San Juan Islands
Sky Cutter
The common nighthawk winters as far as the Amazon Basin and returns to this area to nest in summer. Ironically and contrary to its name, the common nighthawk’s numbers are diminishing.
Senate bill changing vessel-orca distance moves forward
Keeping our distance from the whales: 1,000-yard rule for all vessels passes both Washington houses.
Modern conservation corps meshes care for land, health for youths
Youth Conservation Corps in the Salish Sea region offer a prescription for youths’ mental, cultural and spiritual health — and a means to care for the land.
Back to the land in the islands — Part 2: Women who farm
Island farming is an experiment in sustaining a lifestyle — but much more, as young farmers look for ways to support and feed the community.
Back to the land in the islands — Part 1: Locally growing
Can there be more than tourism in the San Juan Islands?
Management plan in place as San Juan Islands monument turns 10
A celebration of the San Juan Islands National Monument 10th anniversary by federal officials and locals is planned for March 25 at Friday Harbor Grange Hall.
Where’s the ferry?
Islanders will see more crew, upgraded terminal … before new ferries.
San Juan waters remain at risk from oil spills
The August 2022 oil spill off San Juan Island was called a ‘wake-up call’ for more prevention and response. Was it?
Rising seas, high tides, storm surges and waterfront homes: does value outweigh the risks?
Predicted sea-level rising along with extremely high tides and storm surges pose increasing risk to coastal waterfront homes. How much are those trends affecting property values?
Hamlet House: keeping seniors in the community
Is nonprofit Hamlet House a model for maintaining connections and relationships through lifespans?
By the numbers: wealth gap grows in the San Juan Islands
A shortage of affordable housing, increasing affluence and tourism, and loss of island culture top lists of negative trends reported in the San Juan Islands.
Rising seas, surging storms put many low-lying areas at risk
Sea levels are expected to rise by 1.5 to nearly 2 feet by 2100 along low-lying shorelines around the Salish Sea—including many areas where people live and recreate.
Sitting silently does nothing for island ferry service
Commentary: Inaction on ferry service issues guarantees that what we know is bad will almost inevitably get worse.
Diesel oil from sunken Aleutian Isle ‘nonrecoverable’
A thin sheen of diesel oil — deemed nonrecoverable — remains on the surface of the water following the sinking of a fishing vessel last month off San Juan Island.
Islanders grapple with concerns over a finite resource: water
Aquifers around the Salish Sea are at risk from seawater intrusion, exhaustion and the concern that replenishment could become more and more difficult with the changing climate.
San Juans adopt island-by-island vacation rental cap
How much tourism is too much? San Juan County sets a cap on vacation rental permits.