Friends of the San Juans

Environmental Coalition Appeals Whatcom County Decision for Expansions at Ferndale Terminal

September 29, 2025

___________________________________________________________________________  For Immediate Release, September 29, 2025  County promised a full review of the company’s illegal expansion, but then backtracked  WHATCOM COUNTY, WA — Less than two weeks after rallying more than 662 public comments in opposition to the expansion of a major fossil fuel terminal in Ferndale (Cherry Point), a coalition of six environmental ... read more

Tell Whatcom County to Require a Thorough Environmental Review!

September 24, 2025

Huge thanks to the 662 people submitted comments through our Action Alert to push back on Whatcom County’s decision to issue a Mitigated Determination of Non-Significance (MDNS) for 33 projects at the Cherry Point Ferndale Terminal — including 31 projects that were built without permits. Instead of requiring a long-promised Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the ... read more

Volunteer Spotlight: Elyse Woodruff

September 24, 2025

Friends is honored to have Elyse Woodruff join the Friends team as a new member of our Legal Review Committee! Elyse was first introduced to Friends through one of our European Green Crab community science trainings on Orcas Island this summer. Inspired by the presentation, she invited Friends to bring the program to her neighbors ... read more

Friends of the San Juans Restores Critical Shoreline Habitat at Neck Point, Shaw Island

August 29, 2025

 Friends of the San Juans (Friends) has successfully restored another ecologically important beach in San Juan County. Neck Point, the westernmost point of Shaw Island, is treasured by islanders and marine life alike, and it has now been designated as a vital spawning habitat for forage fish, a cornerstone species in the Salish Sea food ... read more

Community priorities for the San Juan County Comprehensive Plan

August 29, 2025

Your input matters! The Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan) may sound technical, but it’s really about daily life in the islands. When you comment, you’re helping shape how our community grows while protecting your priorities and the places we all love and depend on. Did you know? Friends of the San Juans helped launch San Juan County’s ... read more

Spirit of Water Event with Chenoa Egawa 

August 29, 2025

Join Friends of the San Juans for a powerful and moving evening of Indigenous song, ceremony, and teachings with Coast Salish artist, singer, storyteller, author, and environmental protector Chenoa Egawa. Gather in honor of Indigenous Peoples Day and Orca Recovery Month, and for the full experience, begin with a special Seafood Feast before the main ... read more

From Moby Dick to Mega-Terminals: A Young Researcher’s Perspective on Shipping and the Salish Sea 

July 31, 2025

By Annika Weber, Friends of the San Juans Summer Intern  Hello! My name is Annika. I’m from Seattle, and this summer I’m working with Friends’ Marine Protection and Policy Director, Lovel Pratt, on Salish Sea protection. I’m also helping with summer events and learning how to write grants. I’m a history major, so Lovel suggested ... read more

Introducing New Legal Director, Magali Cota

May 28, 2025

Friends of the San Juans is excited to welcome and introduce Magali Cota as our new Legal Director and Staff Attorney. Magali is an environmental law attorney who has worked closely with communities to protect their natural spaces, informing them of their rights within an evolving legal system and holding corporations and government agencies accountable.    ... read more

A Conversation on Leadership

March 26, 2025

Friends’ Past, Present, and Future  As we welcome a new chapter at Friends of the San Juans, we extend our deepest gratitude to Ken Carrasco for his leadership and dedication as Board President. His passion and commitment have strengthened our work protecting the San Juan Islands and the Salish Sea. Now, we’re thrilled to introduce ... read more

Thank you Bruce Rylander

February 27, 2025

We’re honoring Bruce Rylander for his years of dedicated service as Treasurer of Friends’ Board. His leadership helped strengthen our organization and our work to protect the San Juans. At Friends of the San Juans, protecting this place requires not only passion and advocacy but also strong leadership behind the scenes. Bruce Rylander played a ... read more

San Juan County is at the center of existing and proposed fossil fuel export projects. We have much to lose and nothing to gain. Our community needs to stay informed, get involved, and be part of the public process of understanding the approaching changes which will affect us all.

San Olson

member, Lopez Island

Friends’ mission is to bring people and nature together to protect the San Juans Islands and the Salish Sea through education, science, policy and law. Friends of the San Juans does not engage in political endorsements. As a nonpartisan organization, we cannot speak to individual candidates’ qualifications.
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Protect this Place™ is a tagline of Friends of the San Juans.

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Friday Harbor, WA 98250

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