No property tax is necessary to support enforcement of wildlife ordinance

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, June 23, 2026

By Richard A. Walker, San Juan Island

Contrary to the letter published in opposition to the proposed wildlife protection ordinance (June 17 SanJuanJournal.com, https://www.sanjuanjournal.com/2026/06/17/another-hike-in-property-tax-is-looming-letter/), no property tax is necessary to support enforcement of the ordinance. A couple of hundred bucks for signage can easily be raised by stakeholders. I, for one, will gladly donate.

Sheriff’s officers already respond to complaints about people feeding and harassing wildlife; the ordinance gives them the authority to do something about it. The prospect of paying a fine will serve as a deterrent.

The issue of feeding or harassing wildlife is not limited to the Cattle Point area or San Juan Island. At the June 9 meeting, County Council member Jane Fuller told of a motorist who intentionally drove over some birds in the road on Lopez Island. I’ve camped at Moran State Park and experienced an aggressive two-point buck who was so accustomed to handouts that he grabbed food out of our car during daylight hours and out of the hand of an unsuspecting camper who was unloading her vehicle at night. I’ve visited with a business owner from Eastsound who opens the inside of her home to deer. I remember when people used food to lure eagles from their nest on Roche Harbor and Westcott Bay roads.

At the June 9 County Council meeting, the question was raised about how to respond if an otter gets onto someone’s boat. Section 7 of the ordinance clearly protects the property owner: “The provisions of this Chapter do not apply to an animal control officer, veterinarian, peace officer, federal or state wildlife official or manager of federal or state public lands, or person who is authorized by a local, state, or federal government to treat, manage, capture, trap, hunt, or remove wild animals …”

The ordinance will not infringe on property rights. Residents will still be able to place bird feeders in their yards. They will still be able to enjoy watching deer graze in their yards and on matter that has fallen from trees or shrubs. They will still be able to place a water source on their property for wildlife.

What the ordinance will do is ban the feeding, luring and baiting of wild animals that increases the chance of disease transmission to people, pets and other wildlife. It will ban the feeding that creates a dependency on unhealthy food sources and negatively impacts a young animal’s ability to learn to hunt on its own. It will ban the feeding, luring and baiting of wild animals that puts them in harm’s way as they cross the road in search of a handout.

Some 21 stakeholders representing public agencies, environmental science and wildlife advocacy groups have met to draft this ordinance for about 12 months. Several press releases, letters to the editor and news articles have been published. At the June 9 meeting, two people spoke in opposition.

Finally, we don’t want to discourage tourists from visiting the island. We want visitors and residents to enjoy wildlife from a distance, in their natural habitat, uninterrupted.

San Juan County needs this ordinance. I urge the County Council to approve the amended draft ordinance after it is presented and the public has an opportunity to comment on it.