CORRECTION: Planning Commission vote referenced in "WEAN Urges County To Stick To Original Population Projections" was a 5 to 3 vote, not 5 to 2.

Whidbey Environmental Action Network

We've Raised $100K

And We're Still Going!

At the WEAN Summer Benefit on August 17, our community raised over $100,000 for ecosystem protection in Island County and beyond. THANK YOU!

We are so grateful to everyone who showed up, had fun, and raised their paddle. We are also thankful to those of you who gave online in your absence — we appreciate you! If you missed the event and want to be a part of the action, there's still time. The WEAN Summer Benefit campaign is open to giving through September 17.

Anyone who gives to the campaign through September 17 will receive a private link to our new impact video before it is released online later this year.

GIVE TO WEAN

WEAN Urges County To Stick To Original Population Projections

Aerial image of Oak Harbor in 2008 by J Brew from Wikimedia.

On August 20, 2025, the Island County Planning Commission held a public hearing to discuss Island County lowering population projections for Oak Harbor in the current Comprehensive Planning cycle, following stalled negotiations between the City and County planning staff.

WEAN Executive Director Marnie Jackson submitted a comment ahead of the public hearing, stating WEAN's position on the matter: adhere to the original projections and request that Oak Harbor responsibly rezone and plan for infrastructure to support population growth within the current UGA boundaries.

The Planning Commission, which provides recommendations to the Board of Island County Commissioners, was split 5 to 3 in favor of allowing the County to lower Oak Harbor's population projections. The Planning Commission's recommendation will go back to the Board of Island County Commissioners for consideration.

Read Marnie's comment in our latest blog post.

READ MARNIE'S COMMENT

Commissioners Vote Not To Include Fireworks In Type 1 Burn Ban

Image of a fire danger sign indicating "no fireworks" by Frankie Leon from Flickr . Location of sign unknown; not located in Island County.

On August 13, the Board of Island County Commissioners held a vote to decide whether or not to pass a resolution proposed by Commissioner Bacon to ban the sale of mortars and the use of fireworks during a Type 1 Burn Ban. Unfortunately, the resolution did not pass.

Despite the outcome of the vote, WEAN continues to support a total ban on consumer fireworks in Island County.

"Fireworks are increasingly hazardous for our community as climate change brings hotter, drier summers and additional fire danger," WEAN ED Marnie Jackson stated in a public comment to the commissioners before the vote. "This threat is in addition to the general stress of explosions on people and ecosystems, plus the lingering impact of litter from fireworks in our streets, parks, and beaches."

Meet Our New Team Members

Part-time staffers Reilly McVay and Violet Bluemer at the WEAN Summer Benefit.

Part-time staffers Reilly McVay and Violet Bluemer joined the WEAN team this summer to work on projects focused on comprehensive planning and environmental data analysis that support WEAN's strategic priorities of holding local jurisdictions accountable and promoting a model for county-wide conservation.

We're so happy to have both of them with us!

You can learn more about each of them and other team members on our Team page.

OUR TEAM

PRI Seeks Conservation Easement

To Permanently Protect Prairie

Image of PRI Land Steward Mosa Neis on the prairie by Allyson Ballard.

The Pacific Rim Institute, an environmental stewardship organization restoring 140 acres of prairie and Oak savannah just east of Coupeville on Whidbey Island, is actively seeking a conservation easement for the property to ensure the permanent protection of these critical ecosystems.

WEAN intervened when the property was up for sale by the Department of Fish and Wildlife in the 1990s, which led to the Washington State legislature passing a bill requiring the sale to be made to a conservation buyer. This provides temporary protection for the property, but it is no substitute for a conservation easement, which is a voluntary and permanent agreement that would change the highest and best use of the property to reflect conservation values in perpetuity.

PRI will be holding its annual Cider Festival on September 20. Tickets now available.

READ ARTICLE

Attend "Works For All"

Screening, Sept 18

Video preview of "Works For All" by Mark Dworkin and Melissa Young.

Join local filmmakers, Mark Dworkin and Melissa Young of Moving Images Video Project, at the Whidbey Institute for a screening of their short documentary film, "Works for All," about the impact of a remarkable network of worker Co-Ops based in Cincinnati, Ohio, on the lives of people often marginalized by the mainstream economy.

When: September 18 at 7 pm

Where: Thomas Berry Hall, 6449 Old Pietila Rd, Clinton, WA 98236, USA

The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmakers, as well as special guest Luis Sierra from the Northwest Cooperative Development Center.

Become A Member

Are you a member of WEAN yet? We accept applications for membership year round.

JOIN WEAN

From WildEarth Guardians: Keep Roadless Areas Roadless!

Image from WildEarth Guardians.

Since January, the Trump administration has unleashed an all-out attack on America's public lands, including ordering the “immediate expansion” of logging in National Forests. Now, the Forest Service has proposed repealing the Roadless Rule, which would open much of the remaining intact forest lands in National Forests to damaging road construction, logging, and other industrial extraction activities.

Please take a moment to tell your elected officials that you want the Forest Service to keep Roadless Areas as they are – Roadless!

SEND LETTER

From Animal Commons: Congress Must Stop This Plan To Kill 450,000 Owls

Image of barred owls from Animal Commons.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approved a devastating wildlife policy last August that would result in the deliberate killing of nearly half a million barred owls – a native species that has lived in North American forests for generations.

Under the so-called “Barred Owl Management Strategy,” federal agents would use recorded calls to lure these owls and then shoot them with shotguns. This killing would spread across millions of acres of public land, including some of the most iconic national parks in the country. From Olympic and Mount Rainier in Washington, to Crater Lake in Oregon, and Redwood and Sequoia in California, owls would be gunned down in the dark in places that were once safe havens for wildlife.

Please ask your Representative and Senators to co-sponsor and support H.J. Res. 111 to stop this brutal and ineffective plan.

SEND LETTER

From EarthJustice: Tell The EPA Not To Walk Away From Climate

Image of Zimmer Power Plant Smoke Stack from Wikimedia.

Trump’s plan to repeal the EPA's Endangerment Finding would leave us with dirtier air, more extreme weather events, more harm to our health, and more risk to our communities.

If their plan goes through, the Trump administration will abandon the federal government’s role in reducing greenhouse gases that threaten our planet. The only winners will be fossil-fuel corporations, whose pollution not only threatens our air and water, but also our climate.

Show the federal government that people across this country overwhelmingly support actions to reduce climate pollution.

SEND LETTER

Words What We're Reading on image of lichen

Friendly Rivalry Persists Between Crows, Gulls, From Whidbey News-Times

Taking Care Of Those Who Grow Our Food, From This Is Whidbey

“If One Path Is Blocked, Nature Will Find Another,” From Sightline Institute

Plight Of The Bumblebees, From bioGraphic

Seeing The Fungi For The Trees, From bioGraphic

The ‘Hotel California’ Of Biodiversity, From Inside Climate News

Lawsuit Challenges Trump’s Failure to Protect Endangered Animals From Gulf Oil Drilling, From Center For Biological Diversity

Juvenile Humpback Whale ‘Stronger And Energetic’ After Recent Rescue, From Puget Sound Institute

Ten Years Of Confronting A Costly Green Crab Invasion In Puget Sound, From Salish Sea Currents Magazine

Wildlife Refuges On The Olympic Peninsula Under New, Old Management, From Salish Sea Currents Magazine

Judge Orders That ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Detention Center Be Shut Down for Now, From The New York Times

These Companies Avoided Clean-Air Rules. It Took a Single Email., From The New York Times

Court Orders Less Reliance On Pesticide Spraying On Millions of Acres Of Western Rangelands, From Xerces Society

Attend UW Climate Webinar, Sept 25

Image of Skagit River by Walter Siegmund

Given concerns about the continued availability of federal climate information, tools and technical support, this webinar will review the range of reliable, regional resources for supporting climate preparedness in Washington and the Northwest.

When: Sept 25 at 11 am

Where: Online via Zoom

RSVP

Regional News

Washington DNR To Conserve 77,000 Acres Of Legacy Forest

Making good on his campaign promise, on August 26, Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove signed a commissioner's order setting aside 77,000 acres of legacy forest under Department of Natural Resources (DNR) management for conservation.

With the help of foresters, data scientists, and forest ecologists, the DNR identified 106,000 acres of structurally complex, biodiverse forest land under its management that was last harvested between the 1920s and the post-World War II era, known as legacy forests. These forests are nearly at maturity, and with protection, will continue to provide critical resources to the region, including carbon sequestration, which is essential for climate resilience in the state.

The order leaves 29,000 acres of legacy forest open for harvesting by the state.

Attend the Board of Natural Resources quarterly meeting on September 3 at 9 am to thank the Board of Natural Resources for conserving legacy forests. See agenda and webinar instructions.

READ ARTICLE

ATTEND MEETING

Shoreline Restoration Underway In The San Juan Islands

Image of a group gathered at Eastsound on Orcas Island by Liza Mahler, courtesy of Friend of the San Juans.

This summer and fall, Friends of the San Juans is leading a series of shoreline restoration projects across the islands, from Shaw Island to Eastsound on Orcas. These efforts do more than meet the eye — they help revive the ecological function of our shorelines and strengthen the health of our island communities.

Thriving and balanced shoreline ecosystems are essential for wildlife that’s foundational to the islands: eelgrass, forage fish, salmon, and orcas. When left in their natural state, shorelines act as a buffer against flood hazards and improve water quality. But restoration doesn’t happen overnight. Behind every successful project are years of interconnected efforts in science, site design, and community building.

Text from Friends of the San Juans. Read the full blog post below.

READ BLOG

Skagit's Revamped Big Rock Park Set To Reopen

Video from Skagit Land Trust about the Big Rock Park expansion, 2024.

At the time of the video the park was about 80 acres, but will be opening with almost 100 conserved acres open to the public.

As soon as September, Big Rock Park in Mount Vernon is set to reopen to the public, and increase in size by more than seven times. Skagit County is purchasing 63 acres of property around Big Rock, land currently held by Skagit Land Trust, thanks in large part to a $1 million state grant. It’s also receiving a gift of 22 adjacent acres from a local couple.

In total, the park will be almost 100 acres. Visitors will be able to walk its trail system and climb to the top of Big Rock.

READ ARTICLE