Love us or hate us, we get sh** done! I would like to address some
misinformation and provide updates on what has been done the last four years.
From an economic development and job
creation perspective the district has been on a path of growth. This commission
continues to be successful in working with our elected representatives at the
state and congressional levels to lobby the Army Corps of Engineers for the
continued dredging of Humboldt Bay even through lean ship traffic years.
Working with local exporters there has been an increase in ship tonnage volume
by over 100,000 tons this last year and we anticipate double that next year.
In order to have local control over
the process of regularly dredging our docks, the commission purchased a dredge.
The last time that Woodley Island and Eureka Marina were dredged by an outside
company, it cost 3.2 million dollars. The cost savings by doing it locally will
save both Eureka and Harbor District millions.
This commission acquired the former
Evergreen Pulp Mill with its many assets our community was at risk of losing,
including a commercial dock, needed warehousing, ocean outfall and other
infrastructure that would have cost tens of millions to replace. The
district immediately went to work cleaning up the site that, according to the
Environmental Protection Agency, was an “immediate danger” to the health of the
bay. The Harbor District successfully worked with the EPA who paid for most of
the work to safely remove nearly 3 million gallons of caustic chemicals which were
repurposed by a pulp mill in Washington. In addition, we continue with our
oyster pre-permitting project that has interest from 11 new oyster companies
which will bring more jobs to Humboldt.
This commission has done much to help local fishermen. We created a new gear
storage area at Redwood Dock Terminal 1 that cleared space on Woodley Island
and reduced the price to store fishing gear. We recently opened offloading at
Woodley Island for the convenience of our local commercial fishermen.
Increasing maintenance workers has allowed for repair and upgrades to bathroom
facilities. We are in the final stages of permitting a Fish Market at Woodley
Island to accommodate small scale purchasing and sales of fresh fish right off
the docks. Recently the District enacted a “Right to Fish” ordinance, the first
of its kind in California that protects and elevates commercial fishing
activities above all others.
We not only expanded our Fields
Landing boat repair facility, we added electronic gates so fishermen have 24
hour access. The recent structure and environmental upgrades, including the
repair of the onsite water treatment facility, attracted a steel boat
fabricator that allows repairs to stay local. Fishermen are now allowed to stay
on their boats while they are in the process of being repaired. We have also
stocked the facility with repair items such as paint and scrappers.
The Harbor Commission continues to
support the fish cleaning station at Shelter Cove and has made many
environmental improvements in the last few years, including repairing the
breakwater structure protecting the harbor.
This commission has provided opportunities for Recreation by creating
affordable kayak storage units, and finalizing the permitting process of the
water trails project. We accepted the maintenance and operation responsibility
of the Samoa Trail Project. We continue to support the Sea Scouts and built a
new clubhouse for them in Samoa, and support Boy Scout endeavors on Woodley
Island Marina.
On the Conservation side, this
commission continues the removal of invasive Spartina vegetation to help our
marshes to be more productive. We continue water quality monitoring around the
Humboldt Bay as well as Shelter Cove. We did a carrying capacity study for
potential local oyster expansion. We have held Eel Grass mitigation workshops
as well as dredge sediment reuse meetings. We have also managed a sea level
rise study and were successful in managing an Aquaponics demonstration project
on the Samoa Peninsula that grew fish and lettuce and is now part of a
partnership with HSU fisheries. The District is also working with HSU on
several renewable energy projects.
The District has never been more
transparent and accessible. In fact we are one of the only local special
districts that posts our meeting minutes online and records and posts our
meetings on public access TV. Our staff is prompt and courteous with all
requests for public documents.
Finally, the hiring of current
Executive Director Jack Crider was a much needed addition to move the District
on the right path – keeping services and adding others while at the same time
controlling spending. It is hard to imagine how many complex projects we work
on with a budget of just 2 million dollars a year and a staff of 14.
I am proud of the vision and
accomplishments of my hardworking fellow commissioners and our dedicated staff
and I look forward to continuing the momentum, moving Humboldt Bay ahead both
economically and environmentally.
