Climate Resilience Planning and Action

San Juan County is accepting applications for volunteer positions from two districts on its Climate and Sustainability Advisory Committee.

• District 3 (Lopez, Shaw, Decatur, Center, Canoe) - 4-year term
• District 2 (Orcas, Waldron, Blakely, Obstruction, Crane) – 3-year term

The Climate and Sustainability Advisory Committee was established by the San Juan County Council in early 2022 to help steer the County’s climate action work by advising on policy, helping set priorities, and harness the momentum of existing work. The committee seeks to provide opportunities for cross-pollination of ideas and to increase collaboration around climate and sustainability efforts throughout San Juan County.

The Committee consists of 11 members who represent various sectors and perspectives on climate and sustainability issues, such as renewable energy, construction and green building, transportation, agriculture, economic development, and ecology. Meetings are bi-monthly on the fourth Thursday of the month, in the evening. The new members will be expected to attend meetings and participate in the Committee’s activities and projects.

Interested applicants should complete the application on the County’s website at: https://www.sanjuanco.com/DocumentCenter/View/1684/Citizen-Advisory-Committee-Application-PDF?bidId= Applications, as well as any questions about applying, should be submitted to Aiden Haines at aidenh@sanjuancountywa.gov

Application deadline: April 30, 2025

San Juan County is in the process of updating its Comprehensive Plan (Comp Plan) as part of its 2025 Growth Management Act Periodic Update – and your input is welcome! Today, the draft Climate Element is available for review and public comment.

Review the draft Climate Element HERE.

En Espanol: La actualización del Plan Integral del condado de San Juan es un proceso vital que forja el porvenir de la comunidad. Sus ideas nos son esenciales, y puede participar de varias maneras. Guía para participar en la actualización del Plan Integral del condado de San Juan.

The San Juan County Planning Commission will continue to review draft Comprehensive Plan amendments at their March 21, 2025 meeting. The meeting agenda is available HERE.

Public comments specific to these items can be submitted by March 20 for review at the Planning Commission meeting on March 21, though comments may be submitted at any time throughout the update process. Send comments to: compplan@sanjuancountywa.gov.

About the Climate Element

The Climate Element is a new addition to San Juan County’s Comprehensive Plan with the 2025 update. The Climate Element will identify goals and policies to address climate change and increase resiliency to climate impacts within the County’s Comprehensive Plan. Including this element is now required by the Growth Management Act (Chapter 36.70A RCW) which was amended in 2023 under Washington House Bill 1181 to direct cities and counties to integrate climate mitigation and/or resilience policies into their periodic comprehensive plan updates.

The draft Climate Element available for review is the result of a robust process of engagement and thoughtful input from the community, the Climate and Sustainability Advisory Committee, a Climate Policy Working Group, and many partners and stakeholders. Once finalized, the next step will be to produce the Climate Action Plan, which will provide implementation strategies and actions to carry out the goals and policies established in the Climate Element. 

You can learn more about the process, read updates, and view extensive supporting materials and resources at the Climate Resilience Planning and Action project page. Residents are also invited to attend a virtual drop-in session on Tuesday, March 11th from 4:30-5:30pm to learn more about the Climate Element and ask questions. Details and the meeting link are available at https://www.bit.ly/CEdrop-in.

Public Engagement

The Comp Plan Update shapes the future of our community and there are several ways you can participate:

• Provide written feedback: Written comments provide an opportunity to share detailed thoughts, concerns, or suggestions. Written comments can directly impact the policies and priorities outlined in the plan. To submit feedback, email your comments or questions to compplan@sanjuancountywa.gov.
• Speak at a Planning Commission meeting: The Planning Commission meets monthly on the third Friday of the month at 8:30am. These meetings are open to the public with “Public Access Time” at the beginning of each meeting, where anyone can share their input. Check the meeting agenda to see which elements will be discussed that month.
• Stay Informed: Regular updates help you understand the process, follow developments, and participate effectively. View the Guide to Getting Involved in the Comp Plan Update (en Espanol) to learn more about reviewing draft amendments during this project.

Over the coming months, the County will continue reviewing the Comprehensive Plan in an effort to ensure consistency with state laws and the expected population and employment projections for the next 20 years. The County's goal is to adopt the Comp Plan update by the end of 2025.

For additional information about the Comp Plan Update process including upcoming meetings, agendas, past drafts, and new documents to review, visit https://engage.sanjuancountywa.gov/2025-comp-plan-update and https://www.sanjuancountywa.gov/589/Planning-Commission.

As part of the ongoing process to develop a Climate Element for the Comprehensive Plan and a Climate Action Plan, San Juan County has completed a Climate Vulnerability Assessment. This assessment examines how climate change could impact local systems and communities by focusing on three critical factors—exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity.

The Climate Vulnerability Assessment was created through a combination of in-depth research and community collaboration. It involved a review of existing documents and studies, along with two listening sessions. The first session engaged County representatives and key partners, while the second welcomed input from the wider community. Together, these efforts aimed to identify climate risks and explore opportunities to build resilience.

The insights gained from the Climate Vulnerability Assessment have helped shape policies for the County’s Climate Element as part of the Comprehensive Plan 2025 update. Additionally, they will guide the development of the Climate Action Plan, ensuring a thoughtful and informed approach.

The Climate Vulnerability Assessment centers on three primary focus areas: buildings and energy, water resources, and transportation. These categories are vital for pinpointing vulnerabilities and developing strategies to strengthen resilience for the future.

The results for each of the three sectors are summarized in a series of Vulnerability Assessment Factsheets available here or by clicking the preview image below. You can read the full Climate Vulnerability Assessment Report here.

click image to view full factsheets

San Juan County has released the Phase 2 Engagement Report for climate resilience planning. This comprehensive summary of community feedback from the second phase of outreach will guide the development of the County’s Climate Element (CE) and Climate Action Plan (CAP). This process of gathering critical input will shape the direction of the County’s ongoing efforts to address climate change and enhance local resilience through informed, community-driven policymaking. Read the full report here.

The purpose of Phase 2 engagement was to continue educating Islanders about the CE and CAP process and to understand their resilience and emissions reduction action ideas and priorities. We developed two posters to support many in person events attended by County staff and Climate Collaborators to collect feedback. Details of that feedback can be found in the report.

The feedback from Phase 2 of engagement will be incorporated into CE policy and CAP actions. Strategies and action that rose to the top in community engagement will be prioritized in climate policy and action development. Feedback from this engagement phase will help inform the development of outreach for the next phase of outreach, which will focus in on further on prioritizing strategies and actions.

Participate in the County’s Climate Resilience Planning Efforts

Tuesday, November 19^th

5:30pm - 6:30pm

Meeting link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89702972087?pwd=8Vk224ABG3bQSV7JMYCDbCRaUsd5wu.1

How Has Extreme Weather Impacted You?
Share your experiences and learn about the County’s efforts to build resilience to the impacts of climate change

San Juan County is conducting a Climate Vulnerability Assessment to better understand how and to what extent our community – including buildings, energy, transportation, water quality, and resources – is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

We want to hear about your lived experiences with extreme weather events and how climate change is impacting our community. Your participation will also help prioritize the strategies San Juan County pursues to build our adaptive capacity to these impacts.

Join us virtually Tuesday, November 19th at 5:30pm-6:30pm to learn about our work on a climate vulnerability assessment, initial findings, and share your experiences and input. This listening session is a part of our broader climate resilience planning effort including the development of Climate Element for the Comprehensive Plan and a Climate Action Plan for implementation.

Join us virtually!

November 19^th from 5:30pm - 6:30pm

Meeting link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89702972087?pwd=8Vk224ABG3bQSV7JMYCDbCRaUsd5wu.1

We are happy to be joining forces with the Comprehensive Plan update team and hitting the road for a series of open house events and information booths on San Juan, Orcas, and Lopez!

Community members are invited to come learn more about the Comp Plan Update, including the new Climate Element development, and provide input. Come join us in planning for the next 20 years and beyond!

SAN JUAN ISLAND
Tuesday - October 22, 2024
SJI GRANGE (4-6PM)
152 First St N, Friday Harbor, San Juan Island

Friday - October 25, 2024
FRIDAY HARBOR MARKET PLACE (10AM-1PM)
515 Market St, Friday Harbor, San Juan Island

ORCAS ISLAND
Wednesday - October 23, 2024
ISLAND MARKET (10AM-1PM)
469 Market St B, Eastsound, Orcas Island

Wednesday - October 23, 2024
ORCAS FIRE STATION (4-6PM)
45 Lavender Ln, Eastsound, Orcas Island

LOPEZ ISLAND
Thursday - October 24, 2024
LOPEZ VILLAGE MARKET (10AM-1PM)
162 Weeks Rd, Lopez Island

Thursday - October 24, 2024
LOPEZ CENTER FOR COMMUNITY AND THE ARTS (5-7PM)
204 Village Rd, Lopez Island

As part of our continued community engagement for the building of the Climate Element and Climate Action Plan, we're hosting a poster stickering activity to understand our community's priorities for adaptation and mitigation strategies are focused. We kicked off this postering activity in August at the San Juan County Fair and had some great conversations about people's concerns and priorities.

We hope to see many Islanders at these events!

San Juan County has released the Phase 1 Engagement Report for climate resilience planning. This comprehensive summary of community feedback from the first phase of outreach will guide the development of the County’s Climate Element (CE) and Climate Action Plan (CAP). This process of gathering critical input will shape the direction of the County’s ongoing efforts to address climate change and enhance local resilience through informed, community-driven policymaking. Read the full report here.

The Phase 1 engagement process was designed to build early awareness and momentum for climate resilience planning efforts, and to understand the community’s vision for climate priorities and solutions. San Juan County collected valuable insights through a community-wide climate survey and and a series of climate conversations facilitated by volunteer Climate Collaborators. The survey received 853 responses, and 46 climate conversations were hosted with individuals at events and in-home discussions, as well as clubs and group meetings.

Islanders’ responses throughout Phase 1 outreach activities centered around key themes, including:

• Call for Leadership and Action: There is a clear call for proactive County leadership and forward-thinking action to address climate issues, specifically more strategic planning and effective tracking measures.
• Community Engagement and Awareness: Islanders are engaged and interested in climate issues, with a need for ongoing education and positive framing to foster broader understanding and support.
• Economic Considerations: Islanders are concerned about the costs associated with climate action and emphasize the need for financial incentives or support to facilitate effective climate measures.
• Impacts of Tourism and Population Growth: Islanders expressed concerns about how tourism, second-home ownership, and population growth may affect the efficacy of local action.
• Local Climate Impacts: There is a strong awareness of specific local climate impacts, such as wildfire risks, water scarcity, and poor air quality, which affect the community's daily life and priorities.
• Support for Specific Climate Solutions: Specific climate solutions were elevated, such as waste diversion, sustainable land use, natural ecosystem conservation, and preparedness for extreme weather events.
• Water and Natural Resource Concerns: Islanders voiced concerns for the impact of climate change on water availability and the importance of protecting local environments and ecosystems.
• Wildfire Mitigation and Resilience: Wildfire smoke and wildfire resilience are significant concerns. Islanders see addressing wildfire mitigation and enhancing community preparedness as a high priority.

The community feedback received will directly inform policy development, the climate vulnerability assessment, and CAP actions. The second phase of outreach, which focuses on identifying the community’s climate priorities, kicked off earlier this month and extends through the fall. Islanders will have a chance to learn more and help set priorities at a series of local events. A second survey will be part of the third phase this winter.

The Phase 1 Engagement Report, which includes summaries of the first climate survey and the first phase of Climate Collaborators, is available in the Resources section on this page.

The recently completed Climate Policy Audit has been added to the project resources on this page. This document, prepared by Cascadia Consulting, identifies trends, gaps, and opportunities to guide the development of the goals and policies for the Climate Element of the Comprehensive Plan. Our thanks go out to the County staff and partners who participated in interviews as part of this process.

Read the Climate Policy Audit >>>

San Juan County residents are invited to participate in a crucial climate survey to help shape the future of our community. This survey is a key part of our efforts to understand the community’s vision, values, and concerns regarding the impacts of climate change. Your input will play a vital role in developing the Climate Element for the Comprehensive Plan and a robust Climate Action Plan (CAP).

The survey is available online and can be accessed here or via the survey link at the top right of the Climate Resilience Planning and Action Project Page at https://engage.sanjuancountywa.gov/climate-action. The anonymous survey takes 12-15 minutes to complete and is available in English and Spanish.

The results of this survey will be analyzed by Cascadia Consulting along with other data from the first phase of public engagement. The responses will provide valuable insights into what the residents of the San Juan Islands value most and their primary concerns regarding climate change. This is your opportunity to influence the policies and actions that will guide San Juan County in addressing climate change.

This initial survey is the first of many engagement opportunities designed to involve the community in the climate resilience planning process. Later this summer, a second survey will be launched to gather input on prioritized strategies. Continuous community involvement is essential for creating meaningful and effective climate policies.

Learn More

To find out more about our efforts and stay updated on the Climate Element and Climate Action Plan, please visit the Climate Resilience Planning and Action Project Page at https://engage.sanjuancountywa.gov/climate-action.

Join us in creating a resilient and sustainable future for San Juan County. Take the survey today and make your voice heard!

Media Contact: Angela Broderick, Climate and Sustainability Coordinator, angelab@sanjuancountywa.gov, 360-370-0537

About San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship

San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship is responsible for solid waste, marine resources, clean water, cultural resources, and climate and sustainability work. The department offices are located at 1609 Beaverton Valley Road, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. For more information about San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship, visit www.sanjuancountywa.gov/839/Environmental-Stewardship.

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