Where We Live
San Juan County is an archipelago of over 700 islands, rocks, and reefs located between the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Strait of Georgia. San Juan County possesses more than 413 miles of shoreline - more than any county in the contiguous United States.
83 of these islands are part of the San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge System administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. County, State and National Parks also manage a large portion of the shoreline and are popular with visitors. The entirety of San Juan County was declared a Marine Stewardship Area (MSA) in 2005. The San Juan County Marine Resources Committee (MRC) is currently developing recommendations for the implementation of the MSA that will best preserve the countys unique environment.
The major threat to the natural environment in the San Juan Islands is habitat degradation due to high human use. Rapid residential shoreline development, soaring summer visitation and high boat traffic have been identified as key threats to the preservation of important marine resources by the San Juan County MRC.
Additionally the WSU Beach Watchers Advisory Committee has strongly supported outreach to visitors and boaters as being an unmet need in San Juan County The WSU Beach Watcher program is currently positioned to promote better stewardship practices through education and outreach to these user groups.