Whidbey Environmental Action Network

Our Community Showed Up

For Ecosystem Protection

Image, from left to right, of Grethe Cammermeyer, Marnie Jackson, and Violet Bluemer during the keynote conversation at the WEAN Summer Benefit on June 13. Photo by Linda LaMar.

On June 13, WEAN held its second annual Summer Benefit at Dancing Fish Vineyards, where we raised $164,032 for ecosystem protection in Island County. Thank you so much to everyone who came out to the event and to our corporate event sponsors, Whidbey Island Kayaking, Puget Sound Energy, and Edward Jones Freeland, for supporting our work. Special shout-out to those of you who raised a paddle in the room, gave online, or sent in a gift in the mail. We can’t do any of this work without you!

Sam from Fulla Za kept us fed with delicious pizza, Porch Brothers & Co serenaded the crowd with tunes, and Marnie moderated a wonderful conversation between civil rights activist Grethe Cammermeyer and WEAN’s youngest staff member, Environmental Data Analyst Violet Bluemer.

For those who were unable to attend, there is a recording of the keynote conversation, which we’ve released as a podcast episode of Action Hour. Listen to the keynote conversation and check out pictures from the event, taken by WEAN board member Linda LaMar, in the photo gallery linked below.

LISTEN

VIEW GALLERY

BOCC Votes To Adopt Comp

Plan And Development Codes

Video of the BOCC Comp Plan public hearing on June 23, 2026.

On June 23, the Board of Island County Commissioners voted to adopt the Comprehensive Plan and corresponding Development Codes after hearing testimony from the public, including WEAN Executive Director Marnie Jackson and Engagement Director Amanda Bullis. WEAN continued to voice concerns regarding the legality of the rural cluster code, the lack of concrete planning for septic infrastructure in Freeland and Clinton, and the outstanding "donut holes" in Oak Harbor. WEAN also pointed out inconsistencies in the definition of "no net loss" in the glossary, as well as a lack of mitigation sequencing in the Comprehensive Plan.

The commissioners ultimately voted unanimously in favor of adopting both the Comprehensive Plan and the Development Codes. The moratorium on development in Limited Areas of More Intensive Rural Development (LAMIRDs) was lifted as a result. Upon official publication of both documents, the public will have 60 days to submit an appeal. The 60-day period starts on July 1, 2026, and ends on August 31, 2026. The Comprehensive Plan Update will go into effect following the 60-day appeal period, or if a petition for review is timely filed, upon issuance of the Growth Management Hearings Board's final order.

Read the latest WEAN blog post for an in-depth view of the meeting and our next steps.

READ BLOG

Langley Hears Comments, Delays Action On Coles Valley Development

Video of the Langley City Council Meeting held on June 15, 2026, including a discussion about the Coles Valley land use agreement and service station moratorium.

On June 12, WEAN Executive Director Marnie Jackson sent a follow-up to her May 22 letter to the City of Langley, sharing concerns regarding the proposed changes to the Coles Valley Land Use Agreement presented by the current property owner, Bob Libolt of South Whidbey LLC. The current owner of the much-contested 38-acre parcel has proposed a new land use agreement that would increase the number of single-family units allowable on the property from 24 to 65, plus two additional cottage tracks with a maximum of 10 cottages each. South Whidbey LLC has simultaneously submitted a permit application for a long plat subdivision on the property for 65 single-family lots and 2 cottage tracks.

“The Council has indicated that environmental and infrastructure review can be deferred to later

permit stages. That position might be defensible on an unstudied site. This site is not unstudied,” said Jackson in her June 12 correspondence to the City. “Substantial agency review is already in the record, and those reviews raise serious, specific, unresolved concerns about whether this site can support the scale of development the LUA would authorize. Approving the LUA now does not defer those questions—it prejudges them in the developer’s favor before they are answered, while vesting density expectations that will be difficult to walk back regardless of what subsequent studies reveal.”

At the June 15 Langley City Council meeting, Mayor Horstman moved the proposed agreement from action to discussion. The discussion focused on understanding the process for determining the actual capacity of the property, including the possibility of multiple ADUs on each of the 65 single-family lots proposed.

Neighboring property owners from parcels on Overlook Drive spoke about their concerns regarding the estimated 10,000 truckloads of fill the developer would bring in to flatten the steep slopes on the site to create these new units. Other members of the community expressed environmental justice concerns about putting affordable housing right next to a wastewater treatment plant.

No formal action was taken during the June 15 meeting regarding the proposed land use agreement.

See below for WEAN Executive Director Marnie Jackson's latest comments on the proposed changes to the land use agreement.

READ COMMENTS

City Of Langley Upholds Moratorium

On Service Station Permits

Video by Robbie Cribbs of Sound Trap Studios of a protest against a proposed gas station on Cascade Avenue in Langley.

Earlier this year, a landowner submitted a preapplication for a service station on Cascade Avenue In Langley on a lot zoned for commercial use. Citizens of Langley and Island County residents have voiced concerns for a variety of reasons, from design standards, vehicle traffic patterns, health issues, alignment with the City’s newly adopted Comprehensive Plan, and, in WEAN’s case, serious environmental concerns about the site location of the proposed service station, which would include two gas pumps.

At the June 15 Langley City Council meeting, the council held a public hearing on a moratorium adopted in May for all new service station application permits. The moratorium was put into effect to consider design standards for any potential future stations. WEAN Executive Director Marnie Jackson shared a letter with the City on May 22 supporting the interim moratorium on service station applications and asked that the moratorium be applied to the pending pre-application on Cascade Avenue without delay.

WEAN’s concerns regarding the pre-application for a proposed gas station on Cascade Avenue in Langley relate to the storage of petrochemicals at the site, which sits on a high bluff subject to ongoing erosion and geological instability, conditions that increase the risk that underground storage may be compromised, surface draining of spilled fuel, and the migration of petroleum contamination downslope.

Langley community members will have future opportunities to give public comment on the specific service station pre-application on Cascade Avenue during the design standard process. Comments can be submitted via email directly to the Langley City Council at council@langleywa.org.

Read an article on the issue from the Whidbey News-Times, as well as WEAN's comments, below.

READ ARTICLE

READ COMMENTS

Island Roots Cuts The Ribbon

On First Affordable Housing Project

Image of Generations Place complex in Langley by Amanda Bullis.

On June 9, WEAN's office neighbor and consortium partner Island Roots Housing cut the ribbon on their first completed affordable housing project in Island County, Generations Place. The workforce housing complex, which consists of 14 units, is situated in downtown Langley. Hundreds of people attended the ceremony, which included speeches from Island Roots staff and board, GenCap Construction, as well as Representative Dave Paul, Langley Mayor Pro Tem Chris Carlson, and Lynn Hays, who blessed the future residents of the building with a gift of bread, wine, and salt.

“For Island Roots Housing, this ribbon cutting marks more than a construction milestone. It marks the moment Generations Place begins fulfilling the purpose it was built for — welcoming people home,” said Rose Hughes, Managing Director of Island Roots Housing, in a recent press release.

The workforce housing complex is currently accepting applications. If you are interested in being considered for housing at Generations Place, you can currently join their interest list .

Read the full article on the ribbon cutting by Kate Poss, from This Is Whidbey.

READ ARTICLE

Attend Transition Is Inevitable,

Justice Is Not, Hosted By Kicking Gas

Join Kicking Gas and community supporters for dinner, a panel discussion with local environmental and community organizations, education on the Just Transition, and a book talk from award-winning author Sylvia G. Hadnot on We Have Everything: Future Building. Systems for Sustainability.

When: July 16, 2026, from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Where: Clinton Community Hall,

6411 S Central Ave, Clinton, WA, 98236

Transition is Inevitable, Justice is Not: A Community & Environmental Justice Discussion and Dinner is an opportunity for individuals and groups to consider how they can participate in action toward a Just Transition to climate resilience.

This is a ticketed event. Dinner is included in the registration price.

GET TICKETS

Give A Gift To WEAN

Missed WEAN's Summer Benefit? It's not too late to support our work. Thank you for your gift!

GIVE TO WEAN

From Columbia Riverkeeper: Take Action: No Underwater Power Line

Image of sockeye salmon by David Moskowitz from Columbia Riverkeeper website.

The Cascade Renewable Transmission project, aka the Underwater Power Line, would involve burying a 100-mile, high-voltage power line under the Columbia River, impacting Clark, Skamania, and Klickitat counties.

New energy development should not repeat the mistakes of old energy systems. Historic energy development on the Columbia was extractive and came at a price for the river and those who depend on it. This power line project would continue that trend.

Sign the petition to Governor Bob Ferguson to share concerns over the power line's impact on salmon, treaty-protected resources, water quality and more.

SIGN PETITION

From Union Of Concerned Scientists: Tell Your Senators: Support And Advance The Scientific Integrity Act

Image of scientists at National Cancer Institute from Union of Concerned Scientists blog (National Cancer Institute/Unsplash).

The Scientific Integrity Act would safeguard the rights of scientists working at federal agencies and protect their work from political interference. This bill would codify protections against attacks on science and help ensure that federal scientists can share their work freely with the public. It would promote transparency and accountability in how science is used to inform government decision making.

Every single day, federal scientists help save lives through weather forecasts, medical research, public health warnings, food safety protections, and more. Our communities deserve to be healthy and safe. We need more senators to support the Scientific Integrity Act and strengthen protections for public science and scientists.

Take action and urge your senators to cosponsor S. 4545, the Scientific Integrity Act, and help protect federal scientists from political interference.

SEND LETTER

From Endangered Species Coalition: Tell NOAA: Rice’s Whales Deserve Protections

Image of Rice's whale from Endangered Species Coalition's petition page.

In 2021, scientists announced something extraordinary: a newly described whale species found only in the Gulf of Mexico, the Rice’s whale. This unique and beloved species has been heard calling throughout the Gulf, from Texas to Florida.

But this species is on the brink of extinction. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil disaster devastated Gulf wildlife and killed around one in five Rice’s whales. Today, scientists estimate only 51 individuals remain alive.

Tell NOAA: Protect Rice’s whale. Defend the Endangered Species Act. America’s whale deserves a future. To be most effective, submit a public comment referencing scientific information and personalize your comment.

COMMENT BEFORE JULY 6

From Center For Biological Diversity: Call For A Ban On Cyanide Bombs

Image of coyote, one of many animals affected by M-44s, by Lane Wintermute for USFWS on Center For Biological Diversity's petition page.

M-44s—aka “cyanide bombs”—are indiscriminate. In 2024 alone they killed at least 4,664 animals, including many accidental deaths. They've also killed family pets and injured kids.

In 2023 the U.S. Bureau of Land Management banned the use of these devices on the lands it manages. But now, under the Trump administration, the agency has quietly walked back that ban.

Join the fight: Tell the BLM to reinstate its ban on cyanide bombs now.

SPEAK OUT

Words What We're Reading on image of lichen

As Floods Get Worse, Britain Tries A New Solution: Beavers, From NPR

Environmental Groups Sue To Stop 400 Acres Of Logging In WA’s Elwha Watershed, From Washington State Standard

The Second Coming Of The Dust Bowl , From Western Watersheds Project

Heat Is Killing Wildlife Across The Animal Kingdom. A New Forecasting Tool May Help, From Inside Climate News

In Brazil’s Cerrado Region, Indigenous Fire Practices Reshape Wildfire Strategy, From AP News

Collecting Data To Understand Migrations Of Pacific Red Knots, From Audubon

Homeowner Associations Are Standing In The Way Of Heat Pumps, From Sightline Institute

WA Schools Chief: Here’s Why I Vote The Way I Do On Forests, From The Seattle Times

Mixed-Maturation Fisheries Compromise Productivity And Resilience of Chinook Salmon, From Scientific Reports

City Birds: New Study Shows Urban Habitat Matters for Migrating Species, From The Revelator

In A Warming Arctic, Gray Whales Struggle To Find Nourishment, From Washington State Standard

People’s Park Invites Wildlife After Years Of Industrial Remediation, From The Seattle Times

Cascades Mountain Goat Populations Are In Serious Trouble, From Columbia Insight

What Happened When An LNG Giant Came To Town, From Inside Climate News

Super-Rich’s Assets Cause Outsized Amount Of Climate Harm, Study Says, From The Guardian

Northwest Utilities’ Wildfire Risk—And Spending—Is Skyrocketing, From Sightline Institute

New Environmental Books: Spring-To-Summer Reads To Brighten And Enlighten, From The Revelator

New Calf Born To Endangered Southern Resident Orcas, From Times Colonist

Support Those Affected By The Greenbank Fireworks Explosion

Image of damage in Greenbank after fireworks explosion on June 24, 2026. From MyNorthwest.com.

WEAN was heartbroken to learn about the injuries to firefighters and loss of homes due to the fire and fireworks explosion that occurred in Greenbank on June 24, 2026.

We are sharing the GoFundMe below that we've located to help a neighbor impacted by this tragic event.

GOFUNDME

We have also learned that, in lieu of donations to the firefighters affected, they are requesting letters and cards to those that sustained injuries. Below is the address where you can send well wishes:

South Whidbey Fire/EMS

5579 Bayview Rd

Langley WA, 98260

Regional News

Hearing Set For Point Roberts Burial Disturbances

Image of the intersection of Gulf Road and Marine Drive in Point Roberts (2023). Whidbey Telecom trenched on Marine Drive, disturbing Lummi ancestral burial sites. Image from Salish Current (Google Maps/Maxar Technologies/USDA).

A hearing is scheduled July 14 in U.S. District Court in Seattle regarding the Lummi Nation’s lawsuit against Whidbey Telecom that allegedly disturbed ancestral remains when it trenched for a broadband project in Point Roberts, which the Lummi know as Chelhtenem. Whidbey Telecom has denied the allegations.

In its 52-page lawsuit, the Lummi Nation details how Whidbey Telecom allegedly trenched through 5,000-year-old ancestral burial grounds in Point Roberts, a peninsula that extends from Canada south into U.S. waters and is part of the United States. Several sets of remains are still exposed, the lawsuit states, and a fragment from a human skull is missing.

“The disturbance itself imposes spiritual injury on the ancestors and on the living members of the nation, and it requires the nation to undertake additional ceremonial work to address what has been done,” Lummi Nation attorneys wrote in the lawsuit about the effects of burial disturbances. “That ceremonial work imposes its own emotional and cultural costs on tribal members, elders, and ceremonial practitioners.”

Text adapted from the Salish Current.

READ ARTICLE

Tire Companies Race To Replace Deadly Tire Chemical

Image of approximate location of Longfellow Creek which drains a 2,685-acre area in West Seattle. The stream’s pathway includes a 3,300-foot culvert that conveys water under parking lots and industrial facilities before releasing it into the Duwamish River. Image from Salish Sea Currents (Map: PSI using Google Earth imagery).

In Seattle’s Longfellow Creek, coho salmon are still dying in large numbers before they get a chance to spawn, according to observers. But now a long-term solution to the problem may be inching closer.

Just over five years ago, scientists identified a deadly chemical associated with automobile tires, 6PPD, that has been blamed on the untimely deaths of thousands of coho and other vulnerable salmonids. Such losses have been observed not only in Longfellow Creek but in urban streams throughout the Salish Sea. Based on known and suspected toxic levels, salmon may be dying in populated areas from California to Alaska, while numerous trout and char species may be experiencing problems in waterways throughout the world.

Now, getting 6PPD out of tires, and eventually out of streams, has become an all-out goal of numerous tire manufacturers, government and nongovernment scientists, as well as agencies responsible for the health of ecosystems. Outside pressure also is increasing from individuals and organizations concerned about the future of Puget Sound and other waterways.

Text adapted from Salish Sea Currents.

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