July 2023 Newsletter: Moving Forward Together
Click here to read our July 2023 Newsletter.
Four months in to my new role as WEAN Executive Director, I am delighted but not surprised by what I've experienced. I have been warmly welcomed by committed, talented, and values-aligned board and welcoming, skillful, and generous founders, more than willing to share their expertise and accumulated wisdom with me from their new roles as consultants to the organization. Steve, Marianne, and the Board have been nothing but helpful in these early months of my work with WEAN. We're engaging in aquifer protection, forest protection, and environmentally sound housing solutions advocacy, working alongside County staff to inform their Comprehensive Plan update planning process, and working towards bringing our community together in the fall for a celebratory gathering. Watch for a save the date soon.
WEAN would not be able to sustain its 38 years of service to this community, or grow its ability to get out in front of environmental damage by proactively advocating for and defending sound policies and enforcement without the financial means to advocate, educate, and, when needed, litigate. Thank you, members and donors, for the contributions you make to sustain our protection of Whidbey and Camano Island ecosystems and communities.
In September we'll pay the final installment on our attorney's fees for the Not In Our Parks campaign, which culminated in an extraordinary bench ruling by Thurston County Superior Court Judge James Dixon on April 1, 2022 to reverse and vacate the 4:3 decision made by Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission to permit military warfare training in 28 coastal Washington State Parks. In the meantime, we're building collaborative relationships with County and State staff and elected officials in hopes that a more proactive stance on environmental protection can bring the will of the people to bear on policy-making and enforcement, thereby reducing the need for expensive and contentious litigation.
Our revised vision statement points to this intention:
We envision an Island County whose protected environment supports myriad species in harmony, and whose engaged community recognizes the interdependence of all life and actively participates in stewardship of and advocacy for our shared home.
Let's make it happen, together. Thank you for reading, learning, and advocating alongside us for the healthy forests, wetlands, shorelines, and communities we need and deserve.
With appreciation,
Marnie Jackson
Executive Director
