Island News
News Brief | Judge orders Trump administration to halt ballroom construction unless Congress OKs it
||| FROM THE SEATTLE TIMES ||| “The President of the United States is the steward of the White House for future generations of First Families. He is not, however, the owner!” the federal judge wrote in the ruling. The judge ruled that any construction work that’s necessary to ensure the safety and security of the White House is exempt from the scope of the injunction. Trump, in a social media post, criticized the trust for suing him over a project […]
Share Your Feedback | County & partners are developing tools to manage human/wildlife interactions
Update: During the upcoming April 21, 2026 meeting, the Council is expected to set a public hearing for May 12. Previous versions of this article stated that the public hearing would be on the 21st, but the hearing is not yet scheduled. It will likley occur on May 12. The public hearing will be another opportunity to share feedback and input before Council considers adopting an ordinance. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| In an effort to […]
News Brief | In the past decade, Washington has become one of the most expensive states to live in
||| FROM WASHINGTON STATE STANDARD ||| Drawing from an array of federal and state data, a new analysis shows the state’s cost of living rising faster than the national average over that time, with only California, New Jersey, Hawaii and Washington, D.C. considered more expensive in 2023. “The story is consistent across every measure: costs are high, rising quickly, and showing up in the everyday decisions people make.” This trend may be a factor in why more people moved out […]
A Life Close to Nature | Center for Whale Research honors Tamar Griggs
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| An adventurous spirit who sailed across the Atlantic in her early twenties, a mother, a nature photographer, an author, and a lifelong supporter of wildlife and whale conservation, Tamar Griggs lived a life deeply connected to the natural world. Recently, we were deeply honored to learn that Tamar included the Center for Whale Research in her estate plans, another way her care for the natural world will continue to support wildlife and whales […]
Locally supported Meals on Wheels programs support seniors ability to age well in the islands
In 2025, the County’s Senior Nutrition Program produced over 38,000 meals – serving 16,269 in-person lunches to 606 seniors and delivering 21,809 meals to 245 seniors ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| For many older adults in the islands, ‘Meals on Wheels and More’ provides more than nutritious food. It supports independence, dignity, and stability at home. That’s why San Juan County’s Department of Health & Community Services partners with local senior center nonprofits and the Whatco
SJC Monthly News Digest – March 2026
This column is part of a series detailing San Juan County’s recent news. Follow along each month to learn about important County projects, Council initiatives, department updates, and more. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS Maintaining Health, Safety & Community Services: Council Places Levy Lid Lift on April Ballot San Juan County is seeking a regular property tax levy lid lift to maintain public health, safety, and other community services in April. This levy would support ongoing progra
The Kitchen set to open at Odd Fellows on Fridays
||| FROM DIDIER GINCIG for ODD FELLOWS HALL ||| The Kitchen, featuring locally inspired tasty and delicious Pan-Asian food, opens Friday April 3 for takeout at the Odd Fellows Hall (112 Haven Road) (downstairs at the restaurant). Text 206.581.1913 for orders; open weekly on Fridays 4-7.
Update on proposal for limited deer hunting on Orcas Island
Public engagement is key to the Land Bank’s planning and operations. Written comments deadline has been extended and will be accepted until 5pm on Monday, April 20, by emailing erinh@sjclandbank.org. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| The Land Bank extends a hearty thank you to all who attended our March 23rd public meeting about potential hunting at Turtleback Mountain and North Shore Preserves. Staff from the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) presented details ab
Guest Opinion | When growth ends and maintenance begins
||| FROM ELISABETH ROBSON ||| In the Puget Sound and the Salish Sea, the shift is easy to see. Washington State Ferries, the largest ferry system in the United States, is not expanding to carry more people. Instead, the state is scrambling to replace aging vessels simply to keep existing routes running. Boats built decades ago are nearing or going beyond their life expectancy, and Washington expects to need more than a dozen new ferries by 2040 just to maintain […]
No Place Like Loam | Legacy Landscapes: The three design forces of time, experience, and structure
||| NO PLACE LIKE LOAM by ALEX TAMAYO.WOLF ||| Time: The Monk of Reichenau Abbey He worked in a scriptorium lit by high, narrow windows, winter light thin and lateral, flattening shadow against stone. Beeswax candles guttered in drafts, their smoke faintly sweet, clinging to wool and parchment. The room smelled of warmed tallow, scraped hide, damp lime from the curing vats. He leaned over the vellum the way a man leans over something that cannot be wasted, shoulders rounded, […]
Let’s talk public transit for Orcas, San Juan
You’re invited to a community meeting || FROM COLIN WILLIAMS for RURAL PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION |||| Let’s talk public transit for Orcas & the San Juan Islands. Hosted by the Friends of Rural Public Transportation Date & Time — Tuesday, March 31, 2026 , 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM Location: Orcas Island Public Library Community Room Online Meeting Link Imagine Orcas & the San Juan Islands where… You can hop on a bus from the ferry to Eastsound, Doe Bay, or Deer Harbor. Kids […]
Preparing for when oil meets shore
Inside a Shoreline Assessment Workshop on Lopez Island ||| FROM BILL SYMES and ELAINA THOMPSON ||| Islands’ Oil Spill Association (IOSA) held a public workshop on the classification, assessment, and cleanup of oiled shorelines, February 11 at the Lopez Community Center. Led by Gary Shigenaka, a 40+ year National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) veteran and IOSA board member, the workshop featured speakers from NOAA and Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology), introducing IOSA vol
Vote in OPALCO’s election
Voters eligible to win prizes ||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT COOPERATIVE ||| OPALCO Board Candidate election season is in full swing! OPALCO members should have received a ballot. Get to know the candidates this year and vote in the election to help guide the energy future of San Juan County. There are 9 candidates for 2 open positions in District 1 (San Juan, et al) and District 2 (Orcas, et al). Here are the 2026 Board […]
OPALCO Board candidate questionnaire results released
Eight candidates provide detailed perspectives on cooperative future ||| FROM CHOM GREACEN ||| To help members differentiate among an unusually large field of candidates in the upcoming Orcas Power & Light Cooperative (OPALCO) board election, a group of concerned members has released the results of a candidate questionnaire. Of the nine candidates vying for two positions on the board, eight have provided detailed responses to the community’s inquiries regarding the cooperative’s future. The part
County float at Waldron temporarily closed April 5-11 for repairs
The County recognizes how important marine facilities are to commuters, visitors, businesses, locals, and other service providers and is working to repair the facility as quickly as possible. ||| FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS ||| San Juan County’s Public Works Department owns and/or maintains marine facilities (piers, floats, and ramps) at 16 locations across the islands, one of which is located on Waldron Island. The department is providing public notice that the float will be removed and
News Brief | How new fishing tech can reduce bycatch of turtles and other creatures
||| FROM ARSTECHNICA.COM Designed to capture animals destined for our dinner tables, our oceans are full of sophisticated, perfect traps. Over the decades, conservationists, researchers, and fishermen have developed ways to minimize various kinds of bycatch in different fishing stocks around the world. Some approaches, however, now have a proven success rate—and more may be on the horizon. READ FULL ARTICLE
Town, County councils to meet on April 1
||| FROM TOWN OF FRIDAY HARBOR ||| NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Town Council and San Juan County Council will hold a special joint meeting on April 1, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m. The special meeting will take place in Council Chambers located at 60 Second Street. For more information, contact the Town Clerk at clerk@fridayharbor.org.
Letter to Editor | No Kings rally missing an issue
||| FROM BEV LEHMAN ||| At the Orcas Island No Kings Rally on March 28th the most important issue in this country was absent—voting to change the majority party in the United States Congress. The SAVE America Act — similar to its predecessor the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act — could silence millions of voters by creating new barriers to voter registration The SAVE Act could affect registered voters too. Any time somebody updates their registration, if they change […]
News Brief | Inside a rare sperm whale birth
||| FROM INSIDE CLIMATE NEWS ||| Two landmark studies of a rare sperm whale birth observation in the Caribbean are reshaping scientists’ understanding of cooperation in the animal kingdom, revealing that whales in unrelated family lines work collectively to help newborn calves survive. Witnessing such an event is extremely uncommon. There is only one previous scientific observation of a sperm whale birth over the past six decades, and just four other accounts post-birth from whaling activities.
CWR logs encounter #18 with J Pod
||| FROM CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH ||| Full Encounter Report ObservBegin: 03:35 PM ObservEnd: 05:08 PM Vessel: KCB III Staff: Dave Ellifrit, Michael Weiss Pods: J IDsEncountered: J16, J19, J22, J27, J31, J35, J36, J37, J38, J39, J40, J41, J42, J44, J45, J46, J47, J49, J51, J56, J57, J58, J59, J62, J63 LocationDescr: Haro Strait EncSummary: The team had received reports of likely residents in Rosario Strait early in the day, but the weather had prevented them from heading out. By mid-afternoon, t
OICF supports new program bridging indigenous and islander communities
||| FROM KIM WEST ACTKINSON for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| The Orcas Island Community Foundation (OICF) is excited to announce its fiscal sponsorship and support of a new community program, Island Allies of Indigenous Lifeways – a grassroots organization that fosters decolonization, Indigenous sovereignty and adaptive culture through Tribally-led education and participatory practices. Through the lens of Food as Lifeway, Island Allies chooses to step into this work as a responsibility
LWVSJ Observer Corps | San Juan County Council regular meeting notes
||| FROM BARBARA SHARP for LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS ||| Deputy County Manager made a presentation on the Wildlife Protection Working Groups’ discussions and recommendations. This group was formed because residents sought county intervention to address human interference with wildlife, especially foxes on San Juan Island. The group has been meeting to find ways to respond with unified, sustainable options to prevent harmful incidents through education, training, messaging, and a possible local ordi
Larsen demands Trump admin mobilize all options to prepare for upcoming wildfire season
||| FROM THE OFFICE OF U.S. REP. RICK LARSEN ||| Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) joined twelve of his colleagues from Washington and Oregon in a letter to the U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Administrator Dr. Neil Jacobs expressing their concern about the heightened risk of a devastating wildfire season, raising questions about the steps the officials have taken to prepare for wil
Spring brings new programs and partnerships
||| FROM LINDSAY JENNINGS for ORCAS ISLAND COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ||| The trees are full of blossoms, the spring bulbs are popping up, and the days are finally feeling brighter. Spring is here, and along with the new color showing outside, new projects and partnerships are budding. For the first time, we are excited to invite local businesses to support nonprofits through GiveOrcas this spring as Business Partners in Philanthropy. By supporting GiveOrcas, local businesses can help strengthen the c