The San Juan County Planning Commission heard multiple public comments May 16 urging clearer, stronger climate language in the county's draft comprehensive plan and a direct pathway to specific emissions-reduction actions.

Faith Vandepoet, representing the Madrona Institute and the Climate Compass Project, asked the commission to "include language in the comprehensive plan to recognize" the need to explore land-use and tax policy strategies that encourage forest conservation and climate-resilient management. She read a suggested new policy calling for "support for stewardship for climate resilience and carbon sequestration by exploring and promoting land use and tax policy strategies that encourage forest conservation and climate resilient management practices."

Why it matters: the climate element is a policy-level part of the comprehensive plan; commenters said it should clearly signal the county's priorities and create a gateway to the climate action plan that will list concrete programs, timelines and funding options.

Commenters and small-group engagement: Faith and other Climate Compass participants said community sessions flagged forest carbon and weatherization as priorities. Vandepoet emphasized weatherization for vulnerable residents, saying it is both a climate and health issue after smoke and fire events. Tom Greason and participants from Friends of the San Juans and youth and Latino engagement sessions echoed the call for explicit references to carbon sequestration and stronger support for on-site and rooftop solar and storage.

Commission and staff responses: Planning staff and consultants acknowledged the input. Sarah (county staff) told the commission that the climate element had been revised to emphasize redevelopment before expanding impervious surfaces, to favor nature-based shoreline solutions where feasible, and to promote collaboration with businesses on climate action. Nicole Gutierrez of Cascadia Consulting Group clarified statutory guidance: "there's not necessarily, commerce doesn't require a greenhouse gas emission reduction plan, and there are actually multiple pathways that jurisdictions can be in compliance." She described San Juan County's approach as building on an existing greenhouse-gas inventory and pointing to related provisions in the transportation and utilities elements.

County sequencing and next steps: Staff and environmental stewardship staff said the more detailed climate action plan is intended to be the implementation document and will be developed after the climate element is adopted. Kendra (Environmental Stewardship) told the commission, "we will not be able to bring the climate action plan forward until the climate element is adopted in the comp plan." Commissioners requested clearer timelines and opportunities for planning commission review of the action plan.

The commission will consider the draft comprehensive plan elements at future meetings and expects the public hearing on the full plan in September; staff said the climate action plan will be developed afterward and could provide the specific actions, timelines and tracking that commenters sought.