news archive
May, 2007 - Legal Support for a San Juan County Orca Whale Watching Vessel Safety Regulation
May, 2007 - Check out our new Shoreline Stewardship Guidebooks
March, 2007 - NOAA Proposed potential regulations to protect killer whales from the effects of vessel activities under the Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act
February, 2007 - FRIENDS Comments on the Proposed Recovery Plan for Southern Resident Killer Whales
Oct. 2006 - FRIENDS submits EIS Scoping Comments for BP Dock Expansion at Cherry Point
Sept. 2006 - FRIENDS staff submit public comments on proposed dock over eelgrass. See also our original comments on the Hughes Dock - Oct 2005
Sept. 2006 - 130 members attend FRIENDS 27th Annual Meeting
August, 2006 - FRIENDS intervenes in Tidal Energy Proposal for San Juan and Speiden Channels
July, 2006 - FRIENDS recently completed two reports, click to read them.
Soft Shore Restoration Blueprint & the Blueprint Appendix and the
San Juan County Nearshore Impact Assessment - They are very large files.
June, 2006 - FRIENDS Legal Director passes the WA State Bar and was sworn in.
April, 2006 -
Recent study concludes that shoreline modification can reduce the survival rate of surf smelt embryos as much as 50 percent. Read the full report by Casey Rice, from the National Marine Fisheries Service
Nov. 2005 - Orcas Listed as Endangered Species
Oct. 2005 - Seattle Post-Intelligencer report on the Puget Sound Biodiversity Assessment
Oct. 2005 - Biodiversity Assessment of the Puget Sound Basin - Report released
September 6, 2005 - Friends and San Juan County settle the ADU Issue.
December 16, 2004 - NOAA proposes to list the Southern Resident killer whale distinct population segment (DPS) as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
Background information about Orcas, their threats and the Endangered Species listing.
November 9, 2004 - San Juan County Denies GSX Pipeline Permit
September 28, 2004 - Endangered species petition filed for Island Marble Butterfly.
September, 2004 - Guest House Negotiations come to an end.
September, 2004 - Action Alert - GSX Pipeline
July, 2004 - “Journey with our Ancestors” Tribal Canoe Journey 2004
March, 2004 - Guest Opinion on Guest House Debate in the Sounder
January, 2004 - Cherry Point Herring Proposed for Endangered Species Listing.
January, 2004 - Court upholds FRIENDS position on detached guest houses.
January, 2004 - Farmed Salmon are laced with Toxins.
November, 2003 - Habitat Protection: Endangered landscapes and wildlife
September, 2003 - Eelgrass virtually gone from Westcott Bay (sanjuanislander.com)
June, 2003 - Land use victory for community, trees, and Betty DaGradi
May, 2003 - Investigations Link Sonar & Orca Decline (click on "video")
May, 2003 - Porpoises die along coast; sonar suspected (Seattle PI)
SAN JUAN COUNTY DENIES INTERNATIONAL PIPELINE PROJECT
On Tuesday November 10, 2004, the San Juan Board of County Commissions voted to deny a Shoreline Substantial Development Permit applied for by GSX (Georgia Strait Crossing) Pipeline, LLC that would allow a natural gas pipeline to cross through San Juan County on its 84.5 miles crossing from Bellingham to Vancouver Island. The U.S. portion of the pipeline is part of a larger project jointly sponsored by British Columbia Hydro and Power Authority (BC Hydro) and Williams Gas Pipeline Company (Williams).
FRIENDS of the San Juans challenged a May 28, 2004, decision by Wick Dufford, San Juan County Hearing Examiner, which approved a Shoreline Substantial Development Permit for the GSX permit in order to carry out the San Juan County portion of a natural gas pipeline project.
FRIENDS appealed the decision to the San Juan County Board of County Commissioners on the basis that the Hearing Examiner had made several errors of law, including: the pipeline did not comply with shorelines rules, other route alternatives were available, it would overall not benefit the county, and would harm wildlife.
"We believe the hearing examiner essentially rewrote San Juan County shoreline code," said FOSJ attorney John Karpinski. Pipelines were only to be allowed if there were no feasible alternatives. Dufford interpreted feasible as preferable, Karpinski said.
“This was an important victory for San Juan County, and the biologically rich waters of the Orca Pass International Stewardship Area, which is home to three federally petitioned endangered species including: Orca whales, salmon, and Cherry Point Herring,” said Stephanie Buffum, Executive Director of FRIENDS of the San Juans who brought the appeal. “It’s tough to say no to a big company like Williams, but a majority of our Commissioners did just that.
FRIENDS of the San Juans is a 25 year old non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the land, water, and sea of the San Juan Archipelago through science, policy, law, education, and citizen action. www.sanjuans.org
WHY TAKE ACTION TO STOP THE GSX PIPELINE?
GSX will adversely impact the marine environment and Cherry Point herring.
GSX is not needed here-- there are feasible alternatives.
GSX will not benefit the environment or the economy.
GSX has been denied by both San Juan County and Whatcom County Staff planners.
Update on Georgia Strait Pipeline and GSX News Articles
San Juan County GSX Staff Report - April 9, 2004
San Juan County GSX Hearings Examiner Findings and Decision -
May 21, 2004
Canoe Journey 2004
OUR HANDS ARE UP TO THE PARTICIPANTS AND VOLUNTEERS OF THE 2004 TRIBAL CANOE PADDLE THROUGH SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA
Thank you to all Canoe Journey participants , sponsors, cooks, support boats, and community volunteers who made this years Canoe Journey a huge success. Through a lead gift from the Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation, in-kind donations of food, space (Odlin County Park and Roche Harbor Resort) and financial contributions from islanders, San Juan County was able to host three days of the Canoe Journey. Gifts were exchanged and a seven sided native American style hand drum, made by David Hoopes was presented to Swinomish Tribal Elder and Senate Member Chester Cayou. The BOCC presented a Special Proclamation in celebration of the event.
LOPEZ COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS: Rhea Miller, Paul R. Lewis, Dennis Rosenman, Irene Skyriver, Greg Bloomberg, Brent Charnley, Pamela Marestan, Zack Blumberg, Scott Steckler, Pamela Pauly, Suzanne Berry, Wendy Westervelt, Sandy Bishop, Greg and Nancy Ewert, Shantarv, Christopher O’Bryant, Valerie and John Yukluk, Seth and Henria Connie Holz, Rosie Sumner, Blossom’s, Holly Bee Bakery, Kimie and Ken, Nancy, Renee and Odlin Park Staff, Dona Wuthnow, Kathryn Hansen.SAN JUAN
COMMUNTY VOLUNTEERS: Brent Snow, Chris Watling, Roche Harbor Staff, Bill Chevalier, Jim and Lisa Lawrence, Nick Nash, David and Pat Hoopes, Richard Walker, Brandon Davis, Kim Kennedy, Val and Leslie Viers, Doug McCutcheon, Kari Koski, Wendy Kay and Eric Gewiss, Wendy and Dylan Stephens, Katie Haggerman, Alice Hibbert, Ralph Hahn, Critter and Jody Kennedy, Dean and Audrey Stupke (Orcas), Irmgard Conley (Orcas), Mary Masters (Orcas).
SUPPORT BOATS: Larry and Barbara DeKay, Bob Weimer and Greg Dodd, Jim and Karen Sulak, Bob Palmer, Jamie Stephens, Peter Fromm, Lark Dalton, Helmult and Contessa Fisher.
ORGANIZATIONAL CO-SPONSORS: Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation, San Juan County Board of County Commissioner, San Juan Marine Resource Committee, San Juan County Parks Board, Odlin County Park, Roche Harbor Resort, The Whale Museum, Port of Friday Harbor, San Juan Island Yacht Club, Tif and Gif Creative, Arctic Raven Gallery, Town of Friday Harbor, Cousin Vinnie’s Cafe, Food Service of America.
Please contact FRIENDS for more information on how to participate in next years Journey to Lower Elwha Klallam - Port Angeles, WA
Thank You,
Stephanie Buffum Field
Executive Director
FRIENDS of the San Juans
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