Friends of the San Juans

The 2017 Legislative Session is now in full swing and oil transportation is a hot issue. Despite the critical gains around public disclosure and preparedness measures, significant gaps remain that put our communities and waterways at risk of an oil spill or other such disaster. In response, Representative Farrell (46th) and Senator Carlyle (36th) introduced ... read more

The legislative session in Washington State is underway and we want to make sure that the environment and economy of the Salish Sea are protected. Now is the time to register if you would like to join us for the “Salish Sea Stands on Capitol Hill Day” in Olympia on February 13. We will be ... read more

The expansion of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Pipeline endangers our region. They are projected to nearly triple capacity of the existing pipeline from 300,000 to 890,000 barrels of tar sands crude oil a day—AND increase vessel traffic through the Salish Sea seven-fold, with each tanker holding more than twenty-five million gallons of oil. Some of ... read more

Concerned by the national election results and now the Canadian government’s approval of the Kinder Morgan Transmountain Pipeline expansion? We are too. It is clear that our work at Friends is more difficult and more necessary than ever. With both threats and opportunities before us, let’s stand together to protect this place and the communities ... read more

On October 25th, the San Juan County Council passed an ordinance that will ban single use plastic bags in the county as of May 1, 2017! Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen – Friday Harbor and Spring Street International middle schoolers who testified at the hearing (and pictured above), Friends supporters who ... read more

Shell Puget Sound Refinery announced on October 6 that it is dropping its plans to construct a crude oil-by-rail facility at March Point near Anacortes. This proposal will no longer threaten communities across the Northwest by increasing the risk of derailments, devastating explosions, and toxic spills in Padilla Bay and the larger Salish Sea. This ... read more

  Click here to see the e-version of our latest newsletter. We’re really excited to share all this information with you!    

Let’s get this over the finish line. Together we have resolutely stood up to Big Coal for the past six years.  Now is our moment to say NO to what would be the nation’s largest coal export terminal. Please submit your comment to block the proposed Millennium’s coal export terminal today.   The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released their draft ... read more

With summer underway, some islanders are already feeling the heat-and the drought. Some wells are already being starved of fresh water, which makes the rainy autumn season seem a long way off. As climate change affects our region, including our water tables, adopting climate resilient strategies for a sustainable future is critical. Islanders can do ... read more

If all the new and expanding terminal and refinery projects in the Salish Sea are permitted and developed, including projects that became operational in 2014, there would be a 43% increase in large, commercial marine vessel traffic. FRIENDS and San Juan Islanders for Safe Shipping have released the Salish Sea Vessel Traffic Projections featuring 18 ... read more