News from the Center – Dec 2018/Jan 2019
It seems that each time we get focused on a new issue, an old issue that’s been on the back burner for some time suddenly surges to the forefront again. Such is the case...
Volunteer Spotlight: Jason Slyter
Being a long time Eureka resident, I have felt that the NEC and its Adopt-a-Block program has helped educate the public on the importance of protecting our common spaces to make our town a...
NEC 2018 Year in Review
This Year’s Accomplishments
2018 was another successful and challenging year at the NEC! The following
list features some of the many issues and events we worked on or were involved with.
• The NEC closely scrutinized the...
Trinidad Hotel Proposal Sparks Community Concerns
The plan to build a six-story, 100-room Hyatt hotel on the notoriously fragile coastal bluff south of Trinidad caught most folks by surprise. The Trinidad Rancheria has talked about a hotel for years, and...
Don’t Look Away: Lessons from Activist Author Terry Tempest Williams
Although Terry Tempest Williams is known as an activist in Utah, her home state, she is better known nationally as a writer. She has published fifteen books including her most well-known title “Refuge” about...
Humboldt Bay Region at Risk from Sea Level Rise
The local chapter of the Sierra Club hosted a well-attended panel discussion on Sea Level Rise on Humboldt Bay in early November. The panel consisted of Michael Richardson, Senior Planner for Humboldt County; Larry...
General Plan Rezoning Could Threaten Waterways
“UPROAR OVER REZONING” is how the November 7 edition of the Mad River Union described the contentious November 1 Humboldt County Planning Commission meeting. Both the public and some Planning Commission members were concerned...
Otters Everywhere: Countywide Art and Science Project Begins
“It’s a celebration of life,” says Humboldt State University wildlife professor Jeff Black of his new project—North Coast Otters, a public arts initiative. In summer of 2020, there will be 100 painted otter statues...
Student Focus: HSU Forestry Club
The HSU Forestry Club is meant to bring students of the forestry program together in education, experience, friendship, and service. The club has many awesome programs and events, such as:
• Tutoring for forestry classes...
Where Are They Now? Natalie Vaughan
I was an intern at the Northcoast Environmental Center (NEC) during the 2013-2014 school year while attending Humboldt State, where I received my degree in Environmental Management and Protection with an emphasis in Planning....
Kin to the Earth: Richard Marks
Commissioner on the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District, Division 4
Richard may not be what you think of when you picture an environmentalist. For nearly 30 years, Richard was a heavy equipment operator...
Eye on Washington – Dec 2018/Jan 2019
In November, voters across the nation voted for more Democrats over Republicans in races for seats in the House while the Republican Party increased its majority in the Senate.
From November 6 through January 3,...
Humboldt Baykeeper: Big Lagoon Asphalt Plant; Humboldt Bay Fish Advisory
Baykeeper Appeals County Permit for Big Lagoon Asphalt Plant
Humboldt Baykeeper is appealing the County’s Coastal Development Permit for an asphalt plant near Big Lagoon, a sensitive waterway known for its abundant fish, migratory birds,...
EPIC: Robbing a Burn Victim
On October 16, EPIC filed a lawsuit challenging a large post-fire timber sale on the Siskiyou Crest in Klamath National Forest. This timber sale, called the Seiad-Horse Project after the watersheds it will impact,...
Sierra Club: Capitalizing on Disaster
Capitalizing on Disaster: Why Recent State Legislation and Subsidies for Biomass Electric Generation are Very Bad Ideas
In the wake of wildfires that caused terrible devastation when they entered Northern California towns, politicians are ignoring the...
CNPS: Events and Happenings
Bear River Ridge Field Trip in November
CNPS field trippers focus on lunch while getting to know what we will sacrifice for clean energy if wind turbines are built along Bear River Ridge Road. A...
ZWH: A Year in Review for Zero Waste
It’s been quite a year for Zero Waste Humboldt (ZWH), and the entire Zero Waste community. The last 12 months have brought advocacy, education, and change to the North Coast, both within our organization...
CRTP: Raise Your Voice for a People-Friendly (and Climate-Friendly) Plaza
For a year and a half, the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities (CRTP) has been advocating for a redesign of the Arcata Plaza that puts people first. Currently, over 60 percent of the Plaza’s...
Creature Feature: Yule Trees—A Winter Tradition
Many years ago the Nordic people, living within the frigid forests of northern Germany, brought evergreen conifers into their homes to celebrate the winter solstice, a return to light, and the Norse god Jul...
Blast from the Past: NEC Round-up 1979 Sneak Preview
Editor’s note: At the NEC office, we have copies of nearly all issues of EcoNews that have been produced since the early 1970s. This library documents environmental issues in our bioregion and the activities...