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Skagit County to Study Future Regional Public Safety Campus

The Skagit County Commissioners have allocated $285,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funding to support a comprehensive facility needs assessment and feasibility study for the development and operations of a regional public safety campus (RPSC) in Skagit County. The RPSC could potentially include the co-location and daily operations for the Skagit County Department of Emergency Management with a co-located Emergency Operations Center, daily operations for Skagit 911, and a state-of-the-art facility that

Recreational Shellfish Harvest Closure Issued for Skagit Bay Due to Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) Toxins

Due to recent samples of shellfish containing elevated levels of Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP) toxins, the Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH) has closed recreational harvest for all shellfish species in the following area:Skagit Bay Recent samples of shellfish show a continued rise in PSP. Mussels collected in Saratoga Passage in Utsalady mussels contained 94 micrograms PSP/100 grams of shellfish tissue.  These sample results, in addition to PSP increases in portions of Island County

Skagit County Commissioner Lisa Janicki Announces Retirement

Skagit County Commissioner Lisa Janicki has announced she will retire at the end of 2025 after eleven years of serving as County Commissioner for District 3. Janicki is excited for the opportunity to spend more time with family and her ten grandchildren. Commissioner Janicki was first elected to the Board of County Commissioners in November of 2014. Prior to running for county office, Commissioner Janicki worked for over thirty years as the Chief Financial Officer for Janicki family businesses, which

Skagit County to Host Public Hearing on Updates to Critical Areas Ordinance

The Skagit County Commissioners will host a public hearing on Monday, July 28, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. to hear testimony on the proposed updates to the Skagit County Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO). Members of the public are invited to join and provide comments either in-person in the Commissioner’s Hearing Room at 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon, or via Zoom at the link on the Commissioner’s webpage. Skagit County is required by the Growth Management Act to adopt regulations protecting critical areas in

Application Deadline Extended for Skagit County Planning Commission

The deadline for Planning Commission applications has been extended to Friday, August 8, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. There are two Planning Commission seats, one seat in District 1 and one seat in District 3, with terms expiring on August 31, 2025. This call for applications is for residents who live in District 1 or District 3 of Skagit County and would like to be considered for a seat on the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission works with the Planning and Development Services Department and advises the

Cardiac Arrest Survivor Saved Thanks to PulsePoint Respond Smartphone App and Quick Bystander Action

Burlington, WA— Dennis Hoggarth of Camano Island is alive today thanks to the swift actions of bystanders including several registered nurses and a nearby off-duty firefighter/paramedic who were alerted through the PulsePoint Respond app, underscoring the lifesaving power of technology and community involvement in time-critical emergencies. On May 23, 2025, Skagit 9-1-1 received multiple 911 calls reporting a cardiac arrest inside the Costco in Burlington. Simultaneously, an alert was sent out via the

Skagit County Solicits Feedback for Draft 2025 Hazard Mitigation Plan

The Skagit County Department of Emergency Management (DEM) has opened a survey to take input from the community for the upcoming update to the County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan. Skagit County is looking for feedback on the community’s concerns regarding different hazards and natural disasters in the area, and priorities for how the County plans for those disasters. The survey is anonymous and will be open through August 15th at 4:30 p.m. The Skagit County Hazard Mitigation Plan identifies natural disaster

Port of Skagit to Host Music in the Park @ SWIFT

REMEMBERING NORTHERN STATE – Public History Day

In collaboration with the Port of Skagit County, the Skagit County Historical Museum is hosting their fourth annual public history day.  The purpose of the event is to educate the public on the history of Northern State Hospital’s operations and employees, enjoy the grounds, and curated tours of Colman Hall and learn about current plans for the campus, now known as the SWIFT Center.In addition to the speaker stage and curated tours, the Washington State Archives will be there to answer researcher’s