Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

During the week of August 9-12, 2021, deputies with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET) conducted multiple investigations into illegal cannabis cultivation in watersheds determined to be critical spawning streams for spring chinook salmon, fall chinook salmon, coho salmon, trout and steelhead. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California State Water Resources Control Board, Humboldt County Code Enforcement, Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services Environmental Health – Hazmat Unit and the California National Guard assisted in the service of the warrants.

Numerous parcels were investigated during the service of the search warrants in the South Fork Trinity River, East Branch, Steelhead Creek, Mad River, Van Duzen and Little Larrabee Creek/Van Duzen watersheds. None of the parcels investigated possessed the required county permit and state license to cultivate cannabis commercially.

In total, deputies eradicated over 64,000 illegally grown cannabis plants and documented approximately 79 environmental violations, including 42 water diversion violations, 24 depositing trash into a waterway violations and 13 water pollution violations. During the service of the search warrants, environmental scientists and law enforcement found and documented severe damage to the watersheds. Environmental scientists found numerous deceased wildlife and located Coastal Giant Salamander larvae in a water diversion pool.

Illegal cultivation activities during a drought year put an exuberant inordinate amount of pressure on already strained fish and wildlife resources. The HCSO Marijuana Enforcement Team’s eradication efforts and partners’ environmental investigations help to conserve salmon and steelhead habitat critical for species survival.

The following statistics and photographs were recorded during these investigations.

1. South Fork Trinity River Watershed

On August 9, deputies served two warrants on parcels in the Blake Mountain area of Eastern Humboldt County. During the service of the warrants, deputies eradicated approximately 6,591 illegally grown cannabis plants. Deputies also located two firearms, a bullet proof vest, and numerous dead squirrels and wildlife. At one of the parcels, deputies located a pregnant flying squirrel that had been nailed to a wall on the side of a building. The squirrel appeared to have been killed within 48 hours prior to the search warrant. The squirrel was sent to a CDFW laboratory for testing as it appeared to have been poisoned.

Assisting agencies found the following violations:

• Seventeen (17) water diversion violations (up to $8,000 fine per day, per violation);
• Eight (8) depositing trash in or near a waterway violations (up to $20,000 fine per day, per violation).

Dead Flying Squirrel nailed to a building located at an illegal cultivation site. All photos: HCSO.

Water being diverted for illegal cannabis cultivation

Illegally grown cannabis plants.

Water being diverted for illegal cannabis cultivation.

While environmental scientists and Fish and Wildlife wardens were locating and documenting illegal water diversions on the parcel being searched, an individual began firing multiple rounds from an AK-47 towards the investigating parties. Upon hearing shots fired, deputies responded to provide life-safety assistance. No one was injured during the incident.

Deputies secured a search warrant for the property from which the shots had been fired and made contact with the suspected shooter, 27-year-old Bryant Randall Hall. Hall was found to be in possession of an AK-47, a handgun and high-capacity magazines. While investigating, deputies found the location on the property from which the shooting occurred and collected 30 spent casings. Next to the location of the shooting, deputies found a large water diversion.

The property on which the shooting occurred contained a large-scale state and county permitted cannabis cultivation site. The water diversion was documented and removed from the watershed. None of the cannabis plants were eradicated at this parcel at the time of the investigation. The information was forwarded to the Department of Cannabis Control and the Humboldt County Planning and Building Department for further action.

Hall was arrested and booked into the Humboldt County Correctional Facility on charges of discharge of a firearm in gross neglect (PC 246.3(a)), assault with a firearm on a person (PC 245(a)(2)), possession of a high-capacity magazine (PC 32310) and streambed alteration (FG 1602(a)).

AK-47 found during investigation

Spent shell casings on the ground

Water being diverted for illegal cannabis cultivation.

Water being diverted for illegal cannabis cultivation.

Water being diverted for illegal cannabis cultivation.

Water being diverted for illegal cannabis cultivation.

Bryant Randall Hall.

2. East Branch and Steelhead Creek Watersheds

On August 10, deputies investigated six parcels in the East Branch and Steelhead Creek Watersheds. During the service of the warrants, deputies eradicated approximately 10,250 illegally grown cannabis plants. Deputies seized and destroyed approximately 1,042 pounds of processed cannabis and 15 pounds of cannabis bud. Deputies also located and seized three firearms.

Assisting agencies found the following violations:

• Four (4) water diversion violations (up to $8,000 fine per day, per violation);
• Three (3) depositing trash in or near a waterway violations (up to $20,000 fine per day, per violation).

Water being diverted for illegal cannabis cultivation.

Water flowing after diversion was removed.

Panorama photo of illegally grown cannabis plants.

3. Mad River and Van Duzen Watersheds

On August 11, deputies investigated six parcels in the Mad River and Van Duzen Watersheds. During the service of the warrants, deputies eradicated approximately 14,049 illegally grown cannabis plants. Deputies seized and destroyed approximately 1,022 pounds of processed cannabis, 120 pounds of cannabis bud and over 327 pounds of cannabis shake. Additionally, at the property in the Mad River Watershed, deputies located a bottle of Carbofuran, which is a deadly pesticide that is banned in the United States.  

Assisting agencies found the following violations:

• Thirteen (13) water diversion violations (up to $8,000 fine per day, per violation);
• Four (4) water pollution violations (up to $20,000 fine per day, per violation);
• One (1) depositing trash in or near a waterway violations (up to $20,000 fine per day, per violation).

Bottle of Carbofuran, a deadly pesticide that is illegal in the United States.

Water being diverted for illegal cannabis cultivation.

Trash associated with cannabis cultivation abandoned into and next to a season stream.

illegally grown cannabis plants.

4. Little Larrabee Creek/ Van Duzen Watershed

On August 12, deputies investigated four parcels in the Little Larrabee Creek/ Van Duzen Watershed. During the service of the warrants, deputies eradicated approximately 33,959 illegally grown cannabis plants. Deputies seized and destroyed over 1,366 pounds of processed cannabis and 107 pounds of cannabis bud. Deputies also located and seized eight firearms.

Assisting agencies found the following violations:

• Eight (8) water diversion violations (up to $8,000 fine per day, per violation);
• Twelve (12) depositing trash in or near a waterway violations (up to $20,000 fine per day, per violation);
• Nine (9) water pollution violations (up to $20,000 fine per day, per violation).

Unscreened irrigation line (see Red Arrow) used to divert majority of remaining surface water to illegal cannabis.

Unpermitted Stream Crossing and abandoned trash.

Trash and impoundment placed in tributary of little Larrabee Creek.

Trash and impoundment placed in tributary of little Larrabee Creek.

Water being diverted for illegal cannabis cultivation.

Coastal Giant Salamander larvae, obligate aquatic species that required perennial cold clean water for successful larval rearing and reproduction, observed in water diversion pool.

Anyone with information about these cases or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at (707) 268-2539.
These cases will be forwarded to the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office for review. Additional violations with civil fines are expected to be filed by the assisting agencies.

PREVIOUSLY:

• CENSUS RESULTS! Humboldt County Has Grown a Little, and at Least on Paper It’s a Little Less White

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In our first look at Humboldt County’s 2020 Census data, we noted that the county gained nearly 2,000 residents between 2010 and 2020, according to the Census Bureau’s best count.

Where did it gain them? It gained them in the northern part of the county — in the Arcata and McKinleyville areas. Other areas of the county shrank, or at least didn’t grow as quickly as those two did.

This is going to create a problem for the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors and its Redistricting Advisory Commission, which together have to redraw the boundaries of the districts in which county supervisors are nominated and elected. They might reasonably have expected to just tinker with some edges here and there, but as it turns out things are going to be a touch more difficult.

We’ll get to that in a second, but first — let’s take a look at the 2020 Census results mapped onto the current Board of Supervisors’ map:

Here’s the 2020 Census population by district:

• 1st District: 27,078
• 2nd District: 26,778
• 3rd District: 28,233
• 4th District: 26,285
• 5th District: 28,089

Now, the whole point of redistricting is that we have to redraw the lines so that each of the five county supervisors represents a roughly equal number of constituents. That means the Arcata-centric Third District and the McKinleyville-centric Fifth District are going to have to shed some population and the others are going to have to gain some — particularly the Eureka-centric Fourth District.

Take the new official county population — 136,463 — and divide it by five. You get 27,292.6. That’s the rough target for what we want each new supervisorial district to be.

Therefore each district needs to lose or gain roughly these many people:

• 1st District: +215
• 2nd District: +515
• 3rd District: -940
• 4th District: +1,008
• 5th District: -796

The First District — currently represented by Rex Bohn and currently including Cutten, Ferndale, Petrolia and Scotia — is just about perfect as is. It needs 215 more people to have the ideal number of residents, but that’s pretty close, and maybe even within the bullseye. It’s more than 99 percent of the way there.

Now look at the two most out-of-whack districts. The Fourth District needs about 1,000 new people, and the Third needs to lose about 940. But wait a sec, you say — problem solved! Look at the map above. The two districts border each other! Just let the Third District give the Fourth District, say, Manila, or maybe the Mitchell Heights area. That should even things out real quick! Mitchell Heights probably belongs with Eureka anyway.

That would be a nice solution, but it leaves us with a different problem. Look at the two districts left on the table — the Fifth and the (Fortuna/SoHum) Second. McKinleyville still needs to lose people and SoHum still needs to pick them up.

How to accomplish that? The two districts do border one another — but only along the vast, sparsely upper reaches of the Mad River, near Maple Creek and thereabouts. It would be difficult to cobble together enough people in those regions to make up the difference — and, anyway, it’d be quite a stretch to think of Maple Creek as belonging to the same community as Fortuna or SoHum.

So there’s probably no quick and easy solution, and what that means is a lot of difficult surgery. All the districts’ boundaries — even the First’s! — will probably have to creep some, as the county’s center of gravity shifts northward. It’ll be a headache. Some will probably fight about it, when the time comes. Some people get very emotional about which supervisorial district they belong to.

Are Eureka residents as attached to their Eureka City Council wards? You wouldn’t think they would be, given the fact that they’re so new — voters passed the True Ward Initiative only in 2016 — and the fact that Eureka is a bit more homogeneous, politically, than the county as a whole. But Eureka is going to have to redraw its lines too, and boy oh boy — if you thought the county’s 2010-2020 population shift was kind of dramatic, wait until you see what’s going on inside Eureka city limits.

We’ll talk about that next time.

Our sweet and loving Ruby Adams passed peacefully and quietly into the loving arms of God and family on Friday morning, August 6,, 2021. She was born Ruby Lillian Schafer in Oregon City, Oregon on September 4, 1938. Her parents were Kenneth William Schafer and Muriel Lein of Estacata, Oregon. She attended High School in Clatskanie, Oregon, and lived in a Float House under the Astoria Bridge on the Columbia River. She was the first of her graduating class to get a job in Portland, working as a secretary with an Insurance Company.

She was preceded in death by three sisters — Hellen Marie Finnie, Marilyn Kay Tupa, and Wanda (Dee Dee) Paul of Grand Forks, North Dakota.

She had four children. Scott and Kevin Putansu preceded her in death. She is survived by her daughter Susie Ferraro, son Keenan Putansu, and her grandchildren Dustin and Amanda Gahart, Davin Gahart, and Mandy Jo & Brendan Irwin, Kee-Jay Putansu, and Erica Putansu, and two great-grandchildren, Madalynn and Scarlett Gahart. She also leaves so many nieces and nephews – too numerous to mention.

Ruby worked for Safeway stores: Five years as a checker at the old Broadway Safeway in Eureka, and 25 years as Safeway District 1 Secretary in charge of over 20 Safeway stores. She retired in 1996.

Ruby and I were married over 40 years ago on Valentine’s Day. She was the love of my life. We lived in many different houses during our marriage, and she made every one of them a comfortable home. She had a lot of love in her heart and accepted my three children – David Adams, Dawn Adams, and St. Clair Jr. – as her own. When we retired we lived in Ajo, Arizona during the winters and traveled in our motorhome, in the summer when the temperature in Ajo reached triple digits. They didn’t call us snow birds. They called us chicken. We shared many adventures together. Ruby was my navigator.

Unfortunately a year ago Ruby was robbed of her memories by a terrible disease.

Because of the recent Covid pandemic her memorial will be postponed until it is safe to gather with friends and relatives to celebrate her life. We ask that any donations in her name would go to the Alzheimer Foundation to fight this insidious disease, or to Hospice of Humboldt a wonderful caring organization. And thanks to all of the loving and caring nurses and aides who attended Ruby at Seaview care home.

Stephen Turner Davies was born on January 8, 1967 in San Francisco to Sally and James Davies. He died suddenly and unexpectedly of a pulmonary embolism on May 17, 2021. He was 54 years old.

Steve’s early days and most of his childhood were spent playing in nature in Woodside, California. He loved animals, bugs and the great outdoors. Steve spent several years in New York with his mother and stepfather. He attended Buckley School and then later, in Connecticut, attended Salisbury School. He played lacrosse and ran track while at boarding school. After high school he went to UC Berkeley, where he graduated with a BA in anthropology and psychology. He went on to the New College of California, where he got his law degree, finally ending up in Eureka.

His first legal case was working to compensate the families who lost their homes to mud slides due to clear cutting. After Maxxam, owned by Charles Hurwitz, took over Pacific Lumber, massive cutting began. That was a successful case, and got Stephen integrated into the Humboldt community. He used to run the fire trail on Pacific Lumber property and talk to Julia Butterfly Hill while she was living in a tree protesting clearcutting and raising awareness for the need to save our existing forests.

Among the many volunteer efforts that Steve took on was wearing his scuba gear and counting the salmon when they swam up stream to spawn. Humboldt Mediation Services used his computer expertise to keep their office equipment running smoothly. He also designed their logo. Much of his ongoing legal work was to help those who could not afford to pay an attorney.

Steve had many hobbies — drawing, painting, writing, kayaking in Humboldt Bay, riding his bicycling around Eureka, and woodcrafting, but by far his favorite activity was playing disc golf and traveling to compete.

Stephen had a wide group of friends in Eureka and loved the community and his life there. He was at home in Humboldt. He had found a place where he could be true to himself and give to others. His cat and long-time companion, Gato, is still living in Eureka on C Street with his former landlord.

Stephen is survived by his mother, the Rev. Sally Bingham, sisters Sarah Davies Tilt (Whitney) from Bozeman Montana, Jennifer Davies from Ennis, Montana , Alison Davies of Los Angeles, and brothers, Matthew Davies (Liz) and Wheelock Richard Bingham (Elinor). His stepmother Patricia Davies lives in Ketchum, Idaho. His father James died several years ago.

Stephen had three nieces and three nephews. A celebration of Stephen’s life will be held on September 4th, Saturday at Benbow Historic Inn at 2 p.m.

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In the early morning hours of July 15, 2021, Peggy passed away peacefully in her sleep at home. Born in Marin, California on May 10, 1939, Peggy was 82 years old. Peggy Linda Christensen was the only child of Martin Segfred (b. Denmark) and Virginia Dunn of Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania.

Peggy grew up in and around the San Francisco area and loved telling stories of taking public transportation alone to the pool when she was a child. She had grand memories of visiting the Sutro Baths along the coast of San Francisco.

Peggy and her husband, Richard Marrs, moved to McKinleyville in 1994 from San Diego to enjoy their retirement in Humboldt County. She worked for Travel Lodge in administration before retirement. They loved exploring our beautiful area and eating fish and chips at the Seascape Restaurant in Trinidad. Their other loves in retirement were two cats and a beautiful backyard garden.

Peggy was an excellent artist practicing calligraphy, china painting, and watercolor. She was also a longtime vital member of NORBAG (North Redwoods Book Art Guild) having joined in March 1996. She was the editor of the Newsletter from July 1996 to July 2004. Besides her work on the Newsletter, Peggy taught numerous workshops, nearly always participated in monthly book exchanges, and rarely missed a meeting. Her spirit and creativity will be sorely missed.

Peggy is survived by her two stepsons residing in Port Townsend, Washington: Galen Marrs and Chris Marrs (Ronda). She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Marrs, and her daughter, Joy Michelle Holmes.

Christina ‘Michelle’ Lindley was born on April 2, 1981 to Fernando and Kathlene Muñoz in Eureka. She went to be with the Lord on August 3, 2021. She spent most of her days as a child, playing with her brother Clint and cousin Jennifer in the neighborhood of their grandparents, Preston and Erma, at their home in McKinleyville. She enjoyed playing sports, and cheerleading clear into her high school days. She graduated high school in 1999 while pregnant with her first daughter, Kaylin. She then married Jerry Stovall, the father of Kaylin.

She went on to complete schooling at Fredrick and Charles Beauty College in Eureka, where she learned to do nails and worked at several salons throughout the community and making friends along the way. She had many other jobs locally including Blue Lake and Bear River casino, and briefly at the PG&E Power Plant. In 2005, she welcomed her second daughter, Natalee with her father Tory Swift. She later met and married Dan Lindley, completing a family and becoming a step-mother to his two children, Austin and Justyne in September of 2008.

After living for a few years in Scotia, Dan and Michelle moved their family east to Plumas Lake in the summer of 2015. It was here that Michelle went back to school at Brightwood College, to fulfill her dream of becoming a nurse and graduated with her LVN in October of 2018. She continued that dream up until recently, caring for patients at Siena Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation in Auburn.

Michelle, as her family all knew her by, is proceeded in death by her grandfather Preston Hale and her mother Kathy Muñoz, both of McKinleyville. She is survived by her grandmother, Erma (Hale) Backman, her brother, Clint Meyers, her husband, Dan Lindley and his children, Austin and Justyne Lindley, her two daughters, Kaylin Stovall and Natalee Swift, and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and wonderful friends who were like family. She touched the lives of many and will be known for her laugh, infectious smile and big beautiful dimples! We are all saddened by Michelle’s passing and will miss her dearly.

A memorial service is planned to be held at McKinleyville Baptist Church on Saturday, August 21, 2021 at 10 a.m., pending any changes in COVID-19 restrictions. Her ashes will be scattered at the family ranch in Petrolia.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Michelle Lindley’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday that a deputy involved in a traffic incident just over a week ago has resigned after a subsequent CHP investigation determined that he had provided contradictory statements and that no other parties played a part in the crash.

The now-former deputy is Mathew Arellano, age 31, according to a CHP incident report obtained by the Outpost. “During the course of the investigation, there were some inconsistencies in Arellano’s account of the events. It has since been determined there were no other vehicles involved in the crash,” the report states.

Following the Aug. 7 incident, HCSO posted photos of Arellano’s wrecked patrol vehicle to its social media channels. A statement (which was since been taken down) published along with the pictures claimed another driver had sideswiped Arellano’s vehicle, causing it to roll down an embankment along Singley Road in Loleta.

“Miraculously, our deputy was able to escape with minor injuries. However, the driver who sideswiped the deputy fled the area following the collision,” HCSO stated at the time, based on Arellano’s fraudulent retelling. “Due to darkness and the suddenness of the incident, the deputy was unable to get a good look at the suspect vehicle — other than it being described as a dark-colored truck with passenger side damage.”

Today the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said it no longer believes another vehicle was responsible for Arellano’s wreck. Sheriff William Honsal expressed regret over the false information released as a result of the mistruths concocted by a member of his department.

“The actions displayed by the involved deputy are not representative of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office’s mission, vision, or values, or the nearly 300 employees of the Sheriff’s Office who dedicate themselves to the service of our community every day,” Honsal said. “We will continue to review this incident internally to identify and correct any organizational shortcomings.”

Read the full statement released today from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office below:

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office was recently made aware of the findings of a California Highway Patrol collision investigation involving a sheriff’s deputy on August 7, 2021. The California Highway Patrol concluded that there were no other vehicles involved in the crash, contradictory to the deputy’s initial statement provided to investigating officers. Upon learning this information, the Sheriff’s Office acted swiftly to begin an internal investigation into the matter.

On August 12, the deputy involved in this incident resigned employment with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.

“The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office has been in communication with the California Highway Patrol regarding this incident. The deputy’s actions are unacceptable and deeply disappointing,” Sheriff William Honsal said. “The actions displayed by the involved deputy are not representative of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office’s mission, vision, or values, or the nearly 300 employees of the Sheriff’s Office who dedicate themselves to the service of our community every day. We will continue to review this incident internally to identify and correct any organizational shortcomings.”

Due to personnel protection laws, the Sheriff’s Office is unable to disclose more about this matter.

Further inquiries about this specific case should be referred to the California Highway Patrol.

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A copy of the CHP’s report is included below: