When local politics nixed Terra-Gen’s wind farm energy project near Rio Dell in 2019, regional electricity aggregator Redwood Coast Energy Authority (RCEA) turned to a solar project hundreds of miles away to meet its renewable energy goals. Now, world politics have botched up that second choice, according to Jaclyn Harr, client specialist manager with an […]
Environment / Natural Resources
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Huffman Introduces Bill to Return Land to the Yurok Tribe
North Coast Congressmember Jared Huffman on Tuesday introduced legislation known as the “Yurok Lands Act,” a bill that seeks clear the way for the transfer of more than 1,000 acres of ancestral lands back to the tribe from the U.S. Forest Service and redraws the reservation boundary line to encompass that area and others acquired […]
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Burl Thieves Strike Humboldt Redwoods State Park
California State Parks rangers are asking for the public’s help to identify burl thieves who recently struck in Humboldt Redwoods State Park, the latest in a rash of incidents involving old growth redwood trees. The most recent damage left a 4-foot by 3 foot by 2 foot gorge in the base of a tree. “The […]
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Wind, Rain and Snow Forecast for Wednesday
Some more weather is heading this way Wednesday morning with the arrival of strong southerly winds that are expected to stay around for most of the day. The Eureka office of the National Weather Service has issued a wind advisory for southwestern, northern interior and southern interior areas of Humboldt County, with gusts up to […]
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Long Lines as Hambro Recycling Opens in Arcata
After a lengthy permitting process, Hambro Recycling finally opened in Arcata on April 1. Humboldt County now has a CRV buy-back center two years after the Eureka Recycling Center’s CRV services were discontinued for safety amid an overload of residents wanting their CRV deposits back. “The process (of opening Hambro Recycling in Arcata) was long […]
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Fish and Wildlife to Ban Crab Traps for Recreational Season
Effective April 24 at 7 p.m., the California Department of Fish and Wildlife is prohibiting the use of crab traps for recreational catches due to an increased risk of whale entanglement. “This restriction is being implemented because of the unusually large number of humpback whales that have migrated back to California waters earlier than in […]
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Clean-car Rules: California Unveils Proposed Measure to Ban New Gasoline-fueled Cars
California’s clean-air regulators this week unveiled a far-reaching proposal requiring a ramp-up in sales of zero-emission cars, culminating in a ban on new gasoline-powered cars by 2035. The rules to force Californians to end their dependence on conventional cars are a critical component to California’s goals to tackle climate change and poor air quality. If […]
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Coastal Commission Votes to Move Forward with Humboldt Offshore Wind Exploration
The California Coastal Commission voted unanimously today to conditionally concur with a federal determination that allowing energy companies and organizations to study a proposed offshore wind farm area on the Humboldt County Coast is consistent with the California Coastal Management Program. The highly technical and bureaucratic vote clears the way for companies interested in purchasing […]
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North Coast’s Commercial Dungeness Season Closing Due to Entanglement Risk
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is closing the commercial Dungeness crab season statewide due to “assessed entanglement risk,” with the North Coast season now ending on April 20 at noon. “We received reports of additional humpback whale entanglements and moved quickly to close the fishery to protect migrating humpback whales that are just […]
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‘Kevin’ the Baby Seal Has a Name and New Home, For Now
The baby seal rescued by Eureka Police Department officers who responded to a report of a couple taking the pup from near the Samoa Bridge, putting it into an aquarium and driving away has a new name: Kevin. The young one is under the care of the Northcoast Marine Mammal Center, which reports the nonprofit “will […]
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Report to California Legislature: Prepare for Devastating Effects of Climate Change
Painting alarming scenes of fires, floods and economic disruption, the California Legislature’s advisors on Tuesday released a series of reports that lay out in stark terms the impacts of climate change across the state. The typically reserved, nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office outlined dire consequences for Californians as climate change continues to alter most aspects of […]
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Sierra Snowpack Worsens, Falls to Lowest Level in 7 Years
Seven years ago today, during the height of the last drought, California Gov. Jerry Brown stood on the barren slopes of the Sierra Nevada, watching as engineers measured the worst snowpack in state history. Today, snow measurements aren’t quite so bleak. But the snowy scene belies the severity of the drought. The snowpack — which […]