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Friends of the San Juans

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Perhamblackfriends (talk | contribs) at 17:28, 14 July 2017 (changing tone). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

  • Comment: This draft has tone issues and notability issues. It reads like a brochure for the organization. Please focus on what others have written about the organization.
    The references need to be reformatted. Robert McClenon (talk) 03:10, 14 July 2017 (UTC)


Friends of the San Juans
Established1979 (1979)
TypeNonprofit
Location
Websitehttp://www.sanjuans.org

Friends of the San Juans ("Friends") is an environmental advocacy Nonprofit based in Friday Harbor, Washington.[1]. Founded in 1979, Friends is dedicate to preservation on a regional level. It's mission is "Protecting and restoring the San Juan Islands and the Salish Sea for people and nature."

History

Friends was Founded in 1979 by novelist Michael Krieger, San Juan County Prosecuting Attorney Gene Knapp, attorney Peter Buck, and others with the intention of shaping the discussion about land use planning in the San Juan Islands. Friends has morphed over the years and adopted a new role in the Salish Sea. Since 2001, Friends has identified and mapped most of San Juan County’s nearshore ecosystems[2], including: surf smelt, sand lance and herring spawning sites, eelgrass and kelp habitat, feeder bluffs, and shoreline modifications[3]. Friends uses results from nearshore assessments to identify and implement restoration actions and to prioritize shoreline properties for conservation protection through land acquisition, easements and improved management.

Programs

Friends of the San Juans integrates science, policy and law in three primary categories, each related to an important part of conservation in the San Juan Islands[4].

Healthy Seas

Friends works with a broad range of partners in order to protect the waterways of the San Juan Islands. One part of this is the use of science to understand the complex interconnections between communities, environments, and economics. Friends also organizes events in order to raise awareness [5][6]. Friends is part of Stand Up to Oil [1] and Power Past Coal [2], two regional coalitions working together to hold the “Thin Green Line” [3] that blocks the fossil fuel industry from using the Salish Sea coast as a super-highway. In addition to this, the organization petitions government to add critical species to the endangered and threatened species lists, restores habitat for forage fish and salmon, and utilizes legal work and raises awareness [4] to achieve protection for our Southern Resident Orca.

Natural Shorelines

Friends works in three main categories to protect shorelines: by applying policy and law and participating in planning processes[7] to ensure that the best available science is used in decision making, by working with property owners and land managers to help them make sound decisions [8], and by doing research on shoreline habitat[9]. Shoreline conservation work done by Friends also includes partnering with contractors in order to remove bulkheads[10] and old, creosote laden docks, as well as add appropriately sized gravel to protect beaches and provide spawning area for forage fish[11]

Thriving on the Land

Friends advocates for strong local policies like a Critical Areas Ordinance that applies the best scientific information to protect upland habitats[12]. Friends also files legal challenges[13] to restore wetlands from unpermitted development to advocate for protecting farmlands by zoning them for long-term agricultural use. In addition to protecting land, Friends works with the San Juan Islands Conservation District, Islands Energy and OPALCO on the Cool School Challenge (CSC), a program which engages students in reducing energy and carbon dioxide emissions school-wide[14]. Through Inter Tribal Canoe Journey stopovers, reef net restoration, Coast Salish Mini-Univeristy, and community canoe building, Friends intends to improve people’s understanding of Native peoples in these islands and create a stronger, more diverse community.

References

Friends of the San Juans

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  • From a page move: This is a redirect from a page that has been moved (renamed). This page was kept as a redirect to avoid breaking links, both internal and external, that may have been made to the old page name.
  1. ^ Lindsey Breuer (6 September 2016). Conservation Directory 2017: The Guide to Worldwide Environmental Organizations. Carrel Books. p. 281. ISBN 978-1-63144-051-9.
  2. ^ Documented Surf Smelt and Pacific Sand Lance Spawning Beaches In San Juan County With a Summary of Protection and Restoration Priorities for Forage Fish Habitats (PDF). SAN JUAN COUNTY FORAGE FISH SPAWNING HABITAT ASSESSMENT PROJECT. Friday Harbor, Washington. 2004. p. 4.
  3. ^ Karen L.M. Martin (13 September 2014). Beach-Spawning Fishes: Reproduction in an Endangered Ecosystem. CRC Press. p. 183. ISBN 978-1-4822-0800-9.
  4. ^ "Friends of the San Juans - Our Work". Our Work. Friends of the San Juans. Retrieved 2017-07-10.
  5. ^ Lavoie, Judith (August 21, 2013). "Projects threaten to turn Salish Sea into carbon superhighway, groups say". Times Colonist. Victoria, BC: Glacier Community Media. Retrieved 2017-07-11. The meeting, which had scenic Haro Strait as a backdrop, was held simultaneously with a town-hall meeting on San Juan Island, organized by the Friends of the San Juans, and both groups then shared their concerns through a teleconference.
  6. ^ DAY, HAYLEY (November 25, 2016). "Friends of the San Juans joins Kinder Morgan Protest". The Journal of the San Juans. Friday Harbor, Washington. Retrieved July 10, 2017. The Friends of the San Juans coordinated the public candlelight vigil.
  7. ^ "County ordered to make changes to Critical Areas Ordinance". San Juan Islander. September 10, 2017. Retrieved 2017-07-11. Gaylord noted that there were 90 issues before the Growth Board that were raised by Friends of the San Juans...
  8. ^ "Shifting Shorelines Sea Level Rise Workshops - June 29-30". Friday Harbor. June 21, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  9. ^ "Friends of the San Juans". Organization Overview - Climate Adaption Knowledge Exchange. Retrieved July 13, 2017. Beginning in 2001, FRIENDS began identifying and mapping San Juan Countys nearshore ecosystems, including: surf smelt and sand lance spawning beaches, herring spawning sites, nearshore eelgrass beds, feederbluffs, and shoreline modifications.
  10. ^ "San Juan County Bulkhead Removal Projects". Announcements. Coastal Geologic Services. Retrieved 2017-07-11. Recent bulkhead removal projects have occurred in San Juan County through partner organization Friends of the San Juan's.
  11. ^ "Friends of the San Juans restores shorelines on San Juan and Lopez Islands". The Islands' Weekly. Lopez Island: Sound Publishing. November 6, 2009. Retrieved July 11, 2017. The two projects were initially identified through habitat restoration surveys completed in 2006 and are part of Friends of the San Juans ongoing efforts to work with landowners to remove unnecessary shoreline modifications.
  12. ^ "Critical Areas Ordinance wetlands forums". The Journal of the San Juans. Friday Harbor: Sound Publishing. February 6, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2017. Friends of the San Juans' is holding a public forum on the wetlands section of the Critical Areas Ordinance and how it might affect present and future property development, agricultural practices, and conservation of the islands.
  13. ^ Friends of the San Juans v. San Juan County, SHB NO. 09-010 (Shorelines Hearing Board September 29, 2009) ("The Board GRANTS the Woodmans’ and San Juan County’s Motion to Dismiss this appeal.").
  14. ^ Dustrude, Tim (December 23, 2016). "Cool School Challenge". San Juan Island Update. Students at six county schools on San Juan, Lopez and Orcas Islands have participated in the CSC, taking such actions as creating energy efficiency checklists for classrooms and homes, installing LED bulbs and smart power strips in classrooms, and educating their peers about conservation and climate change. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
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