Dear San Juan County Community: We are honored to convey to you our final recommendations from the San Juan Initiative. Thank you for your sustaining interest in this project. The actions you take now and in the future are critical to the protection of the ecosystem of the San Juans. We encourage you to continue to foster a collaborative relationship with scientists, nonprofit organizations and state/federal and tribal governments.
This letter summarizes the findings, recommendations and additional actions needed for successful protection of the San Juan ecosystem. All of our major policy documents, reports and meeting summaries can be found at our website: www.sanjuaninitiative.org.
1. Background
The San Juan Initiative was a pilot effort to improve ecosystem protection in a manner that supports community values, respects property owner rights, and builds local capacity for ecosystem protection. The heart of the San Juan Initiative was a 22-member Policy Group comprised of 11 Council-appointed local citizens as well as federal and state agency representatives and tribes with resource management responsibility in the Islands.
Together with the community, the Initiative set out to accomplish two key goals: (1) Assess the effectiveness of programs aimed at protecting the shoreline; and (2) Recommend specific ways to improve protection in a manner that supports other community interests and respects the rights of property owners. We held over 25 public workshops to engage land owners, real estate and construction industry professionals, and the general public.
In summary, we found the following regarding the shoreline ecosystem:
Management programs and the community have made some positive improvements over the last 30 years of environmental management.
Some of the most sensitive parts of the marine shoreline are being altered and there is a high risk of further alteration, resulting in diminished ecosystem function.
There is a lack of accountability to ensure that people and governments successfully carry out their responsibilities in a way that results in ecosystem protection.
Current regulatory protection programs are turning people off, and education and incentive programs are not addressing the needs of the ecosystem or shoreline property owners.
Through scientific advancements and the ethic of stewardship within the San Juan community, there is tremendous opportunity to improve protection of the ecosystem.
To address these findings and ensure effective protection for two specific ecosystem components — shoreline vegetation and sedimentation processes — we developed the following overarching recommendations which were unanimously endorsed by the County Council on Dec. 9th, 2008 and supported by the participating federal and state agencies:
Tailor land protection efforts to match the level of ecological function and sensitivity. For instance, focus incentives and education efforts on beaches and bluffs.
Increase consistency in permitting requirements and certainty that the regulations will be interpreted consistently throughout the permit process. Property owners and builders need predictable outcomes from the permitting process that they can count on when calculating building costs and timelines.
Provide information to decision-makers, whether county planners or property owners, in an accessible, relevant and timely manner. This recommendation builds on the need for predictability in the permitting process. It also focuses on ensuring that the information needed by property owners, planners and elected officials is available and accurate.
Foster a collaborative approach between the public and private sectors in order to increase communication and effectiveness. Continued forums are necessary for local builders, real estate professionals and contractors to discuss issues and develop common solutions with county and state decision-makers.
Reward actions that protect ecosystems and discourage actions that are damaging or not in compliance. Implement programs that recognize people for good stewardship and provide financial incentives for private conservation actions like soft shore beach restoration projects.
2. Continuing the Work
The County and other parties have made substantive progress implementing the Initiative’s recommendations of December 2008. Yet there remains considerable work to be done to improve the effectiveness of shoreline protection. In addition to actions by specific organizations, it is critical that the efforts are coordinated and communicated to the public. A complete list of actions can be found at our website: www.sanjuaninitiative.org/documents.
3. Measuring Success
We believe the true test of our work lies in the measuring of outcomes over time. To ensure future efforts deliver the desired outcomes, we established detailed measures of success that are posted on our website. Below is a summary of these measures:
The current percentage of native vegetation, trees and ground cover along the shoreline is retained.
The number of bulkheads/armoring along feeder bluffs and beaches is reduced.
Builders, realtors, community leaders, county officials and the public are engaged in a strong working relationship in which each party is respected for their role in protecting the environment.
Property owners and county planners have convenient access to technical assistance for maintaining views, creating access to the shoreline, and protecting the shoreline. Property owners of beaches and bluffs and other important shoreline features have financial incentives to protect their stretch of shoreline.
There is an effective and efficient way to track permits and ensure compliance.
We recommend the Marine Resources Committee and the Puget Sound Partnership convene the implementing agencies and the Policy Group in 2010 and 2012 to review the results and determine if the objectives listed above are being achieved and, if not, take corrective action.
4. Conclusion
The work of the San Juan Initiative is now formally concluded, but the work to protect the San Juan ecosystem may be never-ending. We believe our work has affirmed the importance of landowners, governments, businesses and nonprofit organizations working together to achieve a healthy environment and a supportive community. In fact, our work has confirmed that environmental health cannot be achieved without the foundation of community collaboration and good will. Collectively, all levels of government must continue to find ways to be accountable and demonstrate to the local community their support for effective and inclusive governance. No one tool or group can assure protection of our environment. It has to be a collaboration where all parties are respected for their role and mutually held accountable to successfully contribute their part.
Thank you to the San Juan County Council for their leadership in creating the San Juan Initiative and being open to the evaluation of their programs.
Thank you to the federal and state agencies for their willingness to join us in our community effort. Thank you to the tribes for their participation.
Thank you to the many citizens and organizations who contributed their time and their hearts to participating in this process and helping us make a difference.
Thank you to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Bullitt Foundation, US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Puget Sound Partnership for funding the work and believing in its importance. Sincerely Lovel Pratt, County Council Member, and Jonathan White, Co-Chairs, San Juan Initiative.
