Tourists have been inundating popular travel destinations worldwide over the last couple of years and this trend is now a hot topic in the news, both locally and abroad. The Parthenon in Athens, Greece now limits the number of visitors allowed per day, and Amsterdam in the Netherlands has launched a stay away campaign. Big cities and small communities alike are now dealing with the challenges that zealous tourism brings. This tourism frenzy has even reached the San Juan Islands in Washington State.
San Juan County has put together a proposed Destination Management Plan for the San Juan Islands. While tourism is a major economic driver in the County, it also presents challenges for the sensitive natural and cultural resources of the islands and its limited public infrastructure. The intent of the Plan is to implement measures that guide sustainable tourism in the San Juan Islands, now and into the future. One such measure being considered is to require residents and visitors to purchase stickers similar to the Discovery Pass for access to parks and recreational sites. Proceeds from these fee-based stickers would be used for the maintenance of marine facilities, moorings, and marine protection measures. Stickers would be required for cars (the San Juan Islands Parking sticker); for bikes (the San Juan Islands Bike sticker); and for boats (the San Juan Islands Boating sticker). The fee to users has yet to be determined but is estimated at $10-$15, which would apply to all road and marine users, both visitors and residents.
The sticker model would provide a mechanism to fund the management and infrastructure improvements needed to address impacts while tracking user numbers to help set optimal capacities. Improvements such as separating bikes from vehicle traffic, better parking in towns, and marine facilities are noted as infrastructure needs.
San Juan County began engaging the community regarding the draft Plan several years ago and held community meetings last year, 2022. The County and its citizens wish to support, enhance, and protect the unique quality of life, the environment, and the cultural heritage of the San Juan Islands. A full draft of the San Juan County Destination Management Plan (SDMP) can be read HERE. See Pages 69 and 70 regarding improvements for boating and marine access.
The public is invited to provide thoughtful feedback on the Plan. The public comment period will remain open through October 31, 2023. Go to the Engage San Juan County website and click on “Submit Feedback” (note that the website may still have an older deadline date). Registration is required to comment through Engage. You can also submit comments by email to tourism@sanjuanco.com. Questions are welcomed.
Waggoner encourages boaters to provide their comments in support of the need for additional mooring buoys and guest transient moorage. Infrastructure for other boating facilities is also needed, better access to the village of Eastsound for example and other desirable destinations beyond Friday Harbor and Roche Harbor.
