Grateful For Your Support

Thank you for your generous support during WEAN’s Spring Appeal. 69 donors have given $47,754 to support our nature education, civic engagement, and policy advocacy efforts in April and May. This includes $16,360 given by 59 donors and matched during our two-day GiveBIG fundraiser.

We're just $2,246 shy of our $50,000 goal!

We offer special thanks to those donors who gave in honor of our late friend and ecosystem protector, Elliott Menashe, in accordance with the wishes expressed in his obituary. Each memorial gift reminds us of the importance of continuing his work to protect against ecosystem destruction or, in his words, “creating tomorrow’s problems today.”

Oak Harbor's Public Parks In Jeopardy

Screenshot of Laura Renninger giving public comment

at the Oak Harbor City Council Meeting on May 21

"Elections are a cornerstone of our democratic process. The choice of sacrificing community parks for economic development or any other cause not specifically defined in the ordinance must rest with the community."



— Laura Renninger, Oak Harbor Garry Oak Society

The Oak Harbor City Council held a meeting on May 21, during which the council discussed removing an election provision from the city code that requires a public election to be held in the event of the sale or disposition of public parkland. City staff recommended this provision be removed under the assertion that "economic development" is a "necessary public purpose" that circumvents the election requirement.

The meeting was well attended and every public comment on the subject rejected the recommendation by city planning to remove the provision, emphasizing the need for greater protection of public parkland in the city. In addition to those who commented in the room, the council received over a dozen online comments supporting park protection, many of which were from WEAN members. Way to go, Weanies!

Oak Harbor Garry Oak Society (OHGOS) President Laura Renninger spoke about the rights of the community to decide the fate of parkland, which is often land donated by community members to the public. One such community member, Mark Desvoigne, made a public comment about the land he had donated to the city after the passing of his wife — with no intention of it being used for economic development now or in the future. OHGOS Board Member Kyle Renninger highlighted the potential Hilton project that endangers Hal Ramaley Park, a .5-acre community park and food forest currently at risk of being sold without being put to a public vote if the city council removes the election requirement. Taking a long-range view, WEAN founder Steve Erickson proposed the concept of “no net loss of parks” to the council to preserve park space as the city's population increases. 

After public comment and discussion, the council tabled the decision on whether or not to remove the provision until the council’s July 9 meeting at 6 pm. 

Stay tuned for ways to support the residents of Oak Harbor to protect this election provision and their parklands.

In the meantime, you can watch the city council meeting (this topic begins around the 30-minute mark) or read a synopsis of the meeting from the Whidbey News-Times.

PS — It's not too late to comment on this issue. Please consider using your voice to protect the election provision and Oak Harbor's parks by submitting your comments to the Oak Harbor City Council.

Need more info before commenting? Find more information about the municipal code from our call to action here.

Low Hanging Fruit: Island County's Organic Waste Problem

Image by Pexel from Pixabay

Whidbey Climate Action held a conversation in their Island Conversation series in May focused on organic waste management in Island County. The discussion was led by presenter David Haskell, a zero-waste practitioner and career environmentalist. 

David’s preliminary research suggests that almost 200 tons of waste head off our islands to the Roosevelt Landfill every day and that 40% is organic waste, the byproduct of which ultimately generates harmful greenhouse gases.

Island County Public Works has a Solid Waste And Moderate Risk Waste Management Plan that includes recommendations for organic waste management (see Chapter 5), such as greater opportunities for market composting, public education, collection programs, and the potential of processing food waste or mixed organics at ICSWC. Yet, Island County currently has no county-wide municipal composting system. So, what exactly is Island County doing about our organic waste?

If you are interested in learning more about how you can better manage your waste on an individual scale, Whidbey Island non-profit rePurpose can help you recycle hard-to-recycle plastics. Washington State University extension in Island County has a waste reduction program called "Waste Wise," which includes education about composting.

Comment On The Future Of Coupeville's Housing

Image by Opticos Design from Coupeville website

The Town of Coupeville is beginning the process of updating the Town's code to include some types of "middle" housing throughout Coupeville's residential and commercial areas to comply with two recent bills passed (HB 1110 and HB 1337) by the State Legislature. To facilitate this project, the Town of Coupeville has received $35,000 in grant funding from the Department of Commerce to implement House Bill 1110.

Coupeville is particularly interested in hearing from residents and workers in Town about their concerns, ideas, and experiences surrounding housing and what the future of this community could look like.

Click the link below to take the survey, and learn more about the project and the Town's timeline. Physical copies of the survey are also available for pick up and submittal at Town Hall (4 NE 7 Street, Coupeville, WA 98239).

The Town is holding a hybrid Planning Commission Directional Meeting on June 4 at 6 pm. The public is encouraged to attend.

More Upcoming Community Events

As we head into the summer, the Island events just keep on coming!

Thursdays in June @ 7 pm - On Thursdays in June, WEAN will be the recipient of all donations made during Bailey's Corner Store Trivia Night. We hope to see you there!

Bailey's Corner Store

7695 Cultus Bay Rd, Clinton

June 1 @ 2 pm - WEAN Open House at the Bayview Cash Store

Bayview Corner

5603 Bayview Rd, Langley

Floor 2, Suite 13

June 6 @ 6 pm - WCA Island Conversations: Beyond Sustainability! with Penny Livingston. See more here.

Bayview Cash Store, Front Room

5603 Bayview Rd, Langley

June 15 - Coupeville Pride. WEAN will be tabling this event, visit us! More details coming soon.

Downtown Coupeville