HIGHWATER MARKS
news & updates
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February 2021 | Issue 1
Upcoming Events
We are excited to introduce you to our new e-newsletter – HIGHWATER MARKS!

Send Katie your ideas! What do you want to hear about or experience through Friends in 2021 (virtually for now and hopefully in person later in the year)?
New Releases by Friends!
A video about our Sucia Island restoration project.

A website that showcases our shoreline restoration projects.
Breaking News!
Major win in Tacoma! An EIS will be required for the application to expand the SeaPort Sound bulk oil terminal.
Action Center
Participate in the upcoming Public Hearing on the Moratorium regarding Vacation Rentals in San Juan County on Feb 23.

Voice your support for environmental legislation in WA state. Our partners at the Environmental Priorities Coalition and RE Sources have great information for getting involved.
Learn How Your Waterfront Property Can Help Save Salmon and Orca 
We have secured the funds, the experts are ready, all we need now are more waterfront property owners to take steps to support the marine ecosystem. While it may not be as thrilling as securing your appointment to get vaccinated against Covid-19, it is quite exciting news for forage fish, salmon, and Southern Resident orca! 
Friends of Friends: Mike & Susan Krieger

There are only a few people who can claim the longest term of membership with Friends, and Mike Krieger is one of them. He helped found Friends in 1979.
 
In celebration of Valentine’s Day this week, we wanted to highlight Susan and Mike who are celebrating 30 years of being together: These two lovebirds have shared a profound connection with each other and with Friends of the San Juans, a protector of the place they hold so dear.
 
Friends was vital for the San Juan Islands' protection in 1979 and it is still vital today. - Mike Krieger, Jan. 2021
Origin Stories: Winter 1981 Newsletter
Are you ready for a blast from the past? For some fun and perspective, we will post historical Friends stories in our Highwater Marks e-newsletters. Today we are sharing our very first newsletter! In it you can read about our efforts to defend San Juan County from a lawsuit that sought to invalidate the County’s first Comprehensive Plan.
What future do you want for our community? Winter 2021 Comp Plan Update
For many decades, working on behalf of and with our members, Friends has been diligently engaging in updates to San Juan County’s official Comprehensive Plan. Known as the “Comp Plan,” it guides how our community will look in the future. With its new Comp Plan update, our County is making decisions now that will guide its actions for the next 20 years; the stakes literally could not be higher for the future of our Islands - and you can help.
Heartfelt Gratitude, Protecting What You Love by Michel Vekved, Director of Philanthropy
At this time of year, I reflect on the relationships and connections I have had with our members. I hold sacred space for the privilege of hearing your personal stories. But there's more...
Words from the Next Generation: Hindsight’s 2020 - Learning from the Pandemic to Address the Climate Crisis by Kaia Olson (high school sophomore)
2020 was supposed to be the year where we acted on the climate crisis. It was the fifth anniversary of the Paris climate agreement, the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day, and the conclusion of a historical decade for climate activism. Instead, it was a year like no other. Fires, hurricanes, and a global pandemic. But now that we’ve left 2020 behind and moved on to 2021, we can take last year as a lesson for moving forward.
What We're Reading
Orcas Currents, Roberts Bank Container Terminal Threatens Orcas, January 19, 2021
 
This article, co-authored by Jay Julius and Lovel Pratt, our Marine Protection and Policy Director, focused on the threats posed by Roberts Bank Terminal 2 with a combination of the perspectives from Friends and the Lummi Tribe.

Washington Post, An Ancient People with a Modern Climate Plan, November 24, 2020

This article inspires us. After a brutal storm in 2006, the Swinomish tribe off the coast of Washington state launched a strategy to deal with the effects of a warming planet. Now, 50 other native tribes have followed suit.
Friends of the San Juans respectfully honors the fact that this beautiful place we strive to protect and restore with our mission-centered work is comprised of the ancestral lands, waters, and natural resources of the Coast Salish peoples. These Tribes have cared for and stewarded the San Juan Islands and the Salish Sea since time immemorial — and continue to do so — and we honor their inherent, aboriginal, and treaty rights that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Friends of the San Juans | www.sanjuans.org