New impact report on Salish Sea & the San Juan Islands

“It’s so important to celebrate natural beauty and to rise to the occasion to protect it,” says National Geographic photographer and Friends member Robert Dash. His words and moving photos open Friends of the San Juans’ new 2021–2025 Impact report—and they capture exactly what thousands of islanders have been doing together over the past five years.

Founded in 1979, Friends of the San Juans brings people and nature together to protect the San Juan Islands and the surrounding Salish Sea bioregion through education, science, policy, and law. From safeguarding endangered orca to restoring shoreline habitat and expanding youth education, the new report documents how local action is reshaping the future of this place we call home.

The non-profit has engaged volunteers and members from Seattle to Vancouver, with nearly one in three San Juan County residents having engaged with Friends’ work in some way, so, as the report states: “These accomplishments are yours. They are the result of people like you who protect this place, coming together as guiding lights for stewardship and action.”

Below are just a few of the community-powered wins from 2021–2025:

Landmark protection for endangered orcas
Southern Resident killer whales are critically endangered and rely on quiet, clean waters and abundant salmon. Friends played a leading role in turning science into policy, helping secure new state laws that require boats to stay 1,000 yards away from Southern Resident killer whales. This increased buffer gives mothers and calves a better chance to find food, rest, and communicate.

Rebuilding resilient shorelines
Shorelines in the San Juan Islands do far more than offer a pretty view. They are nurseries for the salmon and forage fish that feed orcas, seabirds, and countless other species. Working with partners and landowners, Friends: 

• advanced three large-scale restoration projects that restored more than 1,000 feet of forage fish spawning habitat

• Upgraded 81 mooring buoys to protect fragile eelgrass meadows

• Removed four derelict overwater structures in vital herring spawning areas

These efforts are part of a broader push that has now restored roughly 6,000 feet of shoreline and leveraged $10 million in restoration funding for island communities.

Community members are invited to read the full 2021–2025 Strategic Plan Highlights report and explore additional stories, photos, and results at: https://sanjuans.org/impact-report-2021-2025/