Elise Cope

Are you new to “Comp Plan land”?We’ve got you covered! What is the Comp Plan, and Why Does It Matter? The San Juan County Comprehensive Plan is like a roadmap for our community’s future. It’s designed to manage growth and keep the islands a healthy place to live by setting long-term goals to protect our environment, ... read more

Friends of the San Juans — Protecting the San Juans and Salish Sea The San Juan Islands and Salish Sea are like no other place on Earth. That’s why we must protect them! As election season is upon us, we are all reminded of what is at stake if we were to lose what we ... read more

Raven Preston, Orcas Island — Raven is a seasoned user experience researcher and communication strategist with a passion for leveraging data-driven insights to drive impactful change. Her work focuses on improving user engagement and developing strategies within the SAFe Agile framework. With a background in integrating Black and Indigenous methodologies, Raven brings a culturally responsive ... read more

Panel Discussion + Lummi Blackhawk Dancers Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Boldt Decision During Native American Heritage Month  On Saturday, November 9th at 6:30 PM, Friends of the San Juans, in collaboration with the Stewardship Network of the San Juans and Friday Harbor Film Festival, will host a special screening of the documentary FISH ... read more

Friends of the San Juans has long been a vigilant protector of the Salish Sea, with a steady focus on safeguarding the endangered Southern Resident killer whales. This spring and summer, we entered important talks with Phillips 66 Ferndale Refinery about their project to produce Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Their original plan involved up to ... read more

On August 24, 2024, Friends of the San Juans was honored to host Governor Jay Inslee and his wife, Trudi, on a tour of the San Juans’ vibrant kelp and eelgrass beds. We explored these crucial marine ecosystems and highlighted the contributions of the Climate Commitment Act, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions ... read more

In a groundbreaking step towards protecting the future of the San Juan Islands, the Samish Indian Nation and Friends of the San Juans are excited to announce that they have been awarded $499,000 as part of a transformative $73.6 million federal grant from NOAA’s Climate Resilience Regional Challenge.   The two entities will be a part ... read more

Ayn Gailey Lead Island Ambassador, Orcas Islandshe/her/hers Ayn has a Master’s degree in Education & Social Policy from Harvard University, a BA in Psychology, and a Master of Fine Arts from UCLA. However, she is more proud of being known as the Queen of Collaboration and helping secure grants, donations, and levies for San Juan ... read more

Friends of the San Juans Unanimously Endorses Renewal of Our Land Bank for Clean Water, Healthy Forests, and a Better Quality of Life for All  Friends of the San Juans’ Board of Directors is proud to officially and unanimously endorse the renewal of the 1.5% Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) paid by home buyers, which ... read more