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March 3, 2025

What is the HEAL Act?

The Healthy Environment or All (HEAL) Act was passed in 2021 to reduce environmental disparities and improve the health of all people in Washington state.

It is the first statewide law to create a coordinated and collaborative approach to environmental justice, making it a priority and part of the mission of key state agencies. The HEAL Act mandates that agencies:

Develop and implement a community engagement plan
Require Tribal consultation frameworks
Incorporate environmental justice into strategic plans, budgeting, and funding
Identify and address overburdened communities through the Environmental Health Disparities (EHD) map

What factors define an overburdened community?
Race, income, rate of employment, level of educational attainment, access to insurance, English
language proficiency, proximity to pollution and climate change impacts are some of the considered factors.

In collaboration with the WA Dept of Health, these capacity grants are made possible due to the vision and voices of communities leading and allies coming together to support, and collectively recognize that another world is possible by reimagining a healthy environment for all.

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Shelly Vendiola

(she/her), Swinomish/Visayan, Community Engagement and Culture Director

Shelly Vendiola, (Swinomish/Visayan) is an enrolled member of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, and Visayan. She has served as an educator, facilitator, activist, and peacemaker/mediator for over 30 years. Shelly co-founded the native Community Engagement and Peacemaking Project and offers consultation in the areas of community engagement and facilitation services including: leadership development, strategic planning, organization mapping, dispute resolution, interest-based negotiations and peacemaking circles throughout the country.

Currently she works as a Community Engagement & Culture Director for the Na’ah Illahee Fund, and serves on the board of the Indigenous Environmental Network and the Skagit YMCA. She continues to work in partnership with the Swinomish Department of Environmental Protection, co-chairs the Protect Mother Earth Subcommittee, and is a member of the Swinomish Health, Education and Social Services Committee. Shelly developed a place-based curriculum about the history and culture of the Swinomish peoples and taught a series of cultural sovereignty courses for over 10 years at the Northwest Indian College – Coast Salish Institute within their Native Studies Leadership Program.

Previously her team provided leadership and consultation for the Lummi Cedar Project – Organized Generations Healthy Lifestyles Program. Ms. Vendiola served as President for the national Indigenous Women’s Network and a Campaign Director for the Indigenous Environmental Network. Shelly received several years of formal dispute resolution training from the Indian Dispute Resolution Services, Inc., and the San Francisco Community Boards Program. She is the recipient of the Native Action Network – Enduring Spirit Award, and a recognized educator and peacemaker in the Northwest region. Shelly has an M.Ed. in Higher Education and practices indigenous pedagogy and indigenous research methodology within all aspects of her work.

Following in her father’s footsteps, Shelly is passionate about gardening. She practices the ancient form of meditation known as Qi Gong for balance, energy, and resiliency, and is a certified Yoga instructor. Her motto is, “There is nothing permanent in the world but change, the key is how we flow with it!”