Starting on July 1, the Skagit County Stormwater Program is expanding its municipal stormwater permit area to include parcels around its current boundaries, as well as unincorporated land around Anacortes. Projects within these areas will have to comply with all of the County’s stormwater minimum requirements. The municipal stormwater permit area is covered by the County’s Phase II Western Washington Municipal Stormwater Permit, which is issued by the Washington State Department of Ecology and allows the County to release stormwater runoff into natural waterways. It also requires the County’s Stormwater Program to control runoff from construction sites through the County’s permitting process, according to a press release.
The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community recently broke ground on a fiber project that should bring fast-speed internet, or 1 megabyte per second of broadband capability, to about 100 unserved homes in the community, according to a post on the Swinomish Senate’s Facebook account. The project is funded with an $8.5 million grant from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration that was awarded in December, 2024.
Residents may notice an increased law enforcement and emergency response presence at La Conner High School on July 23 as the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office conducts an active shooter response training exercise. The training is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and will involve first responders from multiple agencies. Officials emphasize that the exercise is a planned training event and that there is no threat to students, staff or the community. Community members are encouraged not to be alarmed by emergency vehicles or other public safety activity at the school during the exercise.
The Center for Biological Diversity has filed a lawsuit against the federal government over delays in protecting the sunflower sea star under the Endangered Species Act, the Skagit Valley Herald reported. The species, once abundant along the West Coast and a key predator of sea urchins, declined by about 90% after sea star wasting disease spread through its population beginning in 2013. In the Salish Sea, populations fell by an estimated 92%. The lawsuit argues that the National Marine Fisheries Service has failed to issue a final decision after proposing in 2023 to list the species as threatened. Conservation advocates say federal protection would help address threats from pollution, shoreline development and other habitat impacts while supporting recovery efforts already underway, including breeding programs at the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Laboratories.
