news

The Comp Plan in a Nutshell: San Juan County has adopted a “Comprehensive Plan” intended to guide growth in our community by incorporating a community vision into goals and policies. These goals and policies are then supposed to be implemented through the adoption of local codes and other local government actions and programs. An important ... read more

Friends of the San Juans recently completed a multi-year research project for a particular species of forage fish: the Pacific sand lance. Forage fish are an essential player in the Salish Sea marine food web as prey for salmon, rockfish, seabirds, and other marine mammals. Sand lance are especially important in the diet of juvenile ... 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from Friends’ legal victory against fossil-fuel giant Phillips 66: The permit that was litigated has been officially withdrawn and the project to construct two new storage tanks has been canceled.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

Join Friends for a special afternoon with Amy Gulick Amy is a widely acclaimed writer and photographer, whose award-winning books include The Salmon Way: An Alaska State of Mind, and Salmon in the Trees: Life in Alaska’s Tongass Rain Forest. Through her storytelling, engaging experiences, and stunning images, Amy will be asking us to think ... read more

OPALCO, San Juan County’s cooperative energy provider, has announced its support for adding a Climate Change Element to San Juan County’s Comprehensive Plan. This support comes as the County prepares to finalize its first update of the plan in more than ten years. Authored by Friends of the San Juans (Friends) in collaboration with experts ... read more

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

We have a number of opportunities and events that you can get involved with this summer! Contact Elise Cope, Communications and Outreach Director, for more information: [email protected] Event Volunteers, August 6thShaw Island, 12 pm to 4 pm Help us greet, shuttle, and assist guests at our Meet + Mingle event on Shaw Island — a ... read more

According to the San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau, about one million people visit our archipelago each year to immerse themselves in our Pacific Northwest wonderland. That’s a huge impact on people and nature alike. Whether you are a resident looking for tools to share with your guests or are planning a visit yourself, there are ... read more