San Juan County planning commission hears broad public support and technical briefing on draft climate element

San Juan County Planning Commission members heard more than a dozen public comments and a staff presentation on March 21 about the county's first draft climate element for the comprehensive plan, with speakers urging stronger implementation language, more emphasis on forest stewardship and clearer steps on water and transportation resilience.

The draft element was developed under the Growth Management Act requirements added in 2023 and funded by a $300,000 Department of Commerce planning grant, county staff said. “The climate element is composed of two subelements, an emissions‑reduction subelement and a resilience subelement,” Angela Broderick, the county’s climate and sustainability coordinator, told commissioners during the presentation.

Why it matters: The climate element will guide how the county plans for hazards and emissions over the coming decades and will be used to shape more detailed, near‑term work the county calls a climate action plan. Public commenters said the draft should move beyond aspirational language to requirements, timelines and funding commitments that make county policy actionable.

What speakers told commissioners - Faith Vyondipart of the Madrona Institute described the Climate Compass outreach process and told the commission that “Compass participants have generated 539 ideas,” urging the commission to add a policy to allow forest stewardship rather than mandatory timber harvest for designated forest lands. - Vince DeCusey, president of the board of APELCO, urged the commission to adopt “actionable shalls” rather than aspirational language, warning: “Please don't let this become another binder on the shelf.” - Eva Schulte, executive director of Friends of the San Juans, recommended additional resilience measures for water and buildings, including tree retention, relocating buildings out of flood risk zones when feasible, and studying seawater intrusion. - Community speakers and advisory committee members repeated priorities identified during outreach: protecting ecosystems, improving wildfire resilience and forest management, increasing local renewable energy and expanding transportation alternatives that reduce vehicle miles traveled.

Staff and technical points - Broderick said the county created the greenhouse gas inventory in 2023 (baseline year 2019) and that transportation, land use and building energy are the largest emissions sectors in the county's profile. The consultants and staff also performed a policy audit and a vulnerability assessment focused on water resources, transportation/mobility (including ferry dependence) and buildings/energy. - Broderick said the county elected to include both resilience and emissions subelements even though the emissions subelement is not mandatory for a jurisdiction of San Juan County’s size. She said the team coordinated with the Department of Commerce and with tribes as part of the process.

Public priorities and gaps identified - Commenters repeatedly asked for stronger, measurable commitments and for the county to prioritize policies it intends to implement rather than leaving everything as optional. Multiple speakers recommended a county‑level forest health plan, changes to the county’s open‑space/current‑use tax program to prioritize stewardship and sequestration, and further attention to water supply assessment and infrastructure resilience. - The vulnerability assessment summarized for commissioners said county stormwater and low‑lying coastal areas are exposed to sea level rise and flooding; wastewater and septic systems are vulnerable to inundation; and groundwater recharge and water system reliability are threatened by drought. Transportation vulnerabilities include ferry delays and limited transit options.

Next steps and process - Staff said they will carry public and commission comments into revisions and will present the draft climate element to county council at the end of the month; the county intends to follow the element with a climate action plan that will set priorities, timelines, budgets and responsible parties. Broderick and consultants said the cap will contain more granular, time‑bound actions than the comp plan element.

Commission discussion and follow up - Commissioners asked for clearer, measurable goals where appropriate and suggested that many of the implementation‑level, time‑bound and budgeted actions belong in the climate action plan or in element‑specific implementation (for example, transportation and water elements). Staff agreed and invited written clarifications and suggestions from commissioners to be sent to county staff for incorporation.

Ending - Staff asked members of the public who submitted written or chat comments to instead email comments to planning staff so the records can be organized and tracked. Broderick said the climate action plan development will involve the newly formed Climate and Sustainability Advisory Committee and that the county will continue community outreach as it moves from policy to implementation.