ABOUT PUTNEY WOODS
PUTNEYWOODS.ORG, in conjunction with THE FRIENDS OF SARATOGA WOODS PRESERVE, is a group of hikers, equestrians, cyclists, birders, nature lovers, and just plain concerned citizens who got together to protect the former Goss Lake Woods (now the Putney Woods) on Whidbey Island from unsustainable exploitation. We are not affiliated with any government agency or political party. We simply care about maintaining open, undeveloped space on our island for future generations to use and enjoy. We invite you to join us in this very informal, heartfelt endeavor.

Previously known as the Goss Lake Woods, they encompass a wide range of habitat. Pileated woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, downy woodpeckers, red-napped sapsuckers, barred owls, great horned owls, Cooper's hawks, black tailed deer, cottontail rabbits, chickarees, chipmunks, and flying squirrels, to mention just a few, call these woods home. Stands of mature second growth Douglas fir, western hemlock, western white pine, wild rhododendron, and a large community of evergreen huckleberry provide forage and shelter for these residents, an ever more valuable aquifer, and solace for the many humans who go there to "recharge batteries" depleted by our terribly modern world.

Over the years, local citizens have created in these woods a complex network of trails for non motorized public use. These trails were built by a dedicated group of volunteers AT NO COST TO GOVERNMENT. The trails interconnect with other trails on adjacent private lands, which the owners have graciously opened up to the public. The Saratoga Woods Preserve (see MAP) further connects with these trails. Thousands of your fellow citizens enjoy these woods and trails each year, and the thrust of continued maintenance is provided by volunteers.

In the spring of 2003, the DNR elected to make a decision on whether to clear cut and sell the woods for real estate development or to transfer them to Island County for recreational use. As they had on several other occassions, our members, along with the Friends of Saratoga Woods and the Whidbey Camano Land Trust, mounted a campaign to save this unique ecosystem. The DNR listened to our pleas, and the Woods were transferred to Island County Parks Department supervision. Once again, as nature created them, the Goss Lake Woods and the Saratoga Woods became one.

A LOSS OF A FRIEND, AND A NEW NAME
In 2006, the Woods lost one of its greatest advocates and friends, Gary Putney. His work on the trails system, his enthusiasm and energy for life, and his straightforward manner were monumental and are sorely missed. As one member of our group averred, he was everything John Wayne ought to have been, but in real life. Early in 2007, the Island County Commissioners voted to rename the Goss Lake Woods THE PUTNEY WOODS in his honor.

Click here to download a more complete history of the Putney Woods.