By the Board of Island County Commissioners

The Board of Island County Commissioners gives considerable attention to the importance of protecting our Island environment. Environmental considerations are always at the forefront of our choices while balancing other factors including vital infrastructure, property rights, agricultural needs and overall economic enhancement.

Even in the face of these competing interests, the Board has gone beyond State requirements to designate and protect fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas.

Before taking these actions, the County commissioned a technical analysis to ensure our decision-making was informed by and based on best available science.

The Board then asked that the science be subjected to internal and external peer review, as well as an extensive public input process. It was a process void of guess work.

Nevertheless the Whidbey Environmental Action Network (WEAN) objected, stating that they “can’t wait” for more legal action, even declaring that the Board of Island County Commissioners has done “zippity do-dah” to protect fish and wildlife habitat areas and mischaracterizing the professional experts hired as “incompetent.”

These remarks are not only inflammatory, they are at direct odds with the facts of the County’s actions, intentions, and attitude toward environmental protection.

Just because WEAN disagrees with the findings doesn’t mean the County didn’t listen, doesn’t care, or was derelict in its duties. It’s true that WEAN wanted a different and more extreme outcome, however your elected County Commissioners are tasked with making policy decisions and weighing all of the County’s divergent priorities in their development.

The Board stands by our decision to update our code, as well as the actions taken to designate and protect 12 additional prairie, herbaceous bald, and oak woodland conservation areas, Western Toad breeding locations, and its one natural area preserve.

These policy choices are fully informed and supported by the documented science that was presented to us as part of our public policy development process, of which WEAN was an active participant.

The long held view that the County simply isn’t doing enough and does not take its responsibility for environmental protection seriously could not be further from the truth and is not a reflection of the quality work product being produced today.

Dismantling this myth may be difficult. As a Board we simply request that our policy actions be viewed afresh and through an unbiased lens. We believe our current policy actions demonstrate our commitment to the long term environmental sustainability of our islands.

It is time to draw this chapter of continual dispute to a close, and place the broad and diverse needs of Island County Citizens ahead of all else.

Helen Price Johnson, Jill Johnson and Rick Hannold serve on the board of Island County Commissioners.