Town's sea level rise planning only a start

The high tide of last week’s Town of La Conner Planning Commission meeting on future sea level rise came when Assistant Planner Ajah Eills calmed the waters– make that, concerns– raised by troubling data gleaned from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“By 2070, if we do nothing,” Eills initially cautioned while sharing statistics, “the town will be underwater.”

She then offered solace.

“These are kind of scary numbers to look at,” she said, “but that’s without mitigation, without doing anything.”

Doing nothing, staff and commi...