current project
April 2, 2023 - December 31, 2023
goal:
Evergreen Islands’ goals in this planning process are to:
1) Ensure that the City uses best available science. This includes incorporating projections for the impacts of climate change on the forest.
2) Advocate that the plan reflect the community values to protect forest habitats and manage the forest for both sustainability and climate resilience: an enduring, healthy forest.
3) Require the plan address current and future recreation demand and include management options to protect the forest, wildlife and ecosystem functions.
The future of the Anacortes Community Forest Lands (ACFL) is being considered as the City of Anacortes (COA) opens discussions on the UPDATE of the ACFL Comprehensive Plan. Public comments are welcome, and all are invited to the monthly Forest Advisory Board meetings to discuss plan revisions.
The current plan was completed in 2016 after many years and adopted in 2021, making this an outdated plan. Recognizing that the plan will need to be updated in just a few years, COA Parks and Recreation staff have opened discussions.
The current plan can be found HERE
Evergreen Islands Board members are attending these meetings and providing comments. Here are some of our recommendations:
- Limit development in the ACFL
- Identify the Strengths, Weaknesses and Opportunities in the current ACFL Plan.
- Complete a rapid assessment of changed conditions and trends. Show the Forest Advisory Board the draft assessment including data you will use to INFORM the plan update.
- Ask the Forest Advisory Board what changes, if any, they have observed in the ACFL since 2016.
- Review the public comments from the first meeting and reflect on issues and opportunities you heard.
- Create a new outline which includes an executive summary, assessment and need for change, summary of resource and recreation management changes and budget considerations.
- Include a section on the impacts of climate change and projections based on science.
- Prepare a summary of the ongoing citizen science data collection and how this information may be used in the future.
- The Comprehensive Plan should include budget recommendations, such as the need for a professional Natural Resource Manager.
Take action today!
ACFL Plan Public Comment
Public comments on the ACFL Plan Update are being accepted. The plan is currently under review by the Forest Advisory Board. You may send your comments to Bob Vaux, Assistant Director of Anacortes Parks and Recreation (bobv@cityofanacortes.org) and/or directly to the Forest Advisory Board members here