November/December Events

Better late than never.

• Tuesday work parties continue December 3rd and 10th
  
• Tuesday, December 3^rd – the FOCIP Holiday Potluck at the Camano Center at 5:30 PM. More information can be found on the Member Home page.
• FOCIP WINTER WALK   SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7th: ELGER BAY PRESERVE
  Meet at 9:45 at the Elger Bay Elementary School parking lot. This is a fairly level trail with one 50 ft gain toward the middle of the walk.  This beautifully signed Nature Trail section and a side trip to the beaver marsh platform are highlights of the walk.  The walk is 2.5 miles round trip.
• There will be no Backyard Wildlife Habitat Program in December.
• Community Invited to Help With Element 7 Parks & Recreation of the 2025 Island County Comprehensive Plan
  Island County is working to create an update to Element 7 of Island County’s Parks & Recreation Plan. The plan will provide directions and goals for the management of parks, recreation facilities, habitat areas, and natural resource areas in Island County. This project is critical because it provides an opportunity to address declining funding resources, which have made it difficult for the County to provide and care for parks and natural resources on Whidbey and Camano Islands.To make the Plan successful, County Parks would like to hear from as many people as possible. Residents are encouraged to participate in one of several public involvement events. Community feedback is needed to determine how the County can manage its existing resources, while working with other key partners to protect important natural resources and habitat areas countywide.

  Below is a SurveyMonkey.com survey link. Your input is a very important part of updating Chapter 7 Element of the Parks & Recreation Plan: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/IslandCountyParkSurvey 

  Open House Events
  We are hosting a series of open houses in four areas around Island County. Open House #1 will introduce the goals of the plan and give community members a chance to think about what is out there now, and what they hope to see in the future in our parks, trails, and natural resources. Open House #1 has been completed.

  Open House #2:  Thursday, December 5, 2024 – Time: 6:00 – Hybrid Virtual/In-Person
  Location: Camano Library Meeting Room – Address: 848 N Sunrise Blvd, Camano Island, WA 98282

  We hope to see everyone at the open house, but if you can’t make it (and even if you can) there are plenty of ways to let us know your great ideas about parks planning. We will have more information posted on our Public Works Parks and Trails website for the Virtual/In-Person workshops for Open House #2 soon! Feel free to call or email the project contacts at any time: Catherine Kelley (360) 678-7965,Email: CatherineK@islandcountywa.gov or J.Sylvester@islandcountywa.gov.

  Stop by and comment on your priorities for parks, recreation, and habitat conservation. Staff will also be on hand to answer questions about the planning process. All ages are encouraged to join in the fun.