Orcas Island suffers the same problems as many highly popular tourist destinations. It attracts huge numbers of tourists. With tourists come the tourist spending – about 130 million a year in San Juan County as a whole. Its the single largest income to the Islands. So making decisions about how to alter tourism instantly sends shockwaves around politicians and business leaders.
One of the largest single impacts to the local quality of life on Orcas is the massive arrival, of boat load after boat load of tourists. In the on-season, hundreds of cars arrive every few hours every day. Thousands of cars a week. Each burns dozens of gallons of gas or diesel and releases around 20 tons of green house gases each week!
They speed through neighborhoods, swerve around bikes and pedestrians, and contribute to the fact that the Islands have one of the highest drunk-driving fatal accident rates of Washington State. (citi-data) 
Erecting barriers and banning off-island vehicles would make a few happy. That is what some communities have done. Orcas, while being progressive and broadminded, has become conservative and business oriented, understanding that economics make a difference, and supporting businesses helps support the community.
However, mitigating the carbon footprint of all this tourist traffic, providing a viable alternative and reducing some traffic is in the interest of the Island. It actually *increases* the ability of the Island to handle more tourists.
Permits:
There’s a long history of areas requiring parking permits, parking meters and visitor permits. It eases parking congestion by encouraging visitors to move along. it turns out parking meters are just an annoyance and poor excuse to pick someone’s pocket. They hurt those where the dollar or two makes a difference and don’t reduce car traffic at all. In fact, more cars move more often because of meters, polluting more and causing more accidents, more stress. Orcas isn’t about stress.
A permit system that allows vehicles on the Island is one way to offset carbon foot print, avoid the problems of parking meters and other means to raise revenues.
Farm vehicles would be excluded, as would vehicles owned by residents of 25 years or more and their children, assuring some help to preserve local culture. Hybrids would be excluded as well.
Residents would pay $150 per vehicle per year. Tourists would pay $25 per week and receive a bus pass with their permit to encourage local bus use. Buses would be free on routes between the Ferry and all major destinations, including an electric vehicle rental location at the airport.
Revenues should reach about $787,000 a year, and would be used to offset the cost of electric hybid buses on the Island, solar charging stations for electric vehicles and advertising outreach. Any excess sums would be used by Island residents as a lottery for the lease of on-island electric vehicles for businesses.
