Residents and advocates urge stronger enforcement and funding in Anacortes community forest plan review

Mayor Walters opened a public hearing on the Anacortes Community Forest Lands (ACFL) draft plan and invited Parks staff to summarize revisions and next steps. Parks staff said the document under review is the second draft of the Nov. 2021 plan, that SEPA review produced a DNS with no appeals, and that staff will compile oral and written comments into a matrix for council review on April 20 if the hearing is closed tonight.

Speakers representing users and conservation groups largely welcomed the plan’s improvements but urged clearer detail on funding and enforcement. "We encourage you to always keep in mind, even with budget cuts, that it's really important," said Josie Henderson, executive director of Friends of the Anacortes Community Forest Lands. She asked the council to base decisions on evidence and to ensure enforcement mechanisms are effective.

Marlene Finley, president of Evergreen Islands, said the draft is concise and better than the predecessor but warned it largely reflects "status quo" drafting with limited analysis of trends or an implementation budget. "The plan has no budget discussion, and without an honest accounting of staffing and resources, this is just a wish list," she said, and pressed for stronger law-enforcement and wildfire detection sections and a named natural resources manager.

Several neighbors and trail users raised access and safety issues. Linda Airwood, who lives adjacent to Trails 247 and 248, described repeated nighttime disturbance, vehicles parking near her driveway, and dogs off leash. Paul Baron and John Meehan, who represent trails users including motorcyclists, said concerns about exclusion and trail damage should be addressed through clearer signage, enforcement and opportunities for adjacent landowners to provide input.

Parks staff and the mayor acknowledged those concerns and described several follow-ups: planned annexation of some ACFL parcels recently added to the urban growth area (a jurisdictional change that does not alter permitted uses), expansion of summertime police presence, additional parking cameras, and a forthcoming ordinance to “give some additional teeth” to enforcement after plan adoption. Staff also said they will include public comments submitted during a one-week extension in the comment matrix for the April 20 council agenda.

The council closed the public hearing after hearing the registered speakers. Council members who spoke during the hearing period thanked participants and emphasized that the city will continue outreach and report back on implementation priorities such as enforcement, trail management and emergency preparedness.

What happens next: staff will finalize the comments matrix, incorporate the week’s additional submissions, and return the ACFL item to the council on April 20 for further review and a determination about adoption or additional revisions.