. The Navy placed conservation easements on both the Drury property and the Harlow property, providing critical acquisition and stewardship funding for the project while prohibiting development in perpetuity, the release says.

The protected Little Beef Creek estuary builds on several previous conservation investments in the Big Beef area. GPC holds a 12-acre property with extensive tidelands on the Big Beef Creek Estuary, just 2,000 feet away. It is also approximately two miles southeast of GPC’s 20-acre Misery Point Preserve, one mile away from the 13-acre Gass Preserve, and two miles northwest of GPC’s Newberry Woods Community Forest.

“The people driving the Seabeck Highway have no idea of the little oasis that exists right here. It’s magical,” says Peter.