California will fail to meet its ambitious mandates for combating climate change unless the state almost triples its rate of reducing greenhouse gases through 2030, according to a new analysis released last week. After dropping during the pandemic, California’s emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and other climate-warming gases increased 3.4 percent in 2021, when the […]
Environment / Natural Resources
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The Klamath River Salmon Die-off Was Tragic. Was it Predictable?
A recent large die-off of young salmon released into the Klamath River shocked and dismayed state biologists, reinforcing that human efforts to restore nature and undo damage can be unpredictable and difficult to control. The tiny Chinook salmon turned up dead downriver just two days after they were released from the California Department of Fish […]
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Resentencing, Rebuttal, Forests and Indian Food
This week we’re looking at how changes in resentencing law grew out of a losing case here in Humboldt. We’ve also Judge Greg Kreis’ response to recent allegations as the election draws near, as well as the good news about the McKinleyville Community Forest. We’re also excited about an Indian pop-up out of a Mexican […]
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Legislators Unveil Measure to Ask Voters for $1 Billion Offshore Wind Bond
In a step toward building the first massive wind farms off California’s coast, three Assemblymembers on Feb. 8 proposed a $1 billion bond act to help pay for the expansion of ports. The bill, if approved, would place a bond before voters aimed at helping ports build capacity to assemble, construct and transport wind turbines […]
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Humboldt Cannabis Grower to Pay $750,000 for Violating State Water, Wildlife Regulations
A Humboldt County cannabis grower has agreed to pay $750,000, remove unpermitted ponds and restore streams and wetlands after state officials accused him of violating regulations protecting water supplies, wildlife and waterways. Of the total, $500,000 is a record penalty for a water rights violation in California. State officials say the violations by Joshua Sweet […]
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Saving Salmon: Newsom Unveils Blueprint for Ending Decades-long Decline
With salmon populations throughout California declining for decades and facing the threat of extinction, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday unveiled a state strategy aimed at protecting and restoring the iconic species “amidst hotter and drier weather exacerbated by climate change.” The blueprint calls for tearing down dams and improving passages for migrating salmon, restoring flows […]
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Butterflies, Real Estate Mysteries and Pop-up Dining
This week we’ve got a story about how conservationists are working to bring an endangered butterfly back from the brink of extinction. Also, the Eureka City Schools’ property sale mystery continues. We’ve got a brief on the hostage situation and police shooting in Eureka. Finally, we’ll look at how pop-up nights at Alchemy Distillery are […]
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UPDATE: Local Emergency Declared Due to Storm Damage
UPDATE: Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal has declared a local emergency due to the “significant impact of floods” during this past weekend’s storm, the first step toward being able to request state and federal assistance. “Significant flooding of small creeks and streams, as well as main stem flooding of the Mad River began on Friday, […]
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Target Trouble, Schneider and Dinsmore Updates, Ice Cream and Kelp
This week we’re talking about the problem with target shooting on Horse Mountain, sometimes with inadequate backstops and close proximity to hikers and others. We’ve also got updates on what’s happening with Travis Schneider’s halted home building, as well as the release of Steven Dinsmore’s release from prison. Finally, we’re sampling the local ice cream […]
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Despite Coastal Commission Appeal, Schneider Mansion Demolition, Restoration Could be Complete by July
It’s been more than six months since the Humboldt County Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the permits and permit modifications necessary for local developer Travis Schneider to tear down his partially constructed family mansion overlooking the Fay Slough Wildlife Area. The deal ratified by the commission in July would have seen Schneider avoid up […]
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Looking Back on 2023 and Ahead to Celebrations
As 2023 winds down, we’re looking back on the Top 10 most impactful stories of the year. We’ve also got the Top 10 Dick Moves that irked us in Humboldt, and suggestions for celebrating the New Year this weekend. Hit subscribe for weekly updates on stories from around the county.
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Klamath Water Fight, Real Estate Mystery and Resilient Restaurateurs
The dams are coming down but that doesn’t mean the fights over water rights are over. We’ve got a CalMatters update on the situation. We’re also looking into the rather secretive sale of land by the Eureka City Schools and what it has to do with homelessness. Finally, we talked to a family recovering from […]