Every December, high school environmental clubs from around the region gather at the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve for a full day of sharing, collaborating, and exploring creative solutions for climate change and other environmental issues youth face. Twelve students from the Friday Harbor High School Eco Club proudly participated in this year’s Youth Earth Summit (YES) under

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San Juan County is considering designating all utility‑scale renewable energy projects — like large solar arrays, battery storage, or experimental tidal systems — as Essential Public Facilitys. While clean energy is important, this blanket classification could undermine environmental review, reduce public participation, and put sensitive lands and habitats at risk.

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Housing in San Juan County is deeply tied to the health of both people and the environment. When homes are unaffordable, residents are forced into survival mode, limiting community participation and fueling cycles of inequality and environmental degradation. With nearly half of all homes sitting vacant or used seasonally, sprawl increasing, and affordability shrinking, Friends…

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Known as the “Comp Plan,” the County’s Comprehensive Plan includes goals and policies to guide how our community will look in the future. This includes policies to protect our remaining forests, agricultural lands, and healthy shorelines; a blueprint for our community’s transportation needs; goals for developing housing to serve everyone in our community; and much…

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San Juan County’s Comprehensive Plan update is in its final stage. Friends of the San Juans highlights key issues, community feedback, and ways residents can participate to help shape the future of the islands’ growth, resources, and resilience.

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