Island News
Local headlines from around the San Juans
County Council Completes Series of September Budget Meetings; October 5 Public Hearing to Follow
The San Juan County Council recently completed a series of budget conversations in September 2026, following the August 25th release of the 2027 preliminary budget. At its meeting on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 Council wrapped up its last budget related discussion scheduled for the month of September and is now preparing for a public hearing […]
New Analysis Reveals Major Increase in Vessel Traffic Through the Salish Sea
A new analysis by Friends of the San Juans shows that ocean-going vessel traffic in the Salish Sea is projected to increase by nearly 2,000 additional shipping transits annually, including a dramatic increase in tanker traffic going to and from Canada that could more than quadruple historic tanker traffic levels. The 2026 Salish Sea Vessel […]
Rep Larsen’s recommendations about voting by mail in Washington state
Washington has one of the strongest vote-by-mail systems in the country. But recent changes to U.S. Postal Service transportation operations mean some mail may not receive a postmark on the same day it is mailed, raising concerns for ballots returned close to Election Day. That matters because under Washington law, a ballot returned by mail […]
Jet noise report includes June, July, and August 2026 data
A report of jet noise disruption from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island has been posted by Quiet Skies. This report is compiled using reports by local residents and visitors and illustrates the volume of reports during June, July and August, 2026, as well as types of noise, days and times of noise, and comments. Reports […]
Draft Environment Assessment of proposed development of 115 acres at Friday Harbor airport available; public comments due by October 18
The Port of Friday Harbor (Port), owner and operator of the Friday Harbor Regional Airport (FHR or the Airport), proposes to develop approximately 115 acres of airport property, known as the Southwest Development Area (SWDA), to accommodate current and forecasted demand for aircraft operations at the Airport and meet design standards established by the Federal […]
October 20 and November 17: San Juan Island Fire Dept to hold public hearings on 2027 budget
Public Hearing – 2027 Budget & Revenue Resources Monday, September 21, 2026 The Board of Fire Commissioners for SJC Fire Protection District 3 will be holding public hearings relating to its annual 2027 Budget on the following dates and times. Written and verbal testimony will be accepted from the public. Regular meetings are held […]
September 23: Community Budget discussion with County Council chair Justin Paulsen
San Juan County Council Chair and District 2 representative Justin Paulsen is hosting “Community Budget with County Council Chair Justin Paulsen” from 6 to 7:30 pm Wednesday, September 23 at the San Juan Island Library Meeting Room. Topics planned for discussion include: Pressures related to the General Fund; Various revenue options; and Details and changes […]
Guest Column by Katherine Bryant Ingman: Spotlight: San Juan County Budget.
San Juan County is set to spend more than it takes in for 2027. To legally balance the budget, it needs to cut $3.7 million. This didn’t happen overnight. In April 2026, a levy lift failed, with over 60% voting no, forcing difficult decisions. Costs the county can’t control have kept climbing: state mandated programs, […]
Guest Column: Jennifer Swanson impressed by community participation
Dear Editor, This week, I had the pleasure of experiencing community engagement, up close on both Waldron and Lopez Islands. Last Sunday, I visited the Waldron community and had several informative conversations. I heard their concerns about receiving county services on a remote island, along with basic infrastructure issues. I was able to share my […]
Christine Hopkins: Supports Swanson for county Council
Dear Editor, There are many reasons I support Jennifer Swanson in her bid for Council Position #3. I’d like to focus on two of her strengths: Jennifer is hard working and displays equanimity when leading. Jennifer has stepped into a variety of community organizations on Shaw Island and throughout the San Juan Islands. You can […]
Carole Davis: Supports Swanson for county Council
I was very pleased to learn that Jennifer Swanson was running for our county council. I cannot imagine a more qualified candidate. I have known Jennifer for more than 20 years. She is smart, informed, well organized, articulate, and responsible. She has a wonderful way of bringing people together, making people feel heard, and diffusing […]
Sheila Gaugin: Supports Swanson for county Council
I’m voting for Jennifer Swanson for County Council, District 3 position, and I hope you will too. I have known Jennifer for more than 20 years and have seen her in numerous community service roles, including school board, Ferry Advisory Committee, The Shaw Community Land Trust board, the teacher housing committee, and more. Of all Jennifer’s […]
Board of Health to hold public hearing on fee increases; PM2.5 monitoring station installed
LWVSJ Observer Corps summary of the San Juan County Board of Health September 16, 2026 meeting. Arlesia Bailey is the new executive director of Accountable Communities of Health (ACH). Evergreen Recovery has posted two job positions, based in the county and in partnership with the SJC Sheriff’s Department. Northwest Regional Council (NWRC) approved a 3% […]
September 17: Public hearing on 3 variances for proposed project at 240 First St
A continued public hearing for variances for a proposed three-story, eleven-unit mixed-use building (six transient, five residential) with 21 off-street parking stalls at 240 First St N. will be held during Friday Harbor Town Council’s September 17, 2026 12 noon hearing. The site (Tax Parcels 351150001000 and 351150003000) are zoned CO. The site’s slope (25%-85%, […]
PA’s office and District Court move to termporary offices while courthouse has seismic retrofit
San Juan County District Court and the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office are moving out of the historic courthouse to allow for structural renovations. The “seismic retrofit” will improve the safety of the building in case of an earthquake, and it is funded through a matching grant from the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. Construction […]
Larsen Statement on Joint U.S.-Canada Oil Spill Response Exercise
WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 15, 2026 U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02), top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, released the following statement: “On September 1, my staff observed a joint exercise between the U.S. Coast Guard and the Canadian Coast Guard designed to simulate response efforts and coordination between our two countries in […]
Larsen Applauds $4.2 Million for Local Salmon Passage Restoration
WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 15, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) announced that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) is awarding $4.2 million to the Skagit River System Cooperative (Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe and Swinomish Indian Tribal Community) for restoring fish passage to support Similk Estuary Chinook salmon. “This is great news for fish!” said Rep. Larsen. “This […]
Injunction Upheld: federal administration can’t interfere with mid-term elections
OLYMPIA – Monday, September 14, 2026, the United States Supreme Court ruled that the U.S. Postal Service cannot place new restrictions on ballot mail before the Nov. 3 General Election. Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs issued the following statement: “Today’s decision reaffirms what we already know: the USPS rule would create unnecessary disruption and put our voters at risk. Washington’s election workers are already hard at work […]
Comments about proposed updates to the CAO and SMP due by October 9
San Juan County is seeking your comments on its proposed updates to the Critical Area Ordinance (CAO) protections and the Shoreline Master Program (SMP). As we consider protections for natural resources and systems, we are interested to learn of any questions and feedback you may have. San Juan County is updating its critical areas protections. […]
Letter to the Editor: Concerned about delays in postmarking ballots
Editor: I’ve been hearing a lot of discussion and confusion about the threats to mail-in voting. People were especially disturbed to hear about the number of ballots that were rejected in Washington’s recent primary because they were “late,” even though they were mailed days before election day. The problem is our mail is no longer […]
2026 Assessment Change of Value Notices mailed to property owners
San Juan County Assessor’s Office mailed the 2026 Change of Value Notices on September 8, 2026. Changes reflect market sales between January 1, 2025 and April 30, 2026 with an assessment date of January 1, 2026. Properties with new construction are valued for improvements made to the property up to July 31, 2026. If your value […]