Looking at the park today, and the strong public support for Hylebos conservation, it’s difficult to believe how hard it was to create the West Hylebos Wetlands Park. 

In the early 1980s, many elected officials and park planners didn’t recognize the value of protecting "swamps" like the West Hylebos.  Even though local residents Francis and Ilene Marckx donated 23.5 acres of their own land to start the park off, it took the State Legislature seven years to finally approve funding for the park.

Friends' co-founder Ilene Marckx famously (and perhaps somewhat dramatically) referred to the wetlands conservation efforts as "the long, bloody struggle."

Friends of the Hylebos waged the campaign to convince legislators to  approve the park.  After that, the Friends helped construct and maintain the park boardwalk (which follows the original trail Francis and Ilene Marckx blazed in 1973) and preserve the wetlands’ fragile ecology in the midst of rapid urban development.

In 2004, the Friends led the effort to transfer ownership of the park from the state to the city of Federal Way. The group has worked closely with the Federal Way Parks Department to manage and improve the park.

The West Hylebos Wetlands Park exists today because its friends fought to save it. Through the Hylebos Creek Conservation Initiative the Friends are working to preserve 745 acres of Hylebos Creek.

Donate to the Friends today and help support this important conservation work.