Friends of the San Juans

Legislation to safeguard critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales is headed to the Governor’s desk! Senate Bill 5371 requires recreational boaters to stay 1,000 yards away from Southern Residents beginning in 2025.  Lovel Pratt, Marine Protection and Policy Director at Friends shares, “While the 1,000-yard distance requirement won’t be mandatory until 2025, Friends encourages recreational ... read more

Reflections on Irmgard Conley, by Janet Alderton I met my dear friend, Irmgard Conley, when I joined the Friends of the San Juans board of directors in 2006. Irmgard’s commitment to “Keep the San Juans Green!” inspired me to use my background in scientific research to help inform our County’s decision-makers during updates to our ... read more

Reflections on Irmgard Conley, by Krystyna U. Wolniakowski Our boats met each other first. Crashing into ‘CARA’, a 35-foot teak 1964 Cheoy Lee Lion sloop, on a stormy day in April 1980, was a crisis that turned into an opportunity for a lifelong friendship with Irmgard Conley.   When I was a young marine biology graduate ... read more

The Board of Directors of Friends of the San Juans is delighted to announce the appointment ofEva Schulte as Executive Director. Eva brings her passion for the Salish Sea and extensiveexecutive leadership experience across the social sector to Friends. She begins the first week ofApril. Ken Carrasco, President of the Board of Friends of the ... read more

Friends’ litigation to protect the Salish Sea has been in the news. Read more via the following articles: The Northern Light: Corps’ BP Cherry Point limit no limit at all, environmental groups say  The Journal of the San Juan Islands: US Army Corps undermines Magnuson’s Legacy of protecting the Salish Sea from oil The Orcasonian: Army Corps of ... read more

We have an opportunity for you to help Southern Residents, salmon, and all the inhabitants that rely on a healthy Salish Sea!   The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has issued a draft rule to reduce threats to Southern Resident killer whales by improving the safety of oil transportation.  As a result of a devasting ... read more

This page provides detailed background information on Ecology’s rulemaking to amend Chapter 173-180 WAC, Facility Oil Handling Standards and Chapter 173-184 WAC, Vessel Oil Transfer Advance Notice and Containment Requirements Ready to take action? Head on over to Take Action – Ecology Needs to Hear from You! According to the Department of Ecology, each year in Washington State there are ... read more

On Saturday, September 17th, the fishing vessel ALEUTIAN ISLE was successfully lifted more than 200 feet from the ocean floor, five weeks after it sank off the west side of San Juan Island. On September 20th the remaining fuel onboard the vessel was removed. Friends of the San Juans is grateful that the threat of ... read more

The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is seeking public input on the rules for vessels operating near Southern Resident killer whales; this input will be used for a report to the legislature. Take this opportunity to speak up on behalf of the Southern Residents! Here are our recommendations for your public input on ... read more

More good news resulting from Friends’ legal victory against fossil-fuel giant Phillips 66: The permit that was litigated has been officially withdrawn and the project to construct two new storage tanks has been canceled. Had the permit been issued, the storage tanks would have increased the Phillips 66 refinery’s operational storage capacity by nearly 10%, ... read more