“Green” programs must not be eliminated

Published 1:30 am Saturday, June 27, 2026

The recent county proposal to eliminate the Environmental Stewardship Department would undermine its commitment to our islands’ environment. The beauty and health of our environment is the number one reason people move here and stay here. It is also the foundation of our economy.

When the county proposes cutting out “Green Programs” in order to cut costs, it does not acknowledge the huge economic value of those programs. Eliminating Environmental Stewardship would undercut all of the current work and progress over the past five years that has gone into establishing this Department and its many successful programs and grant funding. Reassigning its activities and staff to other departments will undo the hard-earned efficiencies and cost savings that currently exist.

Environmental Stewardship is a high-performing department that is largely grant-funded and is not a substantial burden on county resources. The current proposal is to retain nearly all positions but to reassign them to other departments. This makes no sense in terms of actual cost savings. Even without the director’s position, the department could still exist and operate efficiently with its own reorganized structure.

San Juan County cannot afford to lose Environmental Stewardship, its signature Green Program, which is a source of pride and hope for the future of these islands.

Lynn Bahrych, J.D., Ph.D.

Shaw Island