San Juan Islands Destination Management Plan

SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA. July 19, 2024 – San Juan County published a report that concludes the County’s current tourism planning efforts and analyzes the public comments submitted for the Preliminary Draft Destination Management Plan. The draft received over 900 comments that spanned a variety of topics including defining island capacity, addressing affordability and transportation, reconsidering destination marketing efforts, protecting property rights, and many more. One area almost all commentors supported was the need to protect the island environment and quality of life. After reviewing the report, the County Council did not take any action to move destination management planning efforts forward at this time.

Background

San Juan County has long been working to thoughtfully guide visitation that both supports and enhances the unique quality of life, environment, and cultural heritage of the San Juan Islands. In late 2021, the Lodging Tax Advisory Committee asked the County to develop a plan to manage sustainable tourism that could meet the needs of our community, environment, economy, and visitors.

The County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship developed a preliminary draft of the San Juan Islands Destination Management Plan that was available for review and public comment during a ten-week period in August-October 2023. In the following months, County staff analyzed the extensive feedback, assessed further needs and prepared recommendations for next steps. The Public Comment Analysis Report for the preliminary draft plan is now available on the Engage San Juan County project page.

About the Report

The report lays out the planning timeline and process and provides context, both historical and current. The comment summary includes a qualitative analysis which identifies community sentiments and illustrates the handful of “hot topics.” The report also outlines lessons learned during the process and recommended guidance for future work.

Takeaways

In a presentation to the County Council on July 8, County staff noted the rich learning opportunity afforded by the project’s process and brought forward key takeaways including:

• Narrow the plan’s focus - It is recommended that actions or elements already in motion elsewhere, and bigger picture items which impact but are outside of the scope of this work, be removed or reframed.
• Conduct further analysis and focused engagement – A clearly defined impact assessment and situational analysis is also recommended to be part of any future Plan, to better showcase the balance of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and constraints that must be considered in this tourism management planning process. It is recommended a Sustainable Tourism Leadership Team of stakeholders from the County, Town, local businesses, environmental and social interest, LTAC, Terrestrial Manager Group, and the Visitors Bureau/Chambers be convened to strategically guide any future planning as well as oversee implementation.
• Reorganize and reframe any future plan - The key tourism elements should be re-framed into coherent groupings that can move forward more efficiently with better focus. Each grouping will be undertaken with appropriate timing, information, public involvement, and approval processes.
• Create more digestible documents - Future outreach should highlight and reiterate the intent of actionable language and the ensuing exploratory process for proposed actions.

The report notes it is critical that the community come together to address why destination management planning efforts are necessary. If the community fails to plan, it should plan to fail in balancing the needs of our environment, economy, and society.

Next Steps

The report highlights the need for sustainable tourism planning for San Juan County, and includes recommendations to step back, pivot, and reframe this work in order to advance collaboratively with the community.

Staff recommended that for the duration of 2024, the County observe and learn from subsequent engagement initiatives, including the Communications Survey, the Community Health Assessment, Land Bank’s strategic planning, the Climate Element and Climate Action Plan development, and the Comprehensive Plan Update, before re-visiting tourism planning in another form. Council accepted the analysis of this draft plan which will be used to inform future efforts in tourism management planning.

More Information

For more information about San Juan County’s sustainable tourism work, please visit the Engage San Juan project page at https://engage.sanjuancountywa.gov/destination-management-plan.

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.sanjuanco.com/839/Environmental-Stewardship. ;

###

In May 2023, Headwaters Economics released an insightful report - Amenity Trap: How high-amenity communities can avoid being loved to death. This report captures the paradox of a place with natural attractions that make it a great place to live but also threaten it with being “loved to death” (known as the amenity trap). From the report's Executive Summary:

More than ever, people are visiting and moving to places with inspiring natural amenities: forests, lakes, beaches, trails, and wildlife. The influx of tourists and new residents into these cities and small towns brings economic opportunities and can create a positive feedback loop whereby new businesses and services make a place even more attractive. It can also come with serious drawbacks.

More people and new development can put pressures on existing infrastructure and contribute to growing inequality, including dramatic increases in housing costs that force long-time residents out or into the crisis of homelessness. Fiscal health, public discourse, and community well-being can be overcome with challenges.

The paradox of a place with natural attractions that make it a great place to live but also threaten it with being “loved to death” is what is known as the amenity trap.

The amenity trap is confounding more communities across the United States than ever before. This report offers a detailed examination of the problem by highlighting the challenges of housing, infrastructure, fiscal policy, and natural disasters. It also explores proven solutions from amenity communities across the country that leaders can adopt as they try to circumvent the problems caused by rapid growth in population and tourism.

You can find the document included in our Background Resources here.

San Juan County would like to acknowledge the public response to the Preliminary Draft San Juan Islands Destination Management Plan (SDMP) and thank those community members who have taken the time to submit feedback, ask questions, and engage in the conversation about the islands’ future.

The Preliminary Draft SDMP

The preliminary draft of the Destination Management Plan is a component of a larger, broader effort by the County to proactively consider the islands’ future. This effort includes climate science and adaptation strategies, capital investment prioritization, and community planning that will guide the County now and into the next 150 years.

The preliminary draft received over 900 comments from islanders on every island as well as mainlanders. County staff are analyzing each component of the robust feedback received to understand public sentiment and priorities.

Major recurring comments include concerns with ferry service, affordable housing, and resident livability; desire for harnessing revenue from visitors and mitigating impacts; and interest in further research around capacity metrics and feasibility of some proposed ideas.

The preliminary draft Plan provides a framework for discussion, identifies issues, and makes a number of “what if” recommendations on strategies and funding possibilities. These recommendations are subject to further Council assessment, legal review, feasibility studies, and additional public process.

Items in the Action Table, including revenue generating proposals, can only be enacted via public process and Council action. At this time, there is no plan for Council adoption and nothing included in the preliminary draft plan is included in the 2024/2025 budget.

Next Steps

Staff will continue to take time to assess the diverse opinions expressed during the preliminary draft public review period. There is a clear, shared desire to continue this important conversation as a community, and the County will be working to determine how best to offer equitable participation in this ongoing work.

The preliminary draft is still available for review and the public may continue to use the Ask a Question tool on the Engage platform.

SAN JUAN COUNTY, WA. September 8, 2023 – The preliminary draft of the San Juan Islands Destination Management Plan (SDMP) is currently available for public review and comment. The draft Plan is built off the feedback and recommendations received since the County and its partners began engaging the community in this effort in 2016 through multiple surveys, research, and public engagement events, including a series of community meetings last year. The goal for this project is to develop an actionable plan that meets the unique needs of our community, environment, economy, and visitors as we collectively face and must address increasing destination demand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Several community members have asked for clarification around the revenue generating proposal for a vehicle/boat/bicycle pass (similar to a Discover Pass). At this stage, we are exploring this as one of multiple options to find alternative funding for mobility needs to address increasing pressure on our public infrastructure and implement necessary management strategies. This concept is suggested for further development and no decisions have been made; public feedback, case studies, legal review, economic consultation, and implementation feasibility are among the many factors informing its development. The current estimated cost for exploratory development of the program is $5,000; the fee to users has yet to be determined but is estimated as $10-15. This would apply to all road/marina users i.e., visitors and residents.

This model would provide a mechanism to fund the management and infrastructure improvements needed to address impacts while tracking user numbers to help set optimal capacities. Surveys conducted in 2017-2020 suggest broad-based support from residents, businesses, and visitors for improvements such as separating bikes from vehicle traffic, increasing and improving marine facilities, and better parking/traffic management in towns. However, there is limited funding to implement the improvements that have been identified and prioritized by the community. In addition, the County currently does not track the number of vehicles, boats, or bicycles that use our public facilities. There is a need for real-time measurement of use levels at key locations to set capacity levels and inform decision-making.

An FAQs page has been developed and is being updated as questions about the Plan are submitted. Community members are encouraged to review the FAQs for additional clarifying information as well as submit additional questions.

Public Review Period Extended

The closing date for public review is being extended to allow greater opportunity for full review of the draft Plan, and to maximize participation in public comment. The public comment period will remain open through October 31, 2023.

During this preliminary draft stage, community feedback will help determine which actions the community will support to advance. Public participation in this process is an important part of Plan development and we appreciate citizens’ time and effort in thoughtfully reviewing and commenting on the Plan.

Do you have questions after reviewing the draft Plan?

As questions and feedback come in, we are updating the FAQs page.

Click here to view Frequently Asked Questions

Please review the page and if you still have a question, use the Ask a Question tab to submit it.

San Juan County residents are invited to provide input on the preliminary draft of the San Juan Islands Destination Management Plan.

View the Plan:
The preliminary draft of the SDMP may be viewed here.

Submit comments:

- Via the Engage San Juan County platform
Click on the "Submit Feedback" tab above.
Please note that registration is required to comment on Engage.

- Email to tourism@sanjuanco.com.

The public review period will be open August 22 - October 31, 2023.
(new deadline - edited from previous deadline of September 29)

After public feedback is synthesized, the preliminary Plan will be reviewed by County Council, followed by a tribal engagement effort with Coast Salish Tribes who recognize the San Juan Islands as part of their ancestral territory to gather feedback and recommendations. A final draft will be brought to the County Council in 2024.

The gap analysis work was carried out over the winter, and we are now drafting the plan and working with consultants on the document layout and design.

In preparing to create the plan document, we’ve reviewed other destinations’ plans, especially those facing similar challenges from tourism. The focus for our document will be measurable goals with meaningful actions.

We anticipate sharing a draft plan for public review in June, which we will then bring to the County Council in July. This working draft will set the stage to begin guiding investments and implementing management strategies. We will carry out additional outreach and complete thoughtful consultation with Tribes, to ensure the plan is meaningful and equitable for all, before presenting a final draft to Council for adoption.

After the community engagement sessions, we met with County Departments and partners over the summer to build out implementation details. This included: who needs to be involved, data gaps, performance metrics, timeline, and funding needs. Our master database was updated and developed further, including tracking the crossover with other planning efforts mentioned earlier.

We are engaging our consultants to do a deeper dive in a couple of key analysis areas:

- Capacity Analysis: the need to identify specific capacity levels or a methodology for doing so to help retain quality of experience and avoid overbuilding of infrastructure.

- Framework to support local purveyors: developing an identity as a niche destination in support of local operators. The aim is both to support local businesses and to expand and elevate good stewardship practices.

Meanwhile, we encourage additional online written comments from interested individuals, businesses, or organizations so we can continue to hear from the widest variety of voices. Please email us at tourism@sanjuanco.com to share your thoughts.

A big thanks to all the community members who participated in our public engagement sessions this April and May for the Sustainable Tourism Management Plan. We were inspired by your engagement and commitment to our community and environment.

A summary report of the engagement sessions has been created and may be viewed here.

We have synthesized the outcomes and recommendations from the meetings, and now are identifying and planning for the additional analyses needed to construct the plan. The situational analysis work will be conducted this fall, and plan drafting will begin in early January with that data. We will look forward to sharing a draft plan for review in Spring 2023.

Meeting #3 | 5:30 - 7:30 pm
May 17: San Juan | May 18: Orcas | May 19: Lopez

Thank you to all who have participated in our community meeting series! We are very grateful for all the feedback we've received.

At Meeting #3, we reviewed strategies and shared a list of all-island, and island-specific actions identified at Meeting #2. We conducted a prioritization activity for each strategies' actions to gauge what actions were rising to the top. We ended with a full group discussion for new action ideas and to review the groupings from the prioritization activity.

Meeting 3 Summary
Slide deck
Action list for prioritization activity at Meeting 3

Recording links

• San Juan Island: https://youtu.be/QzP1MR6Mlps
• Orcas Island: https://youtu.be/uDKpsKd_nOE
• Lopez Island: https://youtu.be/ta1miBZWc8w