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Interchange, with a catch

Coastal Commission advances 101 corridor improvement project

 9/13/13  

The California Coastal Commission in a 9-1 vote on Thursday afternoon gave Caltrans the go-ahead to build an interchange at the Indianola Cutoff —provided the agency meets certain conditions.

  “I don’t know whose idea it was to put us all in a bus with no seat belts and take us across the intersection, but it was very effective,” Commissioner Jana Zimmer said during the commission meeting at the Wharfinger Building in Eureka. “This is obviously a public safety issue.” Under conditions laid out by the commission for the Eureka-Arcata Route 101 Improvement Project, Caltrans officials must facilitate a separated bike trail and pedestrian right-of-way, remove all billboards along the corridor, submit a sealevel rise analysis report in their Coastal Development Permits and thoroughly explore wetland mitigation plans.

  Caltrans District 1 Director Charlie Fielder called it a “workable solution,” and confirmed that Caltrans pledged $1 million for a bay trail on Tuesday.

  “We’re very pleased that a good majority of the commissioners approved the project,” Fielder said. “We recognize the community support and desire for a bay trail, and we will be doing what we can to make that a reality.”

The 50 mph safety corridor between Arcata and Eureka on U.S. Highway 101 was established in May 2002 due to public outcry over higher than state average collision rates. Overall collision rates dropped by 45 percent during the first year of implementation, but Coastal Commission District Manager Robert Merrill reported that rates at Mid-City Motor World and Indianola Cutoff remained at more than twice the statewide average.

Caltrans’ solution is a $46 million project for a signaled intersection at Airport Road/Jacobs Avenue on northbound 101, a raised interchange at Indianola Cutoff and the closure of median crossings at Mid-City Motor World, California Redwood sawmill, Bracut and Bayside Cutoff.

Under the proposal, the highway will be raised by 25 feet so cross traffic can pass below. Caltrans Project Manager Kim Floyd said the interchange will have a “compact” diamond design, meaning sloped with on- and offramps will be at maximum grade for a smaller overall footprint. The project is estimated to take three years once construction begins.

The project was brought before the state commission to review whether it is consistent with the policies of the California Coastal Management Program under the Coastal Act. Commission staff recommended rejection of the project, because under the act road expansion is not allowed “ … where there is no feasible less environmentally damaging alternative,” and development must designed to protect views along scenic coastal areas. They suggested a signal light.

Community members, residents and business owners from Eureka, Arcata, Manila, Bayside and Indianola, as well as county and city representatives from a crowd of around 50 spoke during public comments addressing issues such as safety, possible alternatives, increased traffic, environmental impacts and the want for a bay trail.

One presentation that was met with applause was a video featuring 11 examples of confusion and close calls among drivers — caused by factors ranging poor judgment to illegal maneuvers — that were recorded at the Indianola intersection from 4:50 to 5:50 p.m. on Monday. Gasps from both the crowd and the commissioners could be heard as they watched a bicyclist, cars and a semi-truck dodge traffic.

Commissioner Martha McClure, who moved to conditionally concur following public comment, said she expects to see all the billboards gone and the bay trail tied to the project.

“I think that with the design phase, when Caltrans comes back with the final design, we can see improvements on the interchange then,” she said. “I also disagree with staff that it is capacity-increasing.” Zimmer said she agreed with McClure.

“In this case Caltrans does have to come back to us and it is my understanding that we have full discretion to analyze the Coastal Development Permit to our standards,” Zimmer said.

Commissioner Steve Kinsey said he was not at all concerned about whether the construction would be growth-inducing, but asked that Caltrans consider State Route 255 and Old Arcata Road while the project is developed.

Northcoast Environmental Center Executive Director Dan Ehresman, who attended the hearing to oppose the project, called the final outcome a “win-win.” “I’m disappointed there was not more research done on the alternatives,” he said.“But personally I think it’s an outcome that we can live with.” Humboldt County 3rd District Supervisor Mark Lovelace said he felt that the commission did exactly what it was supposed to do. “They took something that was imperfect and found the right mitigation to please the majority of the issues,” he said.

Fielder said the next step would be filing permits with the Eureka, Arcata, Humboldt County and the commission.

“The other agencies — the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, the EPA, the Army Corps of Engineers — have already approved,” he said. “We just need to finalize it.”

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NOAA funds Wiyot Tribe to clean up bay 

9/5/13  

   The Wiyot Tribe will receive $125,000 to remove marine debris from Humboldt Bay and Indian Island, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced Wednesday.

   According to a NOAA release, nearly $1 million has been provided to support locally-driven, community-based marine debris prevention and removal projects to 11 groups across the country, including the Wiyot Tribe.

   “Marine debris plagues coastlines all over the country, and these communities have the expertise and motivation to address it,” NOAA Marine Debris program director Nancy Wallace said in a release. “We are proud to support them as they work to mitigate impacts and address the damage marine debris has caused.”

   The release states that the Wiyot Tribe will work to remove large marine debris from Humboldt Bay and on Indian Island, a National Historic Landmark and the site of the Wiyot World Renewal ceremony, a dance ceremony that lasted seven to 10 days. During a ceremony in 1860, a group of local Eureka men went to the island and massacred sleeping men, women and children. A candlelight vigil is held each year to mark the tragedy.

   The tribe did not regain ownership of the land until 2000, when the tribe was able to take back 1.5 acres on the island. That was followed in 2004 by the return of about 60 acres from the city of Eureka.

   NOAA’s Restoration Center is accepting applications for the next funding cycle, due by Nov. 1. For more information, visit www.habitat.noaa.gov/ funding/marinedebris.html.

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Toxic blue-green algae concerns on Mad River

8/30/13

Officials with the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) are urging users of the Mad River to avoid contact with algae in the lower Mad River in the area above the Blue Lake Bridge and below the Mad River Hatchery. This week, a dog wading in this area suffered symptoms consistent with those of ingestion of toxic blue-green algae. The dog survived and is recovering.

“A blue-green algae bloom can present a health hazard to those swimming or playing in the river, especially children and pets. We recommend that people stay out of the water where significant algae are present, and keep their dogs out of this part of the river at this time,” said Kevin Metcalfe, Consumer Protection Unit supervisor of the DHHS Division of Environmental Health. Other areas that are warm, slow, stagnant and muddy are to be avoided, especially areas with floating algal mats.

DHHS is aware of 11 dog deaths which may have been caused by blue-green algae poisoning since 2001. The dogs died shortly after swimming in Big Lagoon, the South Fork Eel River and the Van Duzen River. A nerve toxin associated with blue-green algae was found in the stomachs of the dogs that died on the South Fork Eel River in 2002. The same toxin was found in water samples from the South Fork Eel and Van Duzen rivers in 2009 just after two dogs died. This poison is the most likely cause of the dog deaths on these rivers. Dogs are more vulnerable than people because they may swallow the toxin when they lick their fur. The onset of symptoms can be rapid; dogs have died within 30 minutes to one hour after leaving the water.

Blue-green algae can be present in any freshwater body. It looks like green, blue- green, white or brown scum, foam or mats floating on the water. Usually, it does not affect animals or people. However, warm water and abundant nutrients can cause blue-green algae to grow more rapidly than usual. These floating algal masses or “blooms” can produce natural toxins that are very potent. Dogs and children are most likely to be affected because of their smaller body size and tendency to stay in the water for longer periods.

Potential symptoms in dogs following exposure to blue-green algae toxins can include lethargy, difficulty breathing, salivation, vomiting, urination, diarrhea or convulsions. People can experience eye irritation, skin rash, mouth ulcers, vomiting, diarrhea and cold or flu-like symptoms.

This summer, increased algae in the Mad River may be due to warmer coastal temperatures, low flows, added nutrients and warmer water temperatures.

DHHS officials recommend the following guidelines for recreational users of all freshwater areas in Humboldt County:

Keep children, pets and livestock from swimming in or drinking water containing algal scums or mats.
Adults should also avoid wading and swimming in water containing algal blooms. Try not to swallow or inhale water spray in an algal bloom area.
If no algal scums or mats are visible, you should still carefully watch young children and warn them not to swallow any water.
Fish should be consumed only after removing the guts and liver and rinsing fillets in tap water.
Never drink, cook with or wash dishes with water from rivers, streams or lakes.
Get medical attention immediately if you think that you, your pet or livestock might have been poisoned by blue-green algae toxins. Be sure to tell the doctor about possible contact with blue-green algae.

Human activities can have a big effect on nutrient and water flows in rivers, streams or lakes. Phosphorous and nitrogen found in fertilizers, animal waste and human waste can stimulate blooms. Excessive water diversions can increase water temperatures and reduce flows. People can take the following measures to prevent algal blooms in our waters:

Be very conservative with the use of water, fertilizers and pesticides on your lawn, garden or agricultural operation.
Recycle any “spent” soil that has been used for intensive growing by tilling it back into gardens. Or protect it from rainfall to avoid nutrient runoff.
Plant or maintain native plants around banks. These plants help filter water and don’t require fertilizers.
Pump and maintain your septic system every three to four years.
Prevent surface water runoff from agricultural and livestock areas.
Prevent erosion around construction and logging operations.

Contact the DHHS Division of Environmental Health at 707-445-6215 or 1-800-963- 9241 for more information. People may report unusual blooms or conditions, including pictures, to Environmental Health by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The California Department of Public Health website also has more details at www.cdph.ca.gov/healthinfo/environhealth/water/Pages/bluegreenalgae.aspx.

Download the DHHS press release HERE.

Trail Stewards expand to Hikshari’ Trail in Eureka; Orientation for volunteers this Thurs.

‘Rewarding work, noticeable results’

  The Times-Standard   After establishing very successful programs supporting the Hammond Trail, the trails at the Friends of the Dunes Nature Center in Manila and trails in the Arcata Community Forest, the Volunteer Trail Steward program will be expanding to include the new Hikshari’ Trail in Eureka.

  The Hikshari’ Trail, officially christened in February 2013, is a scenic 1.5mile, multi-use trail located along the Elk River. Hikshari’ is the Wiyot place name for the coastal area west of Broadway where the Elk River flows out into Humboldt Bay.

  There are four parking lots and trailheads to access the trail, including one at the foot of Truesdale Avenue on the north end and one off Herrick and 101 on the south end.

  There will be an orientation and initial organizing meeting for all interested volunteers on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Wharfinger Building, 1 Marina Way.

  Volunteer Trail Stewards, a grassroots program of the Humboldt Trails Council, serve as community eyes and ears whenever they are out walking, running or riding the trails. Calling in safety hazards, reporting camping or inappropriate use, and picking up litter are among the ongoing responsibilities when out on the trails. Volunteers are not police, however. 

In addition, the stewards will be hosting Saturday morning work sessions on the second Saturday of each month in which volunteers will work to remove invasive plants and do some improvement projects. No prior experience or tools are required, and the only qualification is a willingness to participate. Hammond Trail Steward Kevin Wright said that he has found it to “be rewarding work that yields noticeable results.”

The Volunteer Trail Stewards program is important for several reasons. First, city and county government budgets in Humboldt County are stretched to the breaking point. The expense of maintaining trails is one of the most cited reasons for resistance to building additional trails. It costs the county as much as $60,000 annually to maintain the Hammond Trail.

The program demonstrates that citizen support and involvement can lower the cost of trail maintenance.

Second, community presence out on the trails helps minimize vandalism and maximize safety. This happens when the community is involved and asserts its ownership of and responsibility for common space.

“It has been amazing just how much of a difference our mere presence makes — each time we’re out on the trail, we receive many ‘thank you’s’ by users,” said steward Stacy Becker.

For more information, call Jane Stock at 444-2357 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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Harbor district to acquire former pulp mill site

Removing 4 million gallons of caustic chemicals a top priority

8/13/13

The Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District board, after nearly a year of negotiations, has decided to go through with the acquisition of the former Samoa pulp mill site.

  The district’s Board of Commissioners voted unanimously, with Aaron Newman absent, during a special session meeting Monday evening to take over the 72-acre industrial site from Freshwater Tissue Co., which closed the mill in October 2008.

  Under the agreement, the district will acquire the property — which includes 225,000 square feet of buildings, a boiler, a water treatment plant and a 1.5 mile ocean outfall line — at no cost.

  Although harbor district officials expressed excitement Monday about potential projects that could be developed at the site — including a public docking facility, commercial aquaculture and a Humboldt State University research facility — the acquisition is not without challenges for the cash-strapped district.

  For one thing, harbor officials will need to figure out what to do with the roughly 4 million gallons of pulping liquors — a caustic byproduct of the pulping process — currently stored in tanks at the site. The cost of removing the materials, according to Commissioner Mike Wilson, has been estimated at around $2 million.

That’s money that the harbor district does not have readily available. After years in the red, the agency has eaten away at its reserve funds. Debt from dredging Humboldt Bay in 2000, combined with lost revenue from disappearing timber companies and the closure of the Simpson pulp mill in 2008, saw the district’s reserve funds plummet from $6 million in 2006 to just over $2 million in 2010.

In addition to another round of dredging — which District CEO Jack Crider has said will likely need to happen in about four years given the rate at which silt sediment is piling up in the bay— the district also needs to start thinking about replacing more than 50,000-square-feet of marina floats that make up the harbor dock.

District officials are hoping a transformation of the former mill site could turn their financial situation around.

In the meantime, Wilson said the district is looking at pulp mills outside the area that could receive the pulping liquors as well as possible treatment options.

Pacific Coast Seafoods, owned by Commissioner Greg Dale, has offered a letter of credit to the district for a loan in the amount of $1.25 million — at 3 percent interest — to help kickstart the removal process.

“We feel that the pulp liquors are a big issue,” Dale said. “As oyster farmers, a potential leak into the bay could ruin our business. The district has the funds to pay for the removal — but not all at once. It could drag out for years. Now the district can approach other agencies with some funding ready to go.” While all of the commissioners present at Monday’s meeting agreed that coming up with a means to dispose of the liquors won’t be easy, they also agreed that it was a task worth taking on.

“That pulp liquor situation, it’s grave,” Dale said. “But I don’t see anyone else stepping up to fix it or take care of it. I think we have the opportunity and the obligation to do so.” Commissioner Richard Marks, who worked for nearly three decades at the facility, agreed.

“If we do nothing else but clean up that, I am going to be happy,” he said.

During Monday’s meeting, concern was raised over taxpayer liability should a tank rupture and a leak occur before the district is able to remove the chemicals from the site. Crider said the district is in the process of obtaining catastrophic insurance coverage should such an event occur.

“Right now, getting those liquors offsite is our number one priority,” he said.

Although the district has agreed to purchase the site, Commissioner Pat Higgins stressed that the project is far from complete. In addition to finding the funding sources necessary to remove the liquors, the district will also be starting the process of finding occupants to fill the property. Higgins said the district will begin holding economic development committee hearings on that topic on the second Monday of each month going forward.

“There will be plenty of opportunity for the community to engage in that forum, in terms of potential use for this site,” Higgins said. “This is going to be a long, ongoing relationship with the harbor district and the community. The plans will only continue to evolve as the capital forms and we get feedback from the public.”

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