The organization that spearheaded the legal challenge to Skagit County’s extension of weekday ferry hours on the Guemes Island Ferry, Friends of Guemes Island (FGI), has a new board and a new direction. Board members David Wertheimer and Bob Easton resigned at the end of June. The new board is Gary Davis, president, MJ Andrak, secretary, and Ginger Orsini, treasurer. FGI will continue its efforts to make Skagit County develop planning policy to maintain Guemes Island’s rural character and sustainability.

FGI Funds

In May of this year the outgoing board of FGI discussed the issue of dissolving FGI and donating the approximately $7,500 remaining in its treasury to the Save Guemes Mountain cause. That announcement sparked new interest to continue FGI, and new board members stepped forward. As its final act, the outgoing board decided to split the money remaining in the FGI bank account. A residual sum of $5,479 from a Peach Foundation grant for FGI legal action was returned, per prior agreement, to the Guemes Island Environmental Trust, the sponsoring 501(c)3 organization which originally received the Peach Foundation monies. The remaining $2,000 from private donations stayed in the FGI treasury. Although FGI already has non-profit status with the State, we are in the process of applying for federal non-profit status with the IRS. This will benefit all future contributors, and give FGI the ability to receive grant monies directly.

FGI Direction

In October of 2007 Judge Allendoerfer sent the issue of the impact of extended weekday ferry hours on island growth back to the County for a review of significant environmental impacts. In other words, he said the County had to do an environmental assessment of the later ferry runs. This move was essentially a “do over” instruction to the same people at the County Planning Department who first denied that any ferry impacts existed. Their reworked assessment, not surprisingly, showed no evolution in their thinking, but seems to have fulfilled the nominal SEPA requirements.

Judge Allendoerfer also said in his ruling that Skagit County had done no watershed planning on Guemes. We also know, from the work Barbara Rudge did for FGI during our legal action, that the island population can increase over 600% with no further property subdivision. Yet the County has no clue if the island’s aquifer can support this growth. FGI intends to get this watershed planning done, if not by compelling the County to do so, then by having it done by other agencies. 

Friends of Guemes Island will continue as an ongoing advocate for environmental and land use issues. Although an official call for membership will come at a later date with a choice of contact and payment methods, FGI is always open to financial support through its address at 7885 Guemes Island Road, No. 16, Anacortes, WA 98221.

You may also join, renew, contribute and watch for news of FGI’s activities through its website: www.friendsofguemesisland.org

Gary Davis, Mary Jo Andrak, Ginger Orsini

Friends of Guemes Island Board

www.FriendsOfGuemesIsland.org 

*Land Use Impacts of the Guemes Island Ferry Schedule Extension [424kb PDF]