What’s with all the knickers in a knot? The Friends of the San Juans has been protecting what we love about these islands for more than 30 years.

They do the future thing; the thing that honors this place for our kids, and their kids. They do the boring thing, like going to Olympia, reading reports, working with other agencies and understanding the science. They do the thankless thing, being an easy target for uneasy people who don’t do the science—or see beyond their own property line.

We have deeply committed groups and individuals here in the islands who cherish and revere this place, and who put it first, last and always.

The Friends of the San Juans is one of them. Who among us can say the same?

Janet Thomas, San Juan Island