The San Juan Initiative:

A Model for Assessing Environmental Protection

in the Puget Sound

Gaps in Current Protection Policies

The San Juan Initiative is  a partnership of local and regional organizations and community leaders working to uncover how and why environmental protection may be failing threatened species, including Chinook salmon, Marbled Murrelets and southern resident Orca and the habitats they rely on.

Early findings from the San Juan Initiative suggest that protection of marine shorelines may be hampered by gaps in regulations, and insufficient staffing in the responsible government agencies. Interviews with local realtors, builders and property owners has shown that  current programs may be confusing and frustrating to property owners and the lack of clarity may lead to impacts on key habitats like eelgrass and forage fish spawning beaches.

Several key gaps have been identified in county regulations. The San Juan Initiative has asked the County to examine how shoreline vegetation is retained, how clearing of land is permitted and how the county addresses the goal of no net loss to natural systems from development through the update of the Critical Areas Ordinance.

The community leaders participating in the Initiative have seen that protecting marine wildlife, clean water and quality of life requires the continual attention of local, State and Federal agencies, as well as non-profit organizations.  There is an abundance of wildlife and high quality habitat in San Juan County which is home to more than 220 species of fish, 26 different kinds of marine mammals, 100 species of seabirds and thousands of marine invertebrate species – in all. This intricate and enormously complex system is showing signs of decline including threatened salmon, loss of eelgrass beds and lack of herring spawn. 

Case Studies & Community Forums

As the San Juan Initiative enters its second and final year, on the ground changes are being examined in four case study areas on San Juan, Orcas, Stuart, and Lopez islands. By documenting changes to beaches and the adjacent land, the leaders of the Initiative hope to identify areas that are at risk, areas where protection has been effective and where protection has failed. In conjunction with the case study analysis, the Initiative will host a series of community forums to discuss the challenges of balancing protection of our shores and beaches with other community concerns. 

Feedback from these workshops will help us understand the challenges of living within a dynamic environment, and one whose health is critical to the greater Puget Sound. The Initiative will also review county permitting procedures and document the outcomes of local policies.

Crafting Solutions

This summer, the San Juan Initiative will begin working with community members, local leaders, state and federal agencies to craft solutions to ongoing protection issues.

The goal is to ensure that the San Juans are protected into the future as more people visit and live in this incredible archipelago, and to provide a model for similar efforts across Puget Sound.

If you have questions or comments about the work of the San Juan Initiative, please contact Amy Windrope at amy.windrope@psp.wa.gov , or visit our website www.sanjuaninitiative.org.