Comprehensive Plan Community Engagement

Island Stewards has received a grant from the Washington State Department of Commerce which manages Washington State’s Growth Management Act (GMA). This grant helps ensure that all demographics, including the vulnerable and overburden populations, are included in revising the Comprehensive Plan for San Juan County. Island Stewards will use Participatory Action Research to engage the wisdom of Community to co-create an inspiring future for the Islands.

Orcas Community Participatory Agriculture (OCPA)

OCPA is a Washington State educational nonprofit empowering our island community to learn-by-doing the skills necessary to grow the food that sustains us. It’s hand-on, in the dirt community empowerment helping create a resilient local food system: Build Community through local Food Sovereignty!

Keep San Juans Wild (KSJW)

Honoring Our Shared Vision

KeepSanJuansWild.org presents an overview of the big picture challenges facing the San Juan Islands archipelago. This is the goto site for anyone concerned about the future livability of the county. Keep San Juans Wild promotes education and action to ensure that the Vision Statement of the county’s Comprehensive Plan is not feel-good fluff but rather is operationalized in law.

Source Paper

Source Paper is a full spectrum, bi-annual literary journal located on Orcas Island. Our purpose is to artfully weave our innate connection with nature, each other and current events through the lens of intentional community journalism. Our goal at Source Paper is to bring light to all of life’s moments; the profound, the quiet, and the esoteric, to the issues of today through the voices of our Island by lessening neighborhood tensions, eliminating prejudices and discrimination, and combating community deterioration.

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Orcas Pride

Orcas Pride celebrates the LGBTQI community

Non-Profits supported by Island Stewards which no longer require our assistance:

Local Immigrant Family Treasure (LIFT)

LIFT is a community based, emergency fund organization devoted to keeping San Juan County immigrant families together. The purpose is to increase the diversity of our island’s residents and protect the rights of immigrants who we consider to be one of our most legally vulnerable populations. LIFT provides information to immigrants regarding their legal rights and obligations; temporary loans for emergency immigrant assistance; education regarding various opportunities relating to immigration.

As of January 2021, LIFT has provided 20+ immigrants with an interview with an immigration attorney to learn of their immigration options. This has led to:

one immigrant gaining permanent residence as a refugee;
two immigrants being released from ICE custody;
one immigrant being able to hire an attorney to obtain a U visa;
several immigrants learning the next steps to pursue different immigration ends;
several presentations for immigrants on their rights regarding confrontations with ICE and police

Orcas Island Wrestling Club (OIWC)

The Orcas Island Wrestling Club supports boys and girls who gain strength and competency via wrestling. Anyone interested in finding out more about the club can check out the Orcas Island Wrestling Club’s group page on Facebook, e-mail orcaswrestling@gmail.com or call Coach Jason Dean at 360-388-8624. The club accepts ages five and up.

For more information, see https://www.islandssounder.com/sports/orcas-island-wrestling-club-end-of-season-2019-2020/

Vacation Rental Working Group (VRWG)

The Vacation Rental Working Group is comprised of Orcas Island residents concerned about the negative impacts of overtourism. Many of these impacts are due to unrestricted issuance of Vacation Rental Permits (VRPs) from San Juan County. The mission of the VRWG is to mobilize our community to regulate vacation rentals in a manner that protects our rural character, environment and culture in the San Juan Islands.

Selecting policy options at a community conversation in 2019

Other Non-Profits no longer served by Island Stewards:

Orcas Island Forest School

Orcas Island LitFest

Friends of the Olga Store Building

Wild Abundance Expeditions

Projects and non-profits supported by Island Stewards