Ground Truth Table Talks
Sit down. Speak up. Stand together.
Why We’re Gathering
Island life is defined by limits — of water, ferries, housing, and the very ground we stand on. At the same time, it’s defined by abundance — of community care, creativity, and resilience when we choose to share.
That balance is civic responsibility. It’s what leadership looks like here: not waiting for top-down fixes, but gathering as neighbors to face what’s real and to decide how we stand together.
What the Table Is For
Ground Truth Table Talks are open conversations where we ask:
Where are we already at our limits — water, housing, infrastructure, or patience?
Where does island life still feel “just right”?
Where is there room to grow — in stewardship, cooperation, or shared responsibility?
These aren’t abstract questions. They’re about how we lead ourselves: how we ensure fairness, preserve rural character, and protect the ecosystems that hold us. As our Big Picture vision states, stewardship means tending both land and people, building systems that last, and carrying forward values that matter.
Why Now
The Goldilocks Surveys told us islanders know we are close to full — maybe beyond — and that unmanaged growth is not the answer. What people want instead is resilience: a community that uses less, shares more, and makes decisions that fit the shape of these islands.
Join Us at the Table
Island Stewards will be hosting Ground Truth Table Talks across the islands. Bring your questions, your frustrations, your hopes — and let us know if you’d like a seat at the dinner table, where we gather to ask the real questions together.
Meet us Saturdays @
Orcas Island Farmers Market
Come find us, share your story, and add your voice to the conversation.
Nearly two-thirds of islanders believe we’ve reached our limit. San Juan County is at or beyond capacity.
The Goldilocks Survey
Islanders have been telling us what feels too much, too little, and just right about life in San Juan County. The Goldilocks Survey asks simple but powerful questions:
Are we already full?
Do we still have room to grow?
Or have we reached the “just right” balance that now needs care and stewardship?
So far, most people say we’re at or beyond our limits — pointing to water, ferries, housing, and fragile ecosystems as systems under strain. But the same voices also call for resilience: a community that uses less, shares more, and protects what we love.
Your perspective matters. Add your voice and help define what “just right” looks like for our islands.
Take the Quick Goldilocks Survey: https://forms.gle/82PF8X7ttXRVFDT46
Take a Deeper Dive on Goldilocks Survey: https://forms.gle/6W1Po8fTmL5fDheK9
Common Ground Transit Talks
These surveys tell a clear story: islanders are feeling the strain.
Nearly 80% of residents said congestion from visitors is harming ecosystems and quality of life.
More than half of residents said transportation issues limit their ability to engage with the community.
Many also told us that smarter transportation could help neighbors save money — reducing the high costs of cars, gas, and repairs while opening up more affordable ways to connect.
That’s why we’ve opened Common Ground Transit Talks. These conversations aren’t just about buses or ferries — they’re about belonging, resilience, and the daily realities of island life.
We’re asking:
How do you get around?
What works, and what doesn’t?
How do congestion and growth affect your sense of community and connection?
What would make it easier to show up for each other — without wearing down the land, the ferries, and our patience?
How can we make transportation not just easier, but also more affordable for islanders?
By putting these questions on the table, we’re inviting every voice into the conversation. Because building a resilient future means shaping transportation that reflects our limits, honors our ecosystems, saves our neighbors money, and strengthens how we live together.
When we listened through the Comp Plan, it was the most vulnerable in our community who told us what transportation really means.
Why Your Voice Matters
Defining rural character isn’t simple. It’s not just about zoning lines or policy language — it’s about why we’ve all chosen to live here. For some, it’s the quiet of forest light and ferry wakes. For others, it’s the interdependence of neighbors, the comfort of being known, or the resilience of a community that still waves when it passes on the road. That’s why every perspective is valued. Whether you believe we should make room for more, hold the line, or simply find a “just right” balance, your view shapes the story of what it means to call these islands home.
Ground Truth Table Talks are built on this principle: that the answers aren’t found in one voice, but in the chorus of many. Rural character is not fixed — it’s something we decide together, every season, every generation, every conversation.
📬 Join us: sign up for our mailer on the Contact page, find us in the community, or drop us an email if you’d like to lend a hand — or simply sit down for a cup of coffee. However you show up, know this: we’re here, and the table is always open.