news story / By Heidi Walters

Marine Reservations

“When we first started meeting with the state, I don’t think they had any concept of the strength of the voice of the tribes in the North Coast region,” said McCovey. Now they do, she said.

Jacque Hostler, director of transportation and land use for the Trinidad Rancheria, on Tuesday called the NCAI’s resolution an excellent idea and said formal consultation would recognize previous tribal agreements. But she, too, said formal consultation might be difficult to achieve, and perhaps isn’t necessary.

Hostler, who along with fisherman Mike Zamboni has been nominated by the Rancheria to be on the regional stakeholder group for the North Coast MLPA process, said the Trinidad Rancheria has been involved in the MLPA process from the start: talking with fishermen, going to Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District meetings, taking part in the tribal coalition.

“The Rancheria owns the harbor businesses — the pier, the Seascape Restaurant, the boat launch and the gift shop,” Hostler said. “And we purchase crab and fish from the fishermen for our restaurant. So we have a large stake, together with the fact that we are a federally recognized tribe and we have subsistence and gathering and hunting and fishing rights.”

She and McCovey said the tribal coalition hopes to come together with other regional stakeholders and present one proposal to the state for the MPAs. They have until Feb. 1 to do so.

This Wednesday, Nov. 19, the newly appointed Blue Ribbon Task Force for the MLPA North Coast Study Region will hold its inaugural meeting, at 9:30 a.m. at the Red Lion Hotel in Eureka. On Thursday, the task force will go on a field trip. It begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Red Lion, may take in a stroll at the Friends of the Dunes’ headquarters in Manila, weather permitting, and will conclude in Trinidad. The meeting and field trip are open to the public.

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