Five Stories: What We Achieved In 2025
By Marnie Jackson
In 2025, Whidbey Environmental Action Network (WEAN) worked at the intersection of community voice, environmental science, and public accountability. From local land-use decisions to statewide shoreline policy, our focus was clear: ensuring that growth, governance, and stewardship on Whidbey and Camano Islands are guided by transparent government, an engaged public, and the best available ecosystem science.
Here are some highlights from the year, and why they matter for the future of our islands.
Holding The Line On Environmental Review In Oak Harbor
In 2025, WEAN challenged the City of Oak Harbor’s adoption of Ordinance 1999, raising concerns that required environmental review under Washington’s State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) was not conducted for a significant land-use policy change.
Although the case did not succeed at the Island County Superior Court level, WEAN has appealed the decision and is awaiting a hearing in the Court of Appeals.
Why this matters: SEPA exists to ensure that environmental impacts are carefully considered before major policy decisions are made. By pursuing this appeal, WEAN is working to reinforce the importance of environmental review and public process—not just in Oak Harbor, but across Washington.
SEPA is often described as the state’s environmental “charter,” and this case underscores why those procedural protections matter when communities face development pressure.
Expanding Public Participation In Comprehensive Planning
Island County is in the process of updating its Comprehensive Plan, which will guide land use, housing, transportation, and environmental protection decisions through 2045. In 2025, WEAN focused on helping ensure that this process meaningfully reflects community input and legal obligations for public participation.
In partnership with Island Roots Housing and the Agricultural Resources Committee—and with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act (CCA)—WEAN conducted multilingual community surveys to gather input on water protection, land use, and environmental justice.
We also hosted three CCA-funded workshops and launched an ongoing series designed to help community members better understand—and confidently participate in—the public comment process.
Why this matters: When more voices are informed and engaged, public plans are more protective, more equitable, and more likely to be implemented. WEAN continues to support a Comprehensive Plan grounded in best available science and community-led conservation priorities.
Register for our upcoming "Finding Your Civic Voice" workshop.
Moving Shoreline Advocacy From Local Action To Statewide Collaboration
In 2025, WEAN expanded its shoreline work beyond individual sites to broader policy advocacy.
We joined a statewide coalition with partners including Futurewise, Sierra Club, Washington Conservation Action, Friends of the San Juans, and Washington Audubon to engage in rulemaking under the Shoreline Management Act (SMA). Together, we advocated to the Department of Ecology for stronger enforcement tools to address illegal shoreline armoring, such as unpermitted bulkheads.
To make shoreline impacts more visible and understandable, WEAN launched the “State of Our Shorelines” ArcGIS StoryMap, a robust tool that shows how cumulative shoreline armoring affects habitat and provides an overview of the policy landscape affecting this issue in Washington State.
Why this matters: Visual tools and collaborative advocacy help turn complex policy issues into shared understanding—and shared solutions. For a situation as complex as shoreline habitat protection under threat from sea level rise and development, we need a high level of collective engagement. We will continue updating the Storymap with new data and calls to action as opportunities arise.
Progressing On Forest Protection Through PBRS Reform
After several years of research and collaboration, 2025 marked meaningful progress in WEAN’s work to improve Island County’s Public Benefit Rating System (PBRS)—a tax program that can support landowners who prioritize conservation and stewardship.
Working with County Commissioners and the County Assessor’s Office, WEAN submitted detailed policy recommendations aimed at making PBRS a viable alternative to tax programs that incentivize extractive timber practices.
While the County did not adopt the full scope of our proposed reforms, they are moving forward with some improvements, including:
- Lower barriers to entry for landowners
- A more incentivizing points system
- A clearer path for transitioning land from the “Designated Forest” category into the “Public Benefit” program
Why this matters: These changes make it easier for landowners to choose stewardship over extraction—benefiting forests, wildlife habitat, and water quality. This progress is a step forward, and WEAN remains committed to continuing this work to strengthen stewardship standards, protect additional ecosystems, and improve long-term monitoring.
Read our September 2025 recommendations to Island County on PBRS Forestry reform.
Investing In The Next Generation Of Environmental Leaders
In 2025, WEAN welcomed three young professionals whose work made a lasting impact on our programs and on our organization.
Violet Bleumer, Environmental Data Administrator, compiled and analyzed public records on mitigation variances. Her work will inform a 2026 technical paper, policy recommendations, and a new Storymap focused on mitigation outcomes. In 2026, Violet will help WEAN clarify its data-driven strategies for wetland protection.
Reilly McVay, Environmental Policy Administrator, reviewed and indexed three years’ worth of public meeting recordings, strengthening WEAN’s internal systems and shaping our understanding of how environmental issues feature—for better or for worse—in local government decision-making. In 2026, Reilly will help shape WEAN’s local environmental policy recommendations.
Natalie Estrada, Communications and Social Media Intern, joined us from Seattle University's Communications program. Natalie designed WEAN’s 2025 Pride pins and stickers and brought creativity and clarity to our social media, helping increase community engagement while keeping environmental issues approachable and fact-based. After exploring the island with us in the spring and summer, Natalie finished her internship with WEAN in September of 2025. We wish Natalie all the best and congratulate her on her 2025 graduation!
It has been an honor to watch these young environmental leaders work, learn, and grow with us.
Read our interview with Natalie at the close of her internship.
Looking Ahead
The work of environmental protection is inextricable from the work of community care. By protecting nature, we protect one another. In 2025, thanks to your support, WEAN advanced policies, strengthened partnerships, elevated voices, and invested in a next generation of leaders to continue this work.
As we move into 2026, we remain committed to upholding and improving environmentally protective laws, supporting responsible land stewardship, protecting our forests and shorelines, and helping shape a collective future where nature and community thrive together.
Thank you for being part of this work with us. To ensure this work continues, consider making a donation or becoming a member.
