The EDC invites island business owners, workers and residents to participate in a survey regarding Washington State Ferries service disruptions this past summer.  Islanders are invited to participate in the survey here:  https://forms.gle/uzXU6vy3tujUyuSR9 Anecdotal information and data derived from the survey will be used to better understand economic and other impacts from ferry service  Continue Reading

Coverage without cost-sharing available for eligible people with Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and Most Commercial Health Insurance Coverage Following the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recent action that authorized a booster dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for certain high-risk populations and a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Centers for  Continue Reading

Since the last update on Friday September 17th, there have been eight new confirmed or probable cases in San Juan County. Current total case count is now 300. Of these eight new cases, initial investigations indicate that three appear to have occurred in fully vaccinated individuals. There are approximately nine unvaccinated close contacts of positive  Continue Reading

OLYMPIA–The Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board today announced the award of $21 million in grants across the state to aid in salmon recovery. The grants, given annually, went to 105 projects in 29 of the state’s 39 counties. The grants will pay for work to restore salmon habitat, including repairing degraded habitat in rivers,  Continue Reading

At their September 21, 2021 meeting the San Juan County Council officially released a Request for Proposals (RFP) to purchase 5 acres of land on Lopez Island for the development of affordable housing. San Juan County seeks an experienced developer to purchase the parcel located on Fisherman Bay Road just outside of Lopez Village. The  Continue Reading

People who want to make a living working with trees or forests are invited to a free, hands-on, outdoor course offered by the Economic Development Council of San Juan County (EDC).  The course will be taught by Carson Sprenger, proprietor of Rain Shadow Consulting at their Orcas Island facilities, Saturdays Oct. 30th – Nov. 20th,  Continue Reading

Friday Harbor, WA – On September 4, 2021 unknown individuals damaged public lands and destroyed public property at the American Camp Unit of San Juan Island National Historical Park. The park needs your help to identify and apprehend these lawbreakers. Any tips will be treated as confidential. The damage to the park was extensive including  Continue Reading

Construction will begin on Monday, September 20, 2021. Construction for the First Street Pocket Park at the corner of Court and First Streets (near the San Juan Island Grange and American Legion) is about to begin. Work will include demolition of existing sidewalk, upgrade of existing sewer service line, installation of a new fire hydrant  Continue Reading

A “Logic and Accuracy” test of ballot tabulating equipment used in San Juan County for the November 2, General election is scheduled for September 28, at 11:00 am. The test works by tallying the results of a prepared set of test ballots to see if the results match the votes cast. The test will take  Continue Reading

Since the last update on Friday September 10th, there have been four new confirmed or probable cases in San Juan County. Current total case count is now 292. Of these four new cases, initial investigations indicate that two appear to have occurred in fully vaccinated individuals. There are approximately three unvaccinated close contacts of positive  Continue Reading

The San Juan County Land Bank Commission will hold its monthly meeting on September 17, from 8:30am-11:15am via Zoom. The public is invited to attend. Click HERE to download the agenda (includes ZOOM link) and meeting materials. To learn more about your Conservation Land Bank, visit sjclandbank.org. If you’re interested in volunteering and/or joining our  Continue Reading

The Town of Friday Harbor’s Lodging Tax Advisory Committee (LTAC) is accepting applications up until 4:30 pm Monday, September 27, 2021, for grants to fund tourism promotion of events and activities taking place within the town in 2022. Preference will be given to those operations and activities that encourage tourists to visit during the shoulder  Continue Reading

It’s that time again, Islanders! With the 2021 General Election just around the corner, and the heightened focus on our electoral process, your Elections Team wanted to take a moment to share some frequently asked questions: Q:  When will my ballot arrive? A:   Ballots are mailed about 20 days prior to the Election. If you  Continue Reading

Olympia – Gov. Jay Inslee today announced the appointment of Kaleen Cottingham, a life-long Washington resident, to serve on the Salmon Recovery Funding Board. Cottingham, of Olympia, recently retired as the director of the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office, which provides support to the Governor-appointed Salmon Recovery Funding Board and the Governor’s Salmon Recovery  Continue Reading

Greetings! I am writing to keep you informed about the accessibility planning process at San Juan Island National Historical Park. Our Self-Evaluation Transition Plan is still available for comment until the end of September 2021 at this link. We also will be hosting an open house to explain the planning process and answer questions from  Continue Reading

The EDC has resumed their weekly Business Resilience Call, as a means to bring legislators and business resilience experts together with local business owners, managers, and community leaders.  The first meeting this fall will be held online via Zoom, on Thursday, September 16th, 2021, from 9-10a.  Subsequent meetings will be held at the same time  Continue Reading