The Conservation Land Bank’s Turtleback Mountain, Judd Cove and Coho Preserves on Orcas Island sustained heavy damage from last weekend’s record rainfall. Although staff are prioritizing safety-related repairs to roads and trails, please expect minor disruptions. Some repairs may take months and some impacts will be lasting. In particular, the culvert under Wildrose Lane just  Continue Reading

BURLINGTON – Record rainfall caused flooding in several parts of Whatcom and Skagit counties, forcing closures of several state highways. Washington State Department of Transportation crews worked through the weekend and continue to work to clear fallen trees and rockslides, but in some areas such as along State Route 20 between Cascadia Farms (MP 98) to  Continue Reading

San Juan County Council Special Meeting – Declaring State of Emergency The San Juan County Council will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, November 16, 2021, at 8 am, to consider a Resolution declaring a State of Emergency.  The severe weather system that passed over San Juan County on November 14th and 15th, 2021, dropped a  Continue Reading

Extremely heavy rains have fallen across the islands over the last 24 hours, causing a wide range of impacts to San Juan County roads and infrastructure. Public Works crews from both the County and the Town of Friday Harbor have been responding since late last night. Orcas Island in particular has experienced a number of  Continue Reading

This just came in from SJC Dept. of Emergency Management… Heavy rain is causing challenging conditions on island roads. Drive with extreme caution and expect water and/or debris in roads. Point Lawrence Road on Orcas is washed out just past Doe Bay Resort (picture above). Public Works, Emergency Management, and Orcas Island Fire & Rescue  Continue Reading

Friends, it’s that time of year, where the “suggestion” of very cold weather is loud and clear! We are hoping to put together a team of volunteers to open the Severe Weather Shelter this year. Can you come to an Orientation/Training? It’s on Saturday, N0vember 13 from 9am to 11am at Islands Community Church. (that’s  Continue Reading

Congratulations to Dave Kinnaman and Joe Davis for their lifesaving efforts on October 11, 2021. When a visitor to the store collapsed outside Marketplace in Friday Harbor their quick action to initiate CPR helped save a life. Medical Program Director Joshua Corsa, M.D., along with crews from San Juan Island Fire and Rescue and San  Continue Reading

Become a Volunteer Emergency Responder with San Juan Island Fire and Rescue San Juan Island Fire and Rescue (SJIF&R) is seeking volunteers to join our comprehensive emergency services agency, in a number of roles to serve our islands’ communities. Become part of an emergency services organization with a culture of teamwork and camaraderie, focused on  Continue Reading

The following is a press release from SJC Public Hospital District and SJI EMS… In July 2021 the elected Board of the hospital district voted to move forward with the integration of EMS under San Juan Island Fire and Rescue. This requires a new EMS levy under the Fire District to replace ours. There have  Continue Reading

OPALCO can help you prepare As we approach the winter storm season, it is a good time to think about being ready for potential power outages: replenish your battery supply, fill up your gas tank (or charge up your EV) and make sure your phones and computers are fully charged – and you should know  Continue Reading

This survey provides the San Juan Island Prevention Coalition (SJIPC) with some local information about community perceptions and to look at it as one point of data reference. We use this along with the Healthy Youth Survey, school intervention data that the Student Assistant Professional collects, and the program assessments for the programs that the  Continue Reading

Sign up for an upcoming, on-line U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Course Bellingham, Wash. – This fall, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Bellingham and San Juan Islands Flotilla is providing boaters on-line, Washington State Basic Boater Education Course. All Washington state residents must carry a Boater Education Card while on the water operating a power-boat greater  Continue Reading

With changing weather conditions, as of Friday September 10, 2021, the San Juan County Fire Districts are allowing recreational fires including charcoal, wood burning, and recreational campfires. Permit Burning is still banned and not allowed until further notice. If you have a recreational fire, always remain present and have water available. When you are finished,  Continue Reading

The Islands’ Oil Spill Association (IOSA) is offering free oil spill response training for interested islanders in October. Sessions will be held on Lopez, Orcas, and San Juan Island. This half-day hands-on training is intended to give both new and existing volunteers an introduction to basic response strategies and provide a general overview of the  Continue Reading

FRIDAY HARBOR, WA. – Labor Day weekend is approaching, the last hurrah for many summer boaters before buckling down for the fall. As scores of vessels take to local waterways over the holiday, it’s an important time to stay vigilant and keep safe on the water. San Juan County’s Department of Environmental Stewardship calls on  Continue Reading

We really thought we were through with Covid-19 on San Juan Island, however it has spiked here worse than ever. Resiliency is all about staying healthy, and we want to help the community fight this so we are going to reschedule this event to when things improve. So, we hope this attempt has sparked ideas  Continue Reading