The LookOut is a monthly digest of climate-related issues and events taking place in Humboldt County.
The Wiyot tribe has launched another one of its visionary housing projects on a former parking lot in Eureka. This one will provide 41 housing units with a community room, a cascading green wall of plants and a community daycare and playground.
The city’s Parking Lots to Affordable Housing Program has allowed a very fruitful partnership between Eureka and the Wiyot Tribe whose ancestors occupied the land long before anyone else. The three housing projects spearheaded by the tribe will provide much needed low income housing for tribal members and the general public, scoring a small win for social justice and for the climate.
Two other infill housing projects in Eureka are at the funding stage, thanks to California Municipal Finance Authority bonds. These bonds are not the financial responsibility of the city but of the developer Danco. However, the city council had to approve them, and they unanimously did so at the April 21 meeting. $20 million for the EaRTH Center—45 affordable housing units upstairs and commercial space and transit hub on the ground level—and $30 million for the redevelopment of approximately one urban acre that will result in 44 housing units instead of the current 8. This is just the first stage of a project that will eventually replace 106 existing units with 256 new living spaces near the Eureka Mall.
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In case you haven’t already heard, the Richardson Grove fight has most likely finally been lost. Caltrans will widen the mile+ stretch of 101 while we all hope for the least impact possible on the redwoods that have been standing there long before the highway was punched through. EPIC’s battle lasted for fifteen years, and as Tom Wheeler writes here, lessons were learned—not least by Caltrans though it will never admit it!
The Center for Biological Diversity is appealing directly to Governor Newsom to stop Caltrans, and a reported 60,000 people have written letters asking him to step in. The odds against success seem high, however, and EPIC is photo-documenting the area before works begin. So at least it will be plain sometime in the future what the impacts were of widening a highway so close to the roots of ancient redwoods.
Meanwhile, other battles beckon. Click here for instructions from EPIC about how to stand up for Marine Protected Areas. Protecting strategically selected areas of the ocean is essential for now and the future. Vast as they are, the earth’s oceans are facing eco-system threats that are unprecedented as the water warms and acidifies. Their fate is bound up tightly with that of earth and of all life forms on the planet. The ecological recovery of the MPAs that have been established has been encouraging as it shows us what is still possible after years of pollution, warming and overfishing. Don’t let their protection lapse.
350 Humboldt Happenings
Our general meeting will take place May 14 at 1:30 at Redwood Park in Arcata near the 14th Street parking lot. Bring your own chair. If the weather looks rainy or cold, we’ll resort to Zoom for that same time. You’ll receive a zoom link that morning, but here it is now just in case.https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89783524801?pwd=ZE52L3NpeTJsanZaMG1NNnZWQTdtUT09
The Outreach and Action Committee of 350 Humboldt has pulled in three grants to fund their book donation project this year. One from Humboldt Friends Meeting, one from the Quaker EarthCare Witnesses, and one from Humboldt Sponsors. Thanks to these organizations, 10 local elementary schools will each receive a packet of six books that encourage and empower youth and their families to be pro-active regarding climate change, mitigation and environmental dangers. The books will be available in school libraries and classrooms to support climate curriculum for 2054 children from kindergarten to 6th grade. Last year, the outreach committee gave packets to 21 local schools. With these additional 10 schools, we will have covered almost all the elementary schools in Humboldt County.
We’re getting involved again with the California Youth Climate Policy Leadership Program (CYCP). If you know a high school student who wants to learn how to be a climate activist (a glamorous and lucrative role as we all know), you can forward them this link. There’s $500 in it for those who complete the online training. Local mentors are also needed, so if you’re interested or know someone who is, use the above link and scroll down. Please note that respondents from Humboldt have until May 15 to respond. We asked them for a special extension for Humboldt because they informed us so late this year about the program.
Don’t forget about one of our favorite events— Repair Cafe. It will take place on May 17 from 10am to 2pm at the Adorni Center in Eureka. Bring stuff that needs fixing—electronics, clothing, jewelry, lamps, small furniture and appliances, etc. If you’re interested in volunteering to be a fixer or help direct people, contact [email protected]
Another favorite event is organized by Friends of the Eel. Resistance Gatherings happen at Humbrews in Arcata on the second Monday of each month from 5 – 7pm. They feature one or two local organizations and community groups who talk about the work they do to protect and enhance life these days. Give them a listen and find out something you might be able to do. Humbrews donates a portion of its sales to the featured presenters.
Legislation of the month
What do California’s “demonstration forests” demonstrate? Most of them were acquired mid-twentieth century and have been primarily managed to demonstrate sustainable logging techniques. Stream restoration and scientific research have also been pursued on their total of 85,000 acres. For instance, two research towers for measuring carbon dioxide and water vapor were installed at Jackson Demonstration State Forest in 2024. Data from the towers will help us understand how redwood forests will fare in a drier climate.
By far the largest of the fourteen demonstration forests, Jackson Demonstration State Forest in Mendocino county has been the scene of much discontent directed at state management. Sometime during 2021 a timber harvest operation targeted gigantic, mature, second-growth trees cherished by the forest’s many recreational visitors. Popular opinion did not appreciate the educational value of cutting down large trees, and public protests temporarily shut down logging. Here is an old Press Democrat article in case you need a review of the controversy.
Cal-Fire made promises while various political leaders weighed in. Now two of them, Senator Mike McGuire and Assemblymember Chris Rogers have introduced legislation, AB 2494, to update the concept of demonstration forests to prioritize carbon sequestration, biodiversity, wildlife habitat and resilience in the face of wildfire. Here is an action alert from EPIC for supporting this bill. Timber harvesting would still be allowed but more as a side effect of restoration activities.
While doing research for this article I ran across interesting news about JDSF. Click here to read about the prevalence of spraying Roundup in public forests, including JDSF even though it’s a popular area for licensed mushroom foraging.
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