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On Saturday, August 13th the fishing vessel ALEUTIAN ISLE sank off the west side of San Juan Island. Our hearts go out to the people on board who were directly affected by the accident, and our sincere thanks go out to everyone who has been involved in the rescue of the crew and the response ... read more

Friends of the San Juans recently scored a decisive legal victory against fossil-fuel giant Phillips 66, representing an important win for critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales. On February 28th, the Washington State Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Friends in a lawsuit regarding Phillips 66’s expansion of its Ferndale, WA, refinery. In 2019 ... read more

Check out the November issue of our e-newsletter – Highwater Marks! You’ll see the latest update to the Salish Sea Vessel Traffic Projections, learn how to register for the new Youth for Change environmental leadership club, hear from Katie as she transitions out of her role at Friends to a new position in our community ... read more

Twenty years ago the Samish Nation gave J37, a newborn Southern Resident Orca calf, the name Hy’Shqa. From the Coast Salish language, the name translates to “blessing” or “thank-you” in English. Hy’Shqa was born in January 2001 to Samish (J14), and in 2012, she gave birth to a calf of her own, T’ilem I’nges (J49). ... read more

Check out the July issue of our e-newsletter – Highwater Marks! You’ll learn about: how to register for a boat trip to Sucia with Friends, get an update on the Phillips 66 appeal, read about the importance of membership – and lots more! Read it here.

This week, Whatcom County Superior Court Judge David Freeman delivered a court victory both to Friends of the San Juans and to the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales. “We’re very excited about this ruling,” said Brent Lyles, Friends’ Executive Director, “and it’s been a long time coming!” The issue started in early 2019, when the ... read more

Sign this petition to tell Washington State’s Department of Ecology to require the industries that could cause a major oil spill to comply with state regulations, and to identify and fund the reconnaissance and deterrence operations that will be needed to protect Southern Resident Killer Whales from a major oil spill. Tell Ecology to not let ... read more

Check out the March issue of our e-newsletter – Highwater Marks! You’ll learn about our new virtual reality education program, get the link for our petition that asks the WA Department of Ecology to require oil spill contingency plans that include the required wildlife response protections for the critically endangered Southern Residents, hear how shifting baselines are ... read more

Here in Washington, the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) is a foundational tool that provides important information and opportunities for public input on projects that impact the environment. SEPA is the law that ensures that projects are evaluated and the public can have a say in the review and assessment of the project. SEPA also ... read more

Sightline’s new article, The Tar Sands Threat to Northwest Waters, by Friends board member Michael Riordan, explains how the Kinder Morgan Pipeline threatens all of Puget Sound and the Salish Sea. “Every week another barge or tanker traverses the narrow straits through the San Juan Islands north of Seattle, bearing a cargo of tar-sands crude ... read more