Wildlife ordinance raises larger habitat questions | Letter

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, August 5, 2026

My wife and I decided to share a few thoughts regarding the County’s intention to create an ordinance limiting human interaction with wildlife on the Island.

It was widely known from the earliest times that THE SURVIVAL OF A SPECIES IS DIRECTLY LINKED TO AN ADEQUATE FOOD SUPPLY. While the proposed ordinance relates to our wild animal population, in fact the same relationship applies to all living things. The question then becomes, is there a sustainable habitat with enough food to support the various wild animal populations and where is it? We are not aware of any studies that address this issue which seems to suggest that the animals are supposed to figure this out on their own.

With respect to the fox population; as we understand it, the rabbit population was a significant part of the fox food supply. But the government, in its infinite wisdom gassed all the rabbits.

So what is the local fox population doing to survive? Stay tuned.

While we are not aware of any local studies regarding the survival strategies of the fox population, it turns out that a major study of the alpine fox (Cascade red fox) a “cousin” of our local fox, located in Mount Rainier National Park, has been underway for some time (Smithsonian, April. May 2026, pp. 40-51, Jennie Gritz). It turns out that these fox, which are on the Endangered Species List, sometimes locate their dens relatively close to human communities to avail themselves of additional food opportunities (it was not noted whether this involved handouts or garbage cans).

So if there is not a suitable sustainable habitat (including the requisite food supply) for the fox population, as well as other wild animals, we can expect them to become extinct over time on our Islands.

We would suggest that what the County is proposing to undertake is more complex than it might appear on the surface and represents an anthropocentric point of view.

Finally, we note that we humans are reducing the potential sustainable habitat for wild animals each year with new construction, mowed fields and the like.

Ken and Julie O’Brien

San Juan Island