Arcata’s controversial Gateway Area Plan has been the talk of the town lately, with many meetings and workshops being formed to prepare for the adoption of the plan, which will rezone 138 acres of underutilized land in and around the Creamery District to facilitate the development of high density housing.

While city staff and supporters of the plan say it is absolutely necessary to accommodate Arcata’s growing housing needs, skeptics of the plan fear that it will allow for overdevelopment, will result in high-rise buildings and will potentially ruin Arcata’s small town charm. 

During tonight’s Arcata City Council meeting a citizen group called Responsible Growth Arcata will present the council with a proposal requesting the formation of a Gateway Area Plan Advisory Committee in an effort to improve public participation.

In a letter written to the City by Responsible Growth Arcata (which you can view here), the group suggests that advisory committee consist of seven to nine members, made up of residents, business owners and other community stakeholders who would help gather community feedback on the Gateway Plan and serve as an advisory committee to the council and planning commission. The group suggests that the committee be modeled after the City’s Plaza Improvement Task Force. The letter includes signatures from 84 community members supporting the formation of the committee. 

The suggestion went before the Arcata Planning Commission last week and received mixed reactions. While some commissioners felt that the formation of a committee seemed like a good way to get more community members involved in the planning process, others feared the potential for bias within the committee. Ultimately, the Planning Commission decided not to make any recommendation for or against the advisory committee and to leave the decision up to the Arcata City Council. 

If you feel strongly about the formation of a Gateway Plan Advisory Committee, tonight is the time to speak up. Also be sure to mark your calendar for the Council and Planning Commission joint study session on Aug. 23 at 6 p.m. The study session will focus on development of a draft Gateway Area Plan review timeline, amenities that would need to be included with development plans, and building height restrictions — arguably the most hot-button issue related to the plan. 

You can also send any of your comments prior to tonight’s meeting or the joint study session to Community Development Director David Loya at dloya@cityofarcata.org. 

If you need to brush up on your Gateway Plan knowledge, you can find more information at this link and by reviewing the Outpost’s previous coverage at the bottom of this post. 

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In other business, the council will receive an update from the environmental services department on the City’s water and wastewater infrastructure planning, which includes upgrades to the Wastewater Treatment Facility  

If you haven’t already heard, Arcata’s Wastewater Treatment Facility – the part of the Arcata Marsh that theoretically makes the city’s sewage and wastewater nontoxic enough to pump into nearby wetlands – is pretty old, and parts of it are run down and failing and the city has received multiple violations from the Regional Water Quality Control Board. 

So, for a few years now, the city has been working to repair the issues and comply with the board’s requirements.

The upgrade plans are currently out to bid to find a contractor to complete the project. One of the major changes to the facility will be switching from the current chlorine filtration system to a UV filtration system. If all goes to plan, the city is hoping to begin construction this fall. If you have more questions about this project, city staff included in the report this handy list of frequently asked questions.

The Arcata City Council will discuss these and other important issues at its regular meeting tonight (Wednesday, Aug. 17) at 6 p.m. at Arcata City Hall – 736 F Street. 

You can view the full agenda and direction on how to participate in-person or virtually here. 

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PREVIOUSLY:

• ARCATA’S GATEWAY PLAN: City Releases Draft Plan For Developing Housing in the 138-Acre ‘Gateway Area’ of Town, and Wants Your Input
• Arcata City Council Approves Plan to Convert Valley West Hotels to Homeless Housing, Reviews ‘Gateway Area Plan’ to Create High-Density Housing in Town
• GUEST OPINION: Gateway Plan Does Housing the Right Way
• ARCATA’S GATEWAY PLAN: Planners Propose Converting K and L to One-Way Streets; Transportation and Safety Committee Will Review Plan This Evening
• Confused About Arcata’s Gateway Area Plan? There are Still Opportunities to Learn More and Provide Feedback About How You Want the City to Create More Housing
• Arcata Mayor Atkins-Salazar Can’t Participate in Gateway Plan Work, Says State’s Fair Political Practice Commission in Response to City’s Request for Guidance
• (UPDATE) Arcata’s Mayor Can’t Participate in the City-Defining Gateway Area Plan; These Two Current Candidates for City Council Probably Can’t Either, for the Same Reason
• HUMBOLDT HOLDING UP: Catching Up on the Arcata Gateway Plan With Senior Planner Delo Freitas
• Want to Learn More About Arcata’s Gateway Plan? City Holding Public Meeting on Wednesday to Answer Your Questions
• A Big Week for the Arcata Gateway Area Plan: Planning Commission, Historical Landmarks Committee to Look at the Area’s Past and Future 
• A Big Public Meetings on Nordic Aquafarms and Arcata’s Gateway Area Plan Tonight
• ARCATA’S GATEWAY PLAN: Big Meetings Coming! Planning Commission to Consider New Public Engagement Approach Ahead of Big Study Session Later This Month
• ARCATA’S GATEWAY PLAN: Planning Commissioners Consider Citizen Group’s Request to Enhance Public Outreach, Mull Questions Ahead of Big Joint Study Session

From the management of the Six Rivers Lightning Complex:

CURRENT CONDITIONS

The Lightning Complex Fire is currently 23,159 acres with 23% containment. 2,111 personnel are assigned to the incident. USFS, CAIIMT 11 and CAL FIRE continue to work closely together in unified command with a full suppression strategy to protect homes and other structures, communities, crucial infrastructure, and important wildlife habitat.

Fire activity was minimal overnight with no instances of fire spotting outside of the control lines. Crews conducted several successful strategic firing operations overnight and improved control lines using dozers and handlines to remove fuels. All control lines are holding well.

Campbell Fire:  Residents in the Seeley Mc Intosh area were allowed to return home yesterday evening. Today crews will continue to strengthen fire lines and limit the spread of the main fire. Portions of Seeley Mc Intosh Road may be closed to allow the removal of hazard tress from areas near the roadway.

Ammon Fire:  Firefighters will conduct strategic fire operations along the southwest perimeter along Hayden Road and in Friday Ridge area. Crews will continue to improve and reinforce fire lines along the Six Road of Ammon Ridge and within the Friday Ridge System.

WEATHER

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning from 11am to 11pm today for dry lightning and thunderstorms. This activity could produce erratic winds. The risk is greatest along the eastern side of both fires. These storms may form even above areas with thick low-level smoke.

SMOKE

Strong inversion and forecast wind conditions will continue to keep smoke over the area. Please check this link for air quality resources.

ROAD CLOSURES

State Routes 299 and 96 are currently open in the Lightning Complex but may be impacted by fire behavior. Travelers are encouraged to visit the Caltrans Quickmap to check for state highway closures.

The following roads leading to evacuation zones have been closed (residents may use these roads to exit only):

• Seeley Mc Intosh Road between Country Club Road and Campbell Ridge Road

• Campbell Ridge Road from Salyer Heights to Seeley McIntosh Road

• Horse Linto Creek Road at Saddle Lane

• Friday Ridge Road at Route 6

• Titlow Hill Road (Route 1) at Horse Mountain Botanical Area

Because fire personnel and machinery will be building control lines for the Ammon Fire, residents are asked to limit travel on Titlow Hill Road/Route 1 in zones HUM-E052 and HUM-E062 to essential traffic only.

EVACUATION CENTER

The American Red Cross Evacuation Center at Trinity Valley Elementary School has been closed. If further evacuations are ordered or evacuation orders changed, the facility will re-open to accommodate new evacuees.

ANIMAL EVACUATION CENTER

Hoopa Rodeo Grounds
1767 Pine Creek Rd.
Hoopa, CA 95546
Phone: (707) 492-2851

** The Hoopa Rodeo Grounds has several single pens and larger pens for whole herds. Call directly if you need directions or help transporting your large animals. They cannot house sheep, goats, poultry, or small animals, but they can potentially help arrange for temporary foster placement. If you can foster, please reach out regarding your availability and capacity.

EVACUATION UPDATES

The following EVACUATION ORDERS have been downgraded to EVACUATION WARNINGS: Humboldt County Zone HUM-E061-B, and, in Trinity County, from Campbell Ridge Road to Seeley McIntosh Road. Residents who live in these zones may begin to return home with caution but should remain ready to evacuate again at a moment’s notice.

For the latest evacuation information go to Humboldt County Office of Emergency Services or Trinity County Office of Emergency Services. For an interactive map of evacuation zones visit Zonehaven. To sign up for alerts at this link.

When California Republicans gathered in Anaheim this spring, attention focused on candidate speeches and endorsement battles as the party tries to win its first statewide race since 2006.

But a little-noticed, hour-long session in a small conference room at the Marriott could very well be more consequential for the state GOP this election.

The meeting focused on running for local school board seats, and it was led by Shawn Steel, a former party chairperson. Now, he’s one of the biggest evangelists for strengthening the GOP by recruiting new candidates and voters in what are, officially at least, nonpartisan races.

“When you’re a minority party, like Republicans in California … you have to think, ‘Well, what can we do as a party to make a big difference?’” Steel told CalMatters. “You see the schools are just in great freefall and chaos. Parents don’t want to send their kids there. So this is the time to get people that are otherwise angst-ridden, upset, powerless.”

In California, Democrats have long used school boards as a recruiting and training ground for political candidates — with help from teachers’ unions.

But while the state Democratic party isn’t amping up its school board efforts in 2022, the GOP is going in big with its “Parent Revolt” program — what party officials call their most tailored school board recruitment and training program ever. It includes virtual training sessions that detail how and where to run for office, plus tips for digital campaigns and going door-to-door.

The goal: To capitalize on COVID pandemic frustrations and concerns over “critical race theory” and other issues among parents of school-aged children — and win not only school board seats, but also, eventually, legislative and congressional races by re-engaging core Republican voters and attracting independents.

There are about 2,500 races for local school board seats in California in November — about half of the total 5,000 seats, according to the California School Boards Association. The filing deadline for candidates was Friday, though it was extended until today for seats held by incumbents not seeking reelection. While no statewide tally exists, of the nine seats up for election in the three largest school districts — Los Angeles, San Diego, and Fresno — three are open seats, where no incumbent is running.

The Republican Party would not disclose its goals for recruited candidates, other than as many as possible. It also wouldn’t say how much it is spending on its “Parent Revolt” effort.

“We recognized early that education is going to be a major motivating issue for many Californians this year,” said Ellie Hockenbury, spokesperson for the state GOP. “Whereas it is often the case that top-of-the-ticket races help turnout for down-ballot races, we also believe that local races could be just as big a motivator for many to drive turnout. Having strong candidates in school board races could help our slate of candidates at every level.”

One candidate is Sonja Shaw, who is running for a seat on the Chino Valley School Board in the Inland Empire.

Shaw, a parent of an eighth grader and a 10th grader, used to volunteer in the classroom, but says that during the pandemic, the school board became less accessible and less transparent about its decision-making. “When they closed down, parents were exited out of the school system,” she said.

Then the GOP provided a level of guidance on running a campaign that Shaw otherwise wouldn’t have had: “We were treading water, without knowing where we’re going,” she said.

These local races are hardly low-stakes: School board members around the state will be at the forefront of determining how federal funding is spent and addressing labor shortages, teacher pay and inequities in education exacerbated by the pandemic.

“I’m just trying — and the party is trying — to get the word out: There’s a whole lot of stuff going on in your backyard,” Steel said in an interview. “Don’t worry about the Ukraine, don’t worry about D.C. You can do something socially useful, and start showing up to your school board meetings.”

Will the strategy work? Some political consultants think it could be a smart way to go.

“It’s the one instance where the David really can defeat the Goliath — when David continues to be so arrogant,” said Sean Walsh, a GOP strategist.

But Rusty Hicks, chairperson of the California Democratic Party, said he sees some within the Republican Party using “this really challenging moment in our history” to further divide the state for political gain.

“Ultimately I think parents want the best education for their kids,” he told CalMatters. “And is banning books and punishing teachers and those kinds of activities – is that top of mind for parents? No, I don’t believe so.”

‘A logical outgrowth’

In California’s 2022 election, the big action on education isn’t in the statewide race for the superintendent of public instruction. That’s a departure from the last midterm election in 2018, when it was one of the state’s most hotly contested races.

With the help of teachers’ unions, Tony Thurmond narrowly defeated school choice advocate Marshall Tuck. The two — both Democrats in the nonpartisan race — spent $60 million combined. This year, there has been little challenge to Thurmond, who won 46% of the vote in the June 7 primary, just shy of the majority he needed to win outright without going to November.

His challenger on Nov. 8, Republican Lance Christensen, earned a top-two spot with only 12% of the vote. He has raised only about $55,000 so far, compared to nearly $1.7 million for Thurmond, who is also boosted by $2.3 million in independent expenditures on his behalf.

The GOP’s lack of attention on the superintendent race is a reflection of the party’s record statewide and the daunting odds of unseating a Democratic-backed incumbent, given the 2 to 1 Democratic advantage in voter registration.Instead, Republicans have “become a party that focuses on presidential politics and local campaigns,” said Dan Schnur, a politics professor at UC Berkeley, USC and Pepperdine.

The focus on school board races, he said, “is a logical outgrowth of that strategy.”

Party officials, consultants and candidates of both parties say school choice is not at the forefront of the election this year for a number of reasons, including the pandemic, the shift of the issue to the local level, and the passage of Assembly Bill 1505 in 2019, which changed how publicly funded charter schools operate in California.

This year, the GOP is seeking to capitalize on the increased political engagement of parents — which started with COVID policies, but has carried over to national issues such as “critical race theory” and sex education.

“I think there’s a real demand that this power structure is challenged and overturned, and that’s what we’re seeing right now,” Steel said. “We don’t lead it. We don’t own it. But if we can help inspire people, particularly newcomers…”

The state party says it doesn’t give directly to school board candidates, but said its training provides non-monetary support. The April workshop and virtual event in July had at least 100 attendees each. The party has also conducted one-on-one sessions with prospective candidates.

“Don’t worry about the Ukraine, don’t worry about D.C. You can do something socially useful, and start showing up to your school board meetings.”
— Shawn Steel, former state GOP chairperson and architect of “parent revolt” effort

Similar to its California Trailblazers program, which focuses on running for legislative seats, participants received a binder of information that includes not just deadlines and required forms, but also vendor options, website design tools and tips on how to make the most of campaign funds.

There’s also a website dedicated to the cause, plus emails sent out weekly from a rotation of Republican leaders: Steel, party Chairperson Jessica Millan Patterson, U.S. Rep. Michelle Steel, gubernatorial candidate state Sen. Brian Dahle, Christensen and Republican National Committee member Harmeet Dhillon.

During the party’s July event, speakers didn’t dictate specific talking points. Instead, they encouraged participants to focus on the issues important to their community.

For Kelly Felton, a first-time candidate running for a Tustin Unified School District seat in Orange County, that issue was the “political narratives” being taught to her kids (one in 7th grade, and one who is in 10th), including critical race theory, sex education and the use of gender pronouns.

In June 2021, she began attending Tustin Unified school board meetings, where she said she joined many other angry parents. Feeling shut out, Felton decided to enter politics, and took part in the state GOP July training session, which she said taught her “the practicality of running.”

“It did inspire me to think that I can do it,” she said.

One point emphasized in the training sessions: It usually doesn’t cost a lot to run for school board.

The cost varies depending on the district size, according to Mari Barke, a member of the Orange County Board of Education and director of the California Policy Center’s project to recruit and train local elected officials.

Barke espouses the low-cost “walk to win” strategy by going door-to-door, but acknowledges that’s not always possible in large districts, rural areas or in gated communities. That’s where mailers come in handy, and they can cost anywhere from $10,000 in a smaller district to $40,000 in a large one.

For the GOP, that’s a more cost-effective way to win seats. The state party has said it wants to focus its limited resources on congressional races, rather than statewide legislative races.

Fueled by parents’ anger over pandemic school shutdowns, a record 50 school board members in California were the targets of recalls in 2021, according to EdSource. And three San Francisco school board members were recalled in February.

But according to Steel, running for school board in regular elections is a better use of time for candidates than recalls — which can be powerful at times, but are often short-sighted. “I like to say run or recruit. Don’t bitch to me anymore,” he said.

Hicks, the California Democratic Party leader, said the Republican party’s focus on local races is not surprising, given that the Democratic Party has largely targeted state and federal races for the last two decades.

“As a result, Republicans have been able to maintain some level of relevance on the local level,” he said.

Is Hicks worried?

“No, because at the end of the day while Republicans in California are trying to throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks — to keep people angry and to frankly, in my view, destroy a traditional free public education in California — Democrats have been focused on the most important things.”

That includes smaller class sizes and ensuring students have pathways to college and careers, Hicks said.

Schnur said that while education is an issue that Democrats believe belongs to them, the pandemic concerns could help the GOP.

“It’s more than likely that Republicans can reinforce their strengths in their regions of core support,” he said. “But it’s an open question whether they can expand beyond that base.”

Counter-messaging by Democrats

While the state Democratic Party doesn’t have a specific strategy focused on school boards, it is operating the California version of the Democrats’ national strategy called “Contest Every Race,” recruiting candidates to run for city council, school board and other local seats, with a focus on rural areas.

Hicks said the party looks to its county chapters to take the lead on local races. In Placer County, for example, the local Democratic Party is hosting phone bank events every Saturday.

In Contra Costa County, the local party responded to concerns from school board members who reported being harassed and threatened. It passed two resolutions, one supporting the pandemic measures taken by school board members and calling out “coordinated efforts by a ‘network of conservative groups with ties to major Republican donors and party-aligned think tanks’ to engage in culture war fights designed to intimidate school board members so they can be replaced by radical conservatives.”

A second resolution passed in November 2021 backed the district’s ethnic studies curriculum and criticized the effort to mislead parents into confusing critical race theory with ethnic studies.

To counter some of the anti-union messaging from GOP-recruited candidates, the California Teachers Association has spoken out in support of pro-union candidates, many of whom happen to be Democrats.

Hicks said that while there’s no formal partnership between the Democratic Party and the CTA, it makes sense that they’re often allied. “I think the Democratic Party is the party of working people,” he said. “I think that means not just workers on the job, but also ensuring that workers on the job get their kids a quality education.”

Lisa Gardiner, spokesperson for the 310,000-member California Teachers Association, said the union’s local chapters do endorse school board candidates, but not along partisan lines. She also disputed that teachers’ unions have too much influence over school boards, saying that “the real power resides in parents, educators, students and communities working together.”

“November’s school board elections are a critical opportunity for all of us to stand together to support racially and socially equitable schools, and the public education our students need to succeed,” she said in a statement.

Prospects for success

The state GOP isn’t alone in recruiting or training school board candidates who oppose critical race theory and vaccine mandates and take issue with school unions. Other organizations involved include Let Them Breathe, a group that advocates for more parental say, including against mask mandates; the Californians for Equal Rights Foundation; and churches, though as nonprofits, they’re not permitted to do more than provide information.

Some candidates who took part in the GOP sessions said they’ve taken part in training by other groups as well.

Morgan Polikoff, an associate professor at USC’s Rossier School of Education, said while there are legitimate concerns about how school boards handled the pandemic, partisan influence can sometimes turn toxic — and isn’t politically beneficial, either.

“What I would hope is that these efforts actually engage seriously with issues that matter to voters … and not on sort of manufactured stuff about transgender athletes, or pick a topic, that these culture wars that conservative candidates in other places are running on,” Polikoff said.

How likely are candidates to succeed?

Polikoff said that depends on how much candidates can stay on message with issues that matter to parents and voters. “In my view, the reason why the Republican Party has really struggled in California is the candidates are too extreme for where the majority of the state is,” he said.

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CalMatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

Corstiaan “Art” Vanderklis was born on July 4, 1937, in Gouda, Holland, and left this earth on Sunday, August 7, 2022.

Art lived in the Netherlands under German occupation during WWII, until he was 9 years old, when he immigrated to the U.S. with his family. They arrived first in Piercy, CA and remained until Art was in high school, at which time they moved and settled in Humboldt County. Art attended Arcata High School, where he met the love of his life, Patricia Wilkerson, who he married and remained faithful to for over 65 years.

Shortly after graduating high school in 1956, Art and Pat had two children — Kimberlee, in 1958, and Carl, in 1961 — whom he loved with all his heart.

Art began a career in law enforcement in 1959 at the Arcata Police Department and concluded his 32 years of service in 1991, with Humboldt State University as the Chief of Police and Public Safety. During his time at HSU, Art was selected to attend the FBI Academy, a tremendous honor and something he took great pride in. After he retired from law enforcement, not entirely ready to hang up his hat, Art worked in private security for 10 years at Smith Security.

Art took an active role in his community as a member of Rotary Club of Arcata, Humboldt County Peace Officers Association, National Peace Officers Association, FBI National Academy Association, Humboldt Black Powder Heritage, Jed Smith Mountain Men and Siskiyou Mountain Men, to name a few.

Art loved hunting and fishing and creating beautiful pieces of Native American jewelry. He was an avid participant in the Rendezvous community, where he made many friends and wonderful memories with his wife, children, and grandchildren as a member of the Rowdy Creek Rendezvous club for 35 years.

For over 20 years, you could find Art and Pat at the Chezem Ranch fishing in the creek, teaching their grandchildren how to swim (throwing them in the creek), picking peaches in the orchard, or just relaxing with their family from spring until fall. Countless cherished memories were made there that his family will always hold dear. If he wasn’t at Chezems, he could be found with his grandchildren at the Sundberg Family cabin on the Klamath River. During these years spent with his grandchildren he developed a deep appreciation for their Native American culture.

In 2005, Art and Pat moved to Redding, where they spent 17 years building more friendships and spending the hot Redding summers by their pool with their kids and many grandchildren. Their great-grandbabies learned how to swim at their Redding home and would convince whoever they could, including Papa Art, to be out there with them from sunrise to sunset.

They had recently moved home to Humboldt County to be closer to family.

Art is survived by his devoted and loving wife Patricia Vanderklis, and his children Kimberlee Sundberg, Carl Vanderklis (Shelly), and Miranda Vanderklis. His grandchildren Megan “Grasshopper” (Edgar), Nicolaas “Hawk,” Max “Bear” (Breana), Rachel “Raven,” Adam “Gray Wolf,” and Michael. His great grandchildren Aaliya “Cricket” and Devyn “Dancing Bear,” Brandon, Madyson, Alex, Jordynn, Saveina, and Askari. His brother Piet Vanderklis (Jean), his nieces Debbie, Kathy and his nephew Pieter, their children as well as numerous other family members and friends.

He is preceded in death by his mother and father Harry and Margaret Vanderklis, his grandson Adrian Vanderklis, and his mother and father-in-law Carl and Vivian Wilkerson.

A celebration of life will be held on Saturday, August 27 from 2-4 p.m. at Azalea Hall in McKinleyville. In lieu of flowers his family asks that you send donations to your favorite charity.

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The obituary above was submitted by Art Vanderklis’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

Joan Marie DaMant
May 1, 1934 - July 17, 2022

Joan was a devout Catholic who departed this life at the age of 88 at 11:11 a.m., the angel hour, on July 17, 2022 to cross the rainbow bridge and be with God as well as the many close friends and family that were ready to meet her again in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Joan Marie Skeary was born May 1, 1934 in West Springfield, Massachusetts and was the oldest of six children. She moved with her family to southern California in 1951, where she married George Kenneth Caney on June 2, 1952. Together they had two children — Renee Marie Caney, born in 1953, and George (Ken) Kenneth Caney II, born in 1957.

Joan divorced and remarried Robert (Bob) Franklin Brasier in 1958 and gave birth to Robert (JIm) James Brasier in 1959. In 1972 Joan and her family moved to Orland, Calif. and then to Trinidad in the early 1990s. Joan remained by Bob’s side until his passing in 1995.

In December of 1995 Joan had a sweet whirlwind romance with the final love of her life, James (Jim) Henry DaMant, who she married. They lovingly took care of each other until his passing in 2015.

During her beautiful life Joan worked as a tax accountant and a caterer. She loved to sing, she loved cooking and hosting gatherings, enjoyed sewing, traveling, camping and spending time with loved ones. Joan was blessed with a green thumb and cultivated an amazing yard full of flourishing plants, flowers and trees. She took great pride in caring for her grandchildren and teaching them her values.

She was loved deeply and will be dearly missed by all.

Joan is survived by her sister, Carol Ann Deniz of Corning, Calif.: children Renee Jones (Rick) of Nehalem, Oregon, Ken Caney of Oroville and Jim Brasier (Alice) of McKinleyville; and her four grandchildren, Shelley Flower of Magalia, Calif., Stephanie Ruffino (David) of Chico, Leah Morse (Rob) of McKinleyville and Nick Caney (Cassidy) of Oroville. She is also survived by nine great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.

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The obituary above was submitted by Joan DaMant’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

North Coast conservation groups are suing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) over alleged violations of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) that have allegedly harmed federally protected salmon and steelhead species in the Eel River Basin. The suit claims native fish populations have been adversely impacted by PG&E’s Potter Valley Project, a hydroelectric facility that diverts water from the Eel to the Russian River.

The five groups – Friends of the Eel River, California Trout, Trout Unlimited, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, and the Institute for Fisheries Resources – filed a notice of intent to sue FERC and PG&E last month. The FERC suit was filed today; as of this writing, the groups have not announced litigation against PG&E.

The lawsuit charges that FERC did not develop adequate license terms to protect threatened fish species while PG&E embarks on the decades-long process to decommission the Potter Valley Project, eventually clearing the way for the removal of the Scott and Cape Horn dams. 

“This litigation is the first step in making sure FERC and PG&E protect Eel River salmon and steelhead while working toward dam removal,” Alicia Hamann, executive director for Friends of the Eel River, said in a news release. “PG&E operates the fish-killing project, but FERC can change the terms of PG&E’s license to ensure that legally protected salmon and steelhead survive. NMFS has made clear that, as currently operated, the dams are killing and harming far more fish than anybody thought when the current license terms were developed 20 years ago.”

The lawsuit asks the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to modify the annual license FERC recently issued for the Potter Valley Project to comply with the ESA.

Reached for additional comment this afternoon, FERC spokesperson Celeste Miller told the Outpost, “As this is a pending proceeding, we do not have a comment at this time.”

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Here’s the press release:

San Francisco—On August 15, five organizations working together to protect and restore vital North Coast salmon and steelhead fisheries filed suit against the federal agency that regulates the nation’s hydropower dams. The suit alleges the agency violated the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by failing to develop license terms to protect native fish while plans are prepared to decommission the Potter Valley Project’s two dams on the Eel River. The groups – California Trout, Friends of the Eel River, Institute for Fisheries Resources, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations and Trout Unlimited – charge that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is allowing excessive and unlawful “take” of ESA-protected fish species below the dams.

FERC oversees the licensing of hydroelectric facilities like Pacific Gas & Electric’s Potter Valley Project. As part of the terms for its licenses, FERC requires hydropower project owners to consult with federal fisheries biologists at the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to ensure project operations will not lead to the extinction of endangered species. “Take” includes not just the direct killing of endangered species, but also actions that interfere with vital breeding and behavioral activities such as migrating.

The lawsuit asks the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to modify the Annual License FERC recently issued for the Project, in order to comply with the Endangered Species Act.

The 50-year license for the Potter Valley Project expired in April of this year. Shortly thereafter, FERC issued an Annual License for the Project following PG&E’s January 2019 announcement that the company would not seek to renew its license due to significant financial losses incurred from maintaining the Project. FERC recently approved PG&E’s proposed 30-month schedule to develop a plan to decommission the Project, and will continue to issue short term Annual Licenses for the Project until decommissioning is complete.

“This litigation is the first step in making sure FERC and PG&E protect Eel River salmon and steelhead while working toward dam removal,” said Alicia Hamann, Executive Director for Friends of the Eel River. “PG&E operates the fish-killing project, but FERC can change the terms of PG&E’s license to ensure that legally protected salmon and steelhead survive. NMFS has made clear that, as currently operated, the dams are killing and harming far more fish than anybody thought when the current license terms were developed 20 years ago.”

This spring, before the Potter Valley Project’s 50-year license expired, NMFS asked FERC to modify the license to protect declining fish populations, and to consult with NMFS on the best way to do that. Neither PG&E nor FERC has changed operations as NMFS requested.

“The Eel River offers perhaps the best hope for recovery of wild salmon and steelhead stocks in all of California. Once the Potter Valley Project dams are removed, the Eel will become the state’s longest free-flowing river. Hundreds of miles of intact stream habitat in the headwaters of the Eel provide cold, high-quality water and habitat conditions – an excellent fish nursery,” said Redgie Collins, Legal and Policy Director for California Trout. “FERC didn’t do its full due diligence in issuing the Annual License for the Potter Valley Project’s continued operations. Business as usual won’t cut it for Eel River salmon and steelhead, and we are committed to make sure the Annual License process addresses known and increasingly severe adverse impacts on fish until these obsolete dams come out.”

“Salmon and steelhead populations on the West Coast are really struggling right now, and along with them our coastal and inland communities that rely on salmon and steelhead for food and jobs,” said Vivian Helliwell, Watershed Conservation Director for the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations. “The science is clear: restoring the Eel River by removing the outdated dams is incredibly important to our fisheries throughout northern California, and restoring the Eel River is not just good for the fish, it’s part of keeping our river systems healthy, which benefits us all.”

“Our request to the court is simple,” said Matt Clifford, staff attorney for Trout Unlimited’s California Water Project. “NMFS has told FERC that the Potter Valley Project harms salmon and steelhead populations. Despite that harm – which is far greater than previously thought – FERC has allowed PG&E to continue to operate their dams in the same way. We’re asking the court to step in and require FERC and PG&E to do the right thing and protect fish while they are working to decommission this obsolete hydropower facility.”

Humboldt County Drug Task Force press release:

On August 16th , 2022 agents with the Humboldt County Drug Task Force (HCDTF) conducted a parole search on Morgan Crumley (36 years old from Eureka) and Carl Keeler (31 years old from Mckinleyville) in a parking lot in the 7300 block of Tompkins Hill Rd. in Eureka. Both Crumley and Keeler are on CDC Parole and they were in a vehicle together in the parking lot.

Agents located approx. one ounce of fentanyl, one ounce of methamphetamine, packaging, a digital scale, bear spray, pepper spray, a concealed dagger (Keeler), and a large amount of ammunition.

Crumley and Keeler were arrested for the following charges and booked at the Humboldt County Jail:

• PC 3056 Parole Violation
• H&S 11351 Possession of fentanyl for sale
• H&S 11378 Possession of methamphetamine for sale
• PC 30305(a) Felon in possession of ammunition
• PC 22810(a) Felon in possession of tear gas
• PC 21310 Carrying a concealed dirk or dagger

Anyone with information related to this investigation or other narcotics related crimes are encouraged to call the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976.