Fecal pollution threatens 15 popular shellfish harvest areas

OLYMPIA – Fifteen of Washington’s 115 commercial shellfish growing areas may face harvest restrictions because of increased fecal bacteria levels in the water. Every year, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) evaluates the state’s commercial shellfish growing areas. DOH analyzes water sample data and assesses potential sources of pollution.  A restriction is a change in harvest classification which could lead to a seasonal, environmental, or year-round closure.

Based on data collected through 2023, portions of growing areas in Mason County’s Annas Bay and Clallam County’s Dungeness Bay did not meet the stringent public health water quality standards. The areas remain open, but the classification will be reevaluated. 

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SJISD Special School Board Meeting Saturday

On Saturday, April 27, 2024, the San Juan Island School District Board of Directors will hold a Special (open) School Board Meeting in order to attend the WSSDA DA1 Regional Meeting.  The meeting will be held from 10:15 am to 2:15 pm at the Friday Harbor High School commons.
Please note that there is not an option to attend this meeting remotely via zoom because Proclamation 20-28.14 requiring that meetings subject to Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA) have a remote option for participation and attendance has been terminated and rescinded effective June 1, 2022.  Persons with disabilities and those who may have difficulty physically attending the board meeting are encouraged to contact the school district office at 360-378-4133 at least 24 hours prior to the meeting so that we can arrange for your participation.

Please see the agenda below, or access BoardDocs from our website at  https://www.sjisd.wednet.edu/domain/331  (then locate the BoardDocs School Board agenda access). 

go straight to the agenda at: https://go.boarddocs.com/wa/sjisd/Board.nsf/Public

This is a quick look at the board agenda for your convenience.  Please be aware that the agenda could change prior to the board meeting.

Special (Open) Meeting Saturday, April 27, 10:15 a.m. - 2:15 p.m., high school commons

1. New Category
   1.01 Establishment of Quorum
2. Special Topics
   2.01 Multi-District Meeting (Discussion)
3. ADJOURNMENT

 Thank you for your interest in our public schools.

Diana Fearn

Retire The Land Bank

The San Juan County Land Bank has had a 34 year run. There’s multiple reasons to say enough is enough. San Juan County Initiative 2024-01 would Reduce Duration of Conservation Area Real Estate Excise Tax. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for copy of the initiative and petition.

LAME DUCKS SHOULD NOT CHOOSE THE COUNTY MANAGER

San Juan County Manager, Mike Thomas retired in February. The three member SJ County Council immediately appointed Mark Thompkins as the interim manager during the search for qualified candidates is made. Mark is qualified and up to the task of the duties of the manager, but he has clearly stated that he does not want the job permanently. He has also agreed that he will fill in until the right candidate is found.

The County Manager is a key position in providing an accountable and responsive government through effective, efficient and economical administration in accordance with the County Charter, the Washington State Constitution and other applicable federal, state, and local laws as well as County policy. Protocol is that council members are to establish policy and expectations with the manager who will communicate and oversee the staff to implement that policy. In order to do that he must work closely and be compatible with the elected council members.

Two incumbents on our three-member county council have stated they will not run for re-election. Cindy Wolf announced publicly that she will not run and Christine Minney has reportedly told several people that she does not intend to run. And yet, a three-member council with two “Lame Ducks” plans to hire a county manager.

County Manager is the most important decision the county council makes. It is vital to make sure the new manager will be a good fit for San Juan County and can work well with ALL of the council members. In order to hire the right person for the job, the three council members must be in sync about their expectations for the manager. The final decision for hiring should be made after the election when the two new board members can join the remaining incumbent to interview finalists and make a consensus decision about a county manager who will be best for San Juan County.

Cindy and Chritine, I urge you to do the right thing and defer the decision on County Manager to the newly elected council members who will take office in January 2025.

That’s my two cents worth. What's yours?
Minnie Knych

Cindy Wolf to Not Run for Re-election

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your District #2 County Councilor for the 2021-2024 term. After giving careful thought to some recent family health news, I have made the hard decision not to run this year. I am committed to doing the Council’s work well for the remainder of my current term, but my values are family first and that is where my time and energy need to go given the current circumstances.

We’ve done a lot of good work together in a few short years:

– putting in vacation rental caps.

– providing funds to our non profit partners that will provide over 100 units of affordable housing.

– structuring climate resilience into the County organization’s thinking by creating a Climate and Sustainability Committee that brings Citizen Experts, county staff and community partners together.

– Creating a Department of Environmental Stewardship that captures hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants each year for nearshore habitat restoration, innovative solid waste management and boater education.

– hiring a professional Communications Coordinator who has vastly improved our website interface and community outreach.

– building skills for strong working relationships with the Tribal governments whose citizens have ancestral ties to these islands and waters.

– making sure the County workers are paid at hourly rates comparable to their regional counterparts. After all, if you want to have a healthy local economy, it sure helps if your largest employer pays a fair wage.

This is just part of what we have accomplished together and I am proud to be at the table. I look forward to 8 more months of good work on your County Council.

Kind regards,
Cindy Wolf
Orcas Island

Ask a scientist: Are human-derived hormones like estrogen harming fish in Puget Sound?

By Jeff Rice
Original Posting Here

Thousands of different chemicals are flushed into Puget Sound every day through wastewater treatment plants, but some of these chemicals may cause more harm than others. Relatively benign compounds like caffeine and sucralose are found alongside cancer drugs and synthetic hormones that can disrupt the development and breeding of fish and other wildlife. 

Scientists at the Puget Sound Institute are working to prioritize these contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) with an eye toward gauging which of these poorly understood chemicals are the most harmful and which should be targeted for further investigation. A recent study, in collaboration with researchers at Western Washington University, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Puyallup Tribe of Indians has identified 57 high priority CECs for further monitoring and research. Many of the chemicals on the list are synthetically derived but researchers also identified a prevalence of naturally occurring hormones that humans create in their own bodies. Among these are estrogens (like 17 beta-estradiol) which primarily originate from females but are excreted by all humans.  

In studies published last year by the Puget Sound Institute in collaboration with the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program, researchers found that concentrations of some estrogen hormones measured in English sole from Puget Sound matched concentrations previously shown to affect endocrine function. Traces of estrogen were also found in Chinook blood plasma in levels that raise worries about the potential effects on these endangered salmon.

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San Juan County to Appeal Town of Friday Harbor Decision to Shut Off Water at Fairgrounds

San Juan County will appeal the Town of Friday Harbor’s decision to shut off water to the San Juan County Fairgrounds at the regularly scheduled March 21, 2024 Town Council meeting. Withholding water from the Fairgrounds would end all current uses of the space including Island Rec programming, vaccine clinics, 4-H events, event rentals, the Emergency Operations Center for the County and Town, music and theater performances, County office operations, and more. ... Read on  

An Open Letter to the American Psychiatric Association Regarding the Publication of Gender-Affirming Psychiatric Care

On November 8, 2023, Gender-Affirming Psychiatric Care was released by the American Psychiatric Association’s official publishing house.

We the undersigned strongly support the following Open Letter to the APA. Our letter calls on the APA to explain why it glaringly ignored many scientific developments in gender-related care and to consider its responsibility to promote and protect patients’ safety, mental and physical health.

On Dec 28, 2023, this Open Letter was sent to the leadership of the APA, asking for a substantive response. We invite you to sign below to support our continued efforts to demand medical and mental health excellence from the APA.

We are a group of clinicians, educators, and researchers committed to treating every patient with respect and compassion while upholding excellence in medical and mental health care. We seek an unbiased scientific investigation and discussion of the harms and benefits of all types of care offered to those with gender related distress. We have grave concerns about the American Psychiatric Association’s GAPC textbook. Until those concerns are addressed and the textbook’s errors corrected, we call on the APA for its withdrawal.

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Conservation Land Bank DRAFT Strategic Plan Now Open for Public Comment

The San Juan County Conservation Land Bank is seeking public input on its recently completed Draft Strategic Plan. The purpose of the strategic plan is to guide the Land Bank in conservation efforts, stewardship priorities, and community engagement for the next six years and to assist the Land Bank in meeting its mandate: To preserve in perpetuity areas in the county that have environmental, agricultural, aesthetic, cultural, scientific, historic, scenic or low-intensity recreational value and to protect existing and future sources of potable water.

You can download a copy of the Draft Strategic Plan from the Land Bank’s website by following this link: https://sjclandbank.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/WEB_SJCCLB-2024-2030-Strategic-Plan.pdf

Public Comment Period: April 24 – May 8, 2024

The public is invited to submit comments:

• Via email to Tanja Williamson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
• Via mail: 350 Court Street, No. 6, Friday Harbor, WA 98250

Please submit your comments by May 8, 2024.

After the comment period closes, Land Bank staff and commissioners will review comments. An overview of comments will be provided at the May 17, 2024, commission meeting.

Questions? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call the Land Bank Office: 360-378-4402.

Contact: Tanja Williamson, Outreach/Volunteer Coordinator, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 360-378-4402

 About San Juan County’s Land Bank

San Juan County’s Land Bank, funded by a 1% real estate excise tax paid by purchasers of property at closing, acquires and preserves areas in the county that have environmental, agricultural, aesthetic, cultural, scientific, historic, scenic, or low-intensity recreational value. The department offices are located at 328 Caines Street, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. For more information about San Juan County’s Land Bank, visit www.sjclandbank.org.

San Juan County Publishes Revised Engagement Guide for Reviewing OPALCO’s Proposed Solar Project

SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA April 15, 2024 – UPDATE: San Juan County’s Department of Community Development (DCD) is postponing the public hearing examiner meeting for OPALCO’s Bailer Hill micro-grid and battery installation project while waiting for all additional information requested of the applicant on March 28, 2024. The future hearing examiner meeting date is to be determined (TBD). 

Written public comment will continue to be accepted by the department, however the Hearing Examiner will not be able to open the record for verbal public testimony on April 24, 2024. Once DCD receives enough information to complete SEPA determination and continue with the review process, a new hearing date will be published where verbal testimony will be accepted.

Why is the hearing postponed?

DCD initially published a notice of application (with the expected Hearing Examiner Meeting date) on March 12 and 13. On March 28, DCD staff requested additional information from OPALCO based on comments received as of March 12, third party review received as of March 18, and recent SEPA review findings. 

Between Wednesday, April 3 and Friday, April 12, OPALCO and DCD discussed reasonable timelines and procedural requirements related to the initially scheduled hearing date. OPALCO and DCD agreed to postpone the hearing without a specific rescheduling date while OPALCO gathers documentation in response to all items raised in the March 28 correspondence. 

How does postponing impact public engagement?

Written public comment opened on March 13 and continues to be accepted for this project (see comments submitted as of April 3, 2024). Please continue to send public comments to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Anyone expecting to make verbal public testimony for this project on April 24, 2024 will need to wait until the hearing is rescheduled. Project documents will continue to be posted for public review using the links and references in this news flash (below).

How will I know when the hearing is rescheduled for?

Once outstanding requests for additional information have been sufficiently addressed, a new notice will be published in print as required by County Code. This news flash post will also be updated help the public keep apprised of this ongoing review process.

An updated Summary of Important Information and Resources is available at the bottom of this news flash. Also, the original release has been corrected regarding what ‘SEPA’ stands for. ‘SEPA’ is an acronym for State Environmental Policy Act.

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Search for New County Manager Enters Public Participation Phase in Early May

In total, the job posting yielded 39 applications from around the country.

San Juan County is moving forward in its interview process for a new County Manager which will culminate with a community meeting in each district on May 6 and 7. The job posting yielded 39 applicants from around the country that have been screened and vetted via a variety of steps including resume reviews, video interviews, and written responses.  

The County’s core hiring committee which consists of the Human Resources Director, Interim County Manager, and the Council have been working with the recruitment firm Strategic Government Resources (SGR) to narrow the applicant pool. During the April 16 Council meeting, Council selected the finalists who are invited to participate in the final interview phase.

The selected finalists are invited to in-person interviews as well as a community meeting in each of the three districts on Monday and Tuesday May 6 and 7. During these community meetings, the public will have the opportunity to meet and learn about the candidates via a moderated Q&A. The exact times and locations of community meetings are still being finalized and the public will be notified of further details as soon as possible.    

The final round of interviews will be conducted by panels comprised of Council members and other elected officials, County staff, and board members from various County committees. The County Council is the ultimate hiring body for the County Manager position.    

Currently, San Juan County’s Health & Community Services Director, Mark Tompkins, is serving as the Interim County Manager and the County’s Parks and Fair Director, Brandon Andrews, is serving as the Interim Assistant County Manager.

Scientists have proposed two new species of killer whales which are currently considered a single species

Scientists have proposed two new species of killer whales which are currently considered a single species. Bigg’s killer whales (seen here), also known as transients, would be designated as Orcinus rectipinnus and resident killer whales as Orcinus ater. Photo: Copyright Melissa Pinnow, used with permission

By: Christopher Dunagan
Originally Posted Here

A scientific paper, published on March 27th, spells out the unique physical and genetic characteristics that should make each group a separate species, with the proposed scientific names Orcinus ater for residents and Orcinus rectipinnus for Bigg’s.

Since the 1970s, scientists in the Puget Sound region have been studying the differences between two types of killer whales: the so-called residents, which eat salmon, and the Bigg’s or transient killer whales, which eat seals, sea lions and other marine mammals. Even though the two groups of whales have different behaviors, vocal calls and social structures — along with distinct body styles and genetic traits — the two types are still considered a single species, Orcinus orca.

In fact, killer whales in every ocean of the world are grouped together as a single species. Until now, scientific discussions and debates have yet to resolve whether any orca population or group is different enough to be declared its own species.

This single-species convention could soon undergo a decisive change, thanks to advanced genetic techniques used to discern evolutionary patterns. Following years of study and consideration, scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have proposed two new species of killer whales, Orcinus ater for residents and Orcinus rectipinnus for Bigg’s.

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