We live in a beautiful place and we are reminded of this every time we bike, walk, or drive around Humboldt Bay. Unfortunately, for many years these scenic coastal views have been marred by the presence of unsightly billboards jutting up along the Highway 101 Safety Corridor between Arcata and Eureka.
Humboldt Waterkeeper has been working for years to have these billboards removed - legally and permanently. There have been many unsuccessful attempts in the past to remove these billboards, but in Sept. 2013, the California Coastal Commission responded to our calls to address this blight. Since then, Caltrans has finally revoked permits for most of the billboards along the bay. Since 2012, 16 fewer billboards obstruct our beautiful bay views between Arcata and Eureka, and today only 3 remain. We will continue our efforts until they are all gone for good.
1-18-14
Let’s review the Great Humboldt County Billboard War to date: September 2013: The California Coastal Commission in a 9-1 vote gives Caltrans the go-ahead to build an interchange at the Indianola Cutoff as part of its Eureka-Arcata Route 101 Corridor Improvement Project — providing the agency meets certain conditions. One of these conditions is the removal of all billboards along the corridor.
1/14/14
When the billboard next to Gannon Slough bridge on Highway 101 was found cut down on Jan. 10, that incident was considered to be a crime. When it was found rebuilt the next morning, the City of Arcata said it had violated the city building code.
1/11/14
Out amid the discarded macaroni salad containers, Carls Jr. cups and spray-painted graffiti tags along U.S. Highway 101 in south Arcata, the culture wars are heating up.
Another billboard along the U.S. Highway 101/Humboldt Bay corridor was cut down last Thursday, this one advertising mattresses for Living Styles furniture store. It was almost immediately re-erected, after a fashion.
1/11/14
In secret the sign was chopped down, and in secret it has been re-erected. Sometime between last night and this morning, the Living Styles billboard near the Gannon Slough Bridge (just south of Arcata on Hwy. 101) was repaired in violation of a red tag placed on the structure by the City of Arcata.
1/10/14
Looks like our local George Hayduke has struck again. Barely a week after a Bailey Mortgage billboard was felled on the 101 safety corridor, another plank has taken a face-plant, this one near the Gannon Slough bridge just south of Arcata. And the severed support beams bear the telltale signs of human mischief.
