Don't Kill FGI

Don’t Kill FGI

You may have heard that Friends of Guemes Island decided to give $7,000 to the Save Guemes Mountain campaign.  After three years of donating time to the late ferry fight, it is fair to say that the current FGI board of three directors ran out of airspeed and ideas. They also thought no one was interested in continuing FGI, so the donation to the mountain seemed reasonable, even though draining the account kills FGI. 

Floating the notion of FGI's imminent death has sparked a flurry of interest to apply some organizational CPR and add new blood to the board. The following is the case to continue FGI.

It’s not just about late ferries

Although FGI was conceived during the crisis of the County extending weekday ferry hours, it was set up to be an ongoing advocate for environmental and land use issues on Guemes Island. FGI can intervene where the existing island groups cannot and keep the County Commissioners from turning Guemes into another banal suburb. FGI established in court that the resident island population could more than triple if the homes now occupied part-time became full-time residences. And enough empty lots are already platted to increase the island population six-fold, without need for further hearings or zoning.* The County plan supports this level of growth, and yet no one knows whether our sole source aquifer will collapse under this increased demand.

What did FGI accomplish in court?

In suing the County about the late ferry runs, FGI established the legal point, against the County’s vigorous denial, that ferry operations affect the island’s environment and its community.  

The FGI suit caused Judge Allendoerfer to chastise Skagit County for failing to have a watershed plan (or a rigorous and permanent seawater intrusion policy) for the one part of the county that needs it most. The judge pointed out that Skagit County has a legal requirement to do watershed planning.

What can be gained by continuing FGI?

Two things-

First, FGI can pursue the legal ground gained on island water issues and force the County to take action to define the capacity of the aquifer and protect it. Judge Allendoerfer found that in twenty years Skagit County has done no work of any kind to quantify the water supply on Guemes Island or develop a watershed plan. The evidence for our problem is seawater intrusion in many wells, highlighted by the collapse of the Potlatch community well system. Yet the County has no ongoing well monitoring and has a policy that fails to assess impacts to existing wells when new wells are drilled. Further study of the aquifer may show that plenty of water exists, but right now we do not know, and the County will likely do nothing to define the limits to Guemes Island water unless they are pushed. FGI can be the pusher.

Second, Guemes Island has a notable history of land-use disputes going back to the aluminum smelter litigation in the 1960’s, which action resulted in the landmark state supreme court ruling defending the island.** In every situation since then Skagit County has taken a pro-development stand against the islanders and against protecting the island environment. Mainland political values are different than those on Guemes Island. We should expect this growth-while-wearing blinders attitude to continue and for the County to persist, 365 days a year, to push for development irrespective of natural limits and state law. Accordingly, FGI needs to rededicate itself for the long run with a plan for sustainable funding. The alternative is to gin up an ad hoc organization for every County outrage and community threat, as they will inevitably appear in time.

How can FGI continue?

We will get new blood onto the FGI board. The current FGI board has labored very hard, and their efforts should get recognition. Bob Easton and David Wertheimer have said they are ready to leave the board after years of work. Two replacements have said they are willing to become directors, Ginger Orsini and Mary Jo Andrak. Gary Davis wants to stay on the board to insure that FGI continues. Additionally, Mary Brennan, an environmental attorney in Anacortes, has said that she wants FGI to continue and will contribute uncompensated time as an advisor.

The $7,000 in the account is needed for some specific purposes. FGI will apply for official tax exempt status with the IRS to receive a 501-(c) 3 designation. This standing will allow donations to FGI to be tax deductible and improve the chances for financial sustainability, but it costs some money to get the status. With a plan in place and tax exempt status, FGI will be able to raise funds from substantial environmentally concerned benefactors.

Further, FGI will need funds to map out a legal strategy on getting proper watershed planning and funding. FGI may decide to take actions that require ample resources - press campaigns, fundraising efforts to raise money for watershed study projects, lobbying state and federal agencies for action and funding, paid legal counsel to bring pressure to bear. And that assumes no new crisis emerges suddenly. When FGI first started up, all of its efforts were devoted to fund raising--trying to get from $0 to something positive so they could even begin to act. We should not have to repeat that process.

Won't FGI's $7,000 Save the Mountain?

No, not even close. If the FGI board donates its entire $7,000 bank account to the Save Guemes Mountain campaign, FGI will be killed and the mountain cause will still be $613,000 short of its goal. FGI’s $7,000 amounts to little more than 1% of what is needed to buy the mountain. In other words, FGI will have made a noble gesture and then go out of business, leaving on the table a considerable amount of legal and political progress important to the long-term well being of the island. The current board of three directors for Friends of Guemes Island is split on whether to donate the money and fold, or continue with a revitalized board.

What can you do?

Tell the FGI directors that you want the organization to continue. They can be contacted by email:   Gary Davis, President, Bob Easton, David Wertheimer.

Everyone should like the notion of saving Guemes Mountain, but draining FGI’s funds won’t accomplish this. And you should not want the future view from Guemes Mountain to be housing subdivisions from shore to shore.

Tim Rosenhan

Joseph Miller


*Land Use Impacts of Guemes Island Ferry Schedule Extension, page 21: "Even without new development, at full occupancy of all existing homes, island resident population could triple to a population of 1630 in a very short time, with no new building or well permits issued. Under current zoning, 1016 new homes can be built on Guemes Island for a total of 1643 homes. At full occupancy, at the average Skagit County occupancy rate, the total population would be 4,272 people, a 659% increase over current population."

**Author of the court’s written opinion was that most literary of jurists, Frank Hale. “Guemes Island is a quiet place,” he began. “It has no industry or commerce, no hustle of traffic, no crime and no police. The air above it is pure and sweet, and the waters around it sparkling and clean. It lies at the eastern end of the San Juan archipelago-one of a group of inordinately beautiful islands." - Guardians of Guemes

Links to court documents, regarding land use and ferry hours of operation extension.

 

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