A quick heads-up for people interested in offshore wind development on the North Coast — the Humboldt Bay Harbor District is hosting a public meeting in Arcata next week to discuss next steps for the Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Marine Terminal slated for the Samoa Peninsula.If you haven’t been following the project up to this point, now is a good time to tune in.Why now? The Harbor District is preparing environmental documents for the heavy lift marine terminal, and the agency needs community input to ensure the draft environmental impact report (DEIR) thoroughly addresses concerns surrounding the project. The June 24 meeting will be one of several opportunities the public will have to share their thoughts on the proposed project before the district recirculates the notice of preparation later this summer.Keep Reading
Humboldt Bay is one of the only places left on the West Coast where oyster seed can be grown and shipped across state and international lines, a distinction that has become the backbone of the region’s shellfish economy. Local growers say the bay’s rare disease‑free status is what keeps the industry alive as climate change, ocean acidification and fast‑moving pathogens reshape oyster farming from California to Alaska.“It’s kind of a hidden gem, Humboldt Bay,” Justin Mojonnier, the director of science and technology for Hog Island Oyster Company, said of Humboldt Bay’s importance in the oyster and shellfish industry. “People don’t really realize it, but we’re a huge shellfish nursery; we produce a ton of shellfish seed out of this bay, we have a long history of producing shellfish seed out of this bay. It’s a really big part of the whole West Coast industry. I think last year we produced over 400 million shellfish seeds, so that’s both oysters and Manila clams. A big chunk of the West Coast supply chain has lived part of its life in Humboldt Bay, and the only reason that we could do that is the disease-free status.”Hog Island entered the hatchery business decades ago after climate‑driven stressors such as warming waters, low pH and ocean acidification made seed unreliable elsewhere. That disease‑free certification is what allows seed to move legally across state lines. It also makes Humboldt Bay one of the only places on the West Coast where an oyster can complete its entire life cycle in the same water.“55%-60% of California’s total oyster production comes out of Humboldt Bay, so it’s not just the seed, it’s not just the nursery, but we were a huge portion of California’s total market-ready shellfish production,” said Mojonnier. “Humboldt Bay is really unique in the way that the bay is, so just its geography and hydrology, we have a ton of mud flats, but we also have a ton of flushing, and this creates a really unique environment where we have a diverse phytoplankton assemblage in the bay, and phytoplankton are what oysters eat. If you go out and you kind of look at an aerial shot of the bay, especially during summer, it’s green, it’s just teeming with life. It’s truly a unique ecosystem.”But growers warn that the system is fragile. Increased vessel traffic from increased ship traffic or proposed industrial projects poses the greatest risk of introducing pathogens like Ostreid herpesvirus-1 (OsHV-1), a highly contagious, viral disease that specifically affects bivalve shellfish, most notably the Pacific oyster.“Any kind of ships coming into the bay is a promise of economic activity. You see it with the heavy lift terminal proposed by the Harbor District, cruise ships coming in, ships, but they’re all a risk or a vector for disease introduction, and that’s a big concern with the shellfish industry,” said Mojonnier. “Ballast water, hull fouling, we don’t control where these ships come from. Once that bell is rung, you can’t unring it.”Terry Sawyer, a founder of Hog Island Oyster Co., said the value of Humboldt Bay’s shellfish industry is far greater than what shows up in state production numbers. Hog Island entered the hatchery business decades ago because climate‑driven stress of warming waters, low pH, and ocean acidification had made oyster seed unreliable across the West Coast.Keep Reading
The first draft of a big update to a 1980s-era Humboldt County planning document was released this week.The Humboldt Bay Area Plan Update, which sets the policy direction for land use of 21,500 acres in the unincorporated bay area and over 20 miles of coastline, has new modifications aimed at guiding the future of the region through a spread of projected hazards and opportunities.“Some things have definitely changed in the last 40 years. We’re dealing with climate change, which is resulting in sea level rise and wildfire and other things like that, that weren’t even thought of back in 1983,” said John Ford, director of Humboldt County’s Planning & Building Department.This draft has added guidelines for addressing hazards like sea level rise and tsunamis, and proposes new policies to set a process for approving offshore wind energy support facilities.Along with proposed wind turbines to be attached west of Eureka in the ocean, a wind manufacturing and vertical assembly hub is proposed near Samoa, the Humboldt Bay Offshore Wind Heavy Lift Multipurpose Marine Terminal.A Port Overlay Zone for the proposed heavy lift marine terminal in Humboldt Bay is introduced in this plan, a special designation that would allow for standards to be shifted to accommodate the proposed facilities. Ford noted developers would still need to apply for these projects and there would be an opportunity for community input in the process.“Rather than trying to do a permit or a variance or something like that, this will create an environment whereby they can just define what they need and the community gets to weigh in on it. Then, the ultimate decision maker there will be the Board of Supervisors,” he said.There’s also language that excludes any new or expanded oil and gas development from a “coastal dependent industrial facility” (which Ford noted stems from a Coastal Act change).Keep Reading
Experts warn beachgoers not to bother seal pups because it can sever bond with parent
With harbor seal pupping season actively occurring along Humboldt and Del Norte county beaches, marine mammal experts are urging the public to give seal pups plenty of space and avoid intervening when they appear alone on the sand.Harbor seal pupping is at its peak in Northern California right now, and beachgoers are likely to see harbor seal pups on shore or on nearshore rocks. In an email, Dawn Goley, a Cal Poly Humboldt professor of zoology, said harbor seal mothers routinely leave their pups on shore or on rocks for hours while they forage offshore.“You may be concerned if you see pups alone on the beach, but that is totally normal! Harbor seal mothers will leave their pups on the shore and forage nearby, sometimes for hours,” said Goley. “They will come back to the exact place the pups were left so it is really important that the pup does not leave the site where it was left!”Goley said it’s common for pups to be left alone for long stretches and that moving them, even slightly from where they were left by their mother, can sever the bond between mother and pup, leading to abandonment.“The best way for people to care for harbor seal pups is to keep a safe distance from them (100 yards) and keep dogs away,” said Goley. “Do not remove them from the beach or move them. Again, if they are moved, they may be abandoned by their mothers.”If you are kayaking in local waters, please maintain a safe distance from harbor seals on nearshore rocks. If the mother can see you standing near the pup, it may prevent her from returning.If you are concerned about a sick, injured or potentially abandoned marine mammal, please reach out to the North Coast Marine Mammal Center 707-951-4722.Read Original Article
The following is a press release from the city of Arcata:Site cleanup is set to begin on the area affected by the Downtown Fire.The demolition and removal of fire debris near the corner of 10th and H Street can now proceed following the recent release of the site to the property owners by insurance companies. This milestone allows cleanup and recovery activities to move into the next phase.The City has been working closely with the property owners to identify a qualified contractor to complete the site cleanup and to help streamline the permitting process with the various regulatory agencies involved in the project.The cleanup effort is particularly complex because the damaged structures and debris crossed multiple property lines during the fire event. As a result, all affected properties must be cleaned and managed together as a single coordinated project. The City appreciates the cooperation and diligence of the property owners who have worked collaboratively to move the project forward and complete the cleanup effort as one unified project. For a project such as this, it is typical to take approximately four weeks for the contractor to mobilize and approximately four weeks to complete the work depending on specific site conditions.The selected contractor is expected to visit the site next week to review the site conditions, develop a detailed work plan and meet with permitting and regulatory agencies prior to mobilization. The City will share the project timeline with the public when it is available, so that community will know when the work will begin and when the project is expected to be completed.Cleanup operations will involve the removal of fire-damaged materials and debris from the site and loading it on to trucks for disposal out of the area. When construction begins, community members should expect intermittent traffic disruptions in the downtown area during the work to accommodate truck loading, hauling activities and construction equipment operations. Traffic control measures will be implemented to help maintain public safety and minimize impacts whenever possible.The City appreciates the patience and cooperation of the community, property owners and partner agencies as this work moves forward. Additional updates will be provided as more information becomes available. For immediate questions, please contact the City Manager’s Office at (707) 822-5953.
