— from Barbara Marrett/San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau —

The San Juan County Council is working on a draft resolution supporting a Leave No Trace (LNT) ethic in San Juan County. The resolution is a result of the local Terrestrial Managers Working Group, a coalition of conservation-oriented governmental and non-governmental land managers in San Juan County, reaching out to the National Leave No Trace Center in Boulder, CO for help with trainings to instill Leave No Trace principles in locals and visitors. As a result the San Juan Islands were selected for help as one of eight endangered “Hot Spots” in the Nation. Although the “Hot Spots” program ordinarily focuses on natural places that have been recognized for their degradation due to popularity, the local group reached to out to Leave No Trace, Inc. in order to be proactive, to prevent the loss in the San Juan Islands that may follow from present practices.

In partnership with Agencies, NGOs, & individuals involved in land management, education and preservation in San Juan County such as:  San Juan Islands National Monument,  National Park Service, US Fish & Wildlife, WA State Dept. of Fish & Wildlife, San Juan Preservation Trust, San Juan Islands Visitors Bureau, Kwiaht, San Juan County Marine Resources Committee, WA State Parks, and others, the center is sending out a Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Training Team and hosting events September 25-29 to help teach Leave No Trace principles and ethics, to support  stewardship of the San Juan Islands.

Individuals, business owners and their staffs with a professional connection to the islands’ waters and public lands, are invited to participate in these free Leave No Trace workshops next week—

Thursday September 25: San Juan Island Day: 10 am-2 pm. Workshop location: meeting room downstairs at Key Bank, 2nd St. Friday Harbor

Friday September 26: Lopez Island Day: 10:30pm-2:30 pm. Workshop location: Love Dog Café, Lopez Village

Sunday September 28: Orcas Island Day: 12:30 pm-4:30 pm. Workshop location: Moran State Park, Cascade Lake, Day Use Kitchen Shelter

The workshops will feature the Subaru/LNT Traveling Trainers team, with ideas for incorporating Leave No Trace principles into business advertising, touring, guiding, camping, teaching, staff development and for volunteers on public lands.

Saturday September 27: National Public Lands Day, Subaru/Leave No Trace Traveling Trainer Activities, Watmough Bay on Lopez Island and South Beach American Camp, on San Juan Island—10 am-2 pm. The Traveling Trainers will have educational hangtags and free fun educational activities for all ages to learn how to minimize your impact when in the outdoors.

“Leave No Trace” is a nationwide program devoted to responsible use of public lands, through education and cooperation with businesses, schools, and all the people that work, teach, guide, and harvest on public lands, however, the principles are applicable to lands everywhere. Through a countywide effort the Leave No Trace principles and skills will help preserve and protect the Islands landscapes for islanders and visitors alike for decades to come.

The San Juan County Parks Administration is offering leadership and support in many ways to the initiative and the week’s programming. To ensure a space in the workshops please RSVP to the County Parks office parks@sanjuan.com or 360-378-8420.

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