Swinomish boat launch closed for renovations. Skagit County Parks and Recreation announced that the Swinomish Boat Launch is temporarily closed through December for scheduled renovations. Construction is expected to wrap up and the facility to reopen by Jan. 1. County officials say the work will improve safety, usability, and extend the launch’s lifespan. Crews will be on-site throughout the month completing structural updates and other improvements aimed at better serving residents, tribal members, and visitors who use the launch for recreation and access to local waterways. During the closure, boaters are encouraged to use nearby alternatives, including the Washington Park Boat Launch in Anacortes and the Town of La Conner Public Boat Launch.
Skagit County commissioners are deciding whether to establish a Climate Impact Advisory Committee to advise them on climate-change issues after a packed public comment session on Dec. 2 that featured broad support from Tribal representatives, environmental and farmland groups, and other residents urging best-available science and clearer “natural environment” language, alongside a smaller set of skeptics questioning the committee’s need and expressing fears about land impacts. The volunteer committee would have 15 voting members, including seats for four Tribal nations, dike and drainage/irrigation districts, a climate-education advocate, and eight at-large residents with relevant expertise. The Board of Commissioners is scheduled to decide whether to create the committee at 2 p.m. on Dec. 15.
North Star, Skagit County’s public-private partnership addressing homelessness and behavioral health, was recognized last month with a Washington State Association of Counties “Project of Impact” award presented to the Skagit County Commissioners at the WSAC County Leaders Conference. The initiative is marking progress on the STAR (Stabilization, Treatment, and Recovery) Center expansion: the existing North Sound Evaluation and Treatment facility provides 16 acute inpatient mental health beds, and a second-phase, 48-bed crisis stabilization center run by Pioneer Human Services—offering crisis stabilization, acute detox, and co-occurring treatment beds—is slated to open in early 2026. Looking ahead, North Star’s leadership team (county commissioners and four city mayors) is prioritizing transitional housing development, including a potential conversion of the Lila Lane facility and advocacy for state funding. Since launching in July 2022, North Star has secured $24 million for the STAR Center expansion, helped open Martha’s Place (the county’s first permanent supportive housing), and implemented shared crisis-response software, with plans to deepen coordinated data and expand housing and recovery pathways in 2026.
