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The worsening drought conditions in Humboldt County dominated Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, though the matter that attracted the most public attention on the agenda proved to be something of a false alarm — or a premature alarm, anyway. 

When the agenda dropped on Friday afternoon, many permitted cannabis growers were alarmed by the details of Item L2: “Report of Drought Task Force on Findings with Recommended Actions.” This task force, which was formed by the board on May 25 and is comprised of officials from several agencies and county departments, was recommending a range of drought-related measures, one of which was to flip the emergency shut-off switch for a lot of local cannabis activity. 

Section 55.4.5.10 of the county’s Commercial Cultivation Land Use Ordinance (CCLUO) says the county can reduce commercial weed activity during times of drought, and the agenda published Friday called on the board come back in three weeks to consider placing a moratorium on new non-domestic wells and to prohibit all new cannabis planting after August 11, unless the grow’s irrigation comes from a legal source of stored water.

Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell and First District Supervisor Rex Bohn said they got a lot of panicked phone calls and emails over the weekend from growers with a lot at stake financially. But during the staff presentation, Planning and Building Director John Ford backed away from the controversial suggestion, saying curtailment of grow activity should be merely a topic for study and future consideration.

The county doesn’t want to cause financial harm or single out the cannabis industry, Ford said: “The fact of the matter is cannabis is the most highly regulated agricultural crop that exists in California.” He also said staff is sensitive to the notion that “the compliant get screwed and the non-compliant carry on,” a reference to the continued proliferation of un-permitted weed farms in the region.

More evidence and data are needed before taking such a drastic measure, and growers should be given more time to prepare, Ford said.

And so he revised staff recommendations, saying the board should go ahead and declare a drought emergency immediately but rather than curtailing cannabis activity, just ask staff to “develop a scope of work,” one that includes possible revisions to well-permitting regulations and procedures for even considering cannabis curtailment. That latter measure shouldn’t be taken until the board has “a factual basis” upon which to make a decision, Ford said.

As background, Ford said his department has been issuing a lot more cannabis cultivation permits recently, largely because the state plans to end its provisional licensing process next June and many locals still hold such licenses. Given the ongoing drought conditions, this uptick in cannabis cultivation permitting has sparked public concerns over the corresponding increase in wells being permitted. 

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Ford said public concerns may be justified but so far they lack a factual underpinning. “While there is a great amount of public concern being expressed, there is not a corresponding amount of empirical data showing that wells are going dry [or] showing that there is a crisis,” he said.

Many have called on the county to employ certified geologists who can say whether or not individual wells are hydrologically connected to groundwater and nearby waterways. However, Ford said the county has had a hard time finding hydrogeologists who want to get involved in permitting wells, particularly for the cannabis industry.

It was clear during the public comment period that local growers were prepared to unload on the board, if necessary, but many instead thanked Ford for listening to their concerns. Quite a few still defended the industry and encouraged the board to work with them, rather than punishing them.

Alicia Hamann, executive director of environmental nonprofit Friends of the Eel River, said she was “pleased to see these prudent and reasonable recommendations from the task force” and warned that these extreme drought conditions should be considered the new normal. Addressing the Eel specifically, she said water levels are nearly identical to 2014, when the river dropped so low that it actually went underground, a catastrophe for migrating salmon.

Hamann urged the board to support more rigorous standards in well permitting and to curtail groundwater pumping from non-domestic wells, particularly in the Eel River basin.

Jay Russ, who raises cattle in Ferndale, said the climate on the North Coast is resilient and suggested that agricultural operators in the Eel River Basin are being targeted perhaps unfairly. He also encouraged the board to consider emergency measures to expedite gravel extraction.

Others weren’t so sanguine about the future.

“This is a truly historic and unprecedented drought that we’re experiencing right now,” said Ronald Vevoda, a dairy farmer near Ferndale. “We may only be at the beginning.”

In the end, the board unanimously approved a measure proclaiming a drought emergency. Ryan Derby, the county’s emergency services manager, said the emergency proclamation “opens the door for immediate response and mitigation actions” by enabling staff to dedicate more time and resources towards addressing drought related impacts.

As for the rest — developing well-permitting criteria, considering a moratorium on new non-domestic wells, developing procedures to curtail cannabis planting and possibly identifying funding to incentivize better water management among growers — the board voted to take that one step at a time. Staff will return on August 10 with a scope of work for the board to consider.

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A few other tidbits from today’s meeting:

• Next time the board meets, on Aug. 10, they’ll do so in person, back inside their chambers at the Humboldt County Courthouse. There was a good deal of discussion about how to transition back out of the digital Zoom realm, and some people called in to ask the board to maintain a “hybrid” model, allowing residents of far-flung communities to call or teleconference in. The board discussed possible masking requirements, ultimately deciding to have Chair Virginia Bass announce the policy — wear a mask if you’re unvaccinated — at the outset of each meeting. County staff will work on teleconferencing technology. Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone cast the lone “no” vote, saying he wanted to follow staff’s lead, and staff had not specifically said they’re ready to come back Aug. 10.
• Each of the five supervisors appointed a member to the redistricting advisory commission, which will examine how best to redraw the county’s five supervisor districts and present recommendations later this year. Bohn (District One) appointed Lisa Russ; Bushnell (District Two) appointed Roman Rubaclava; Wilson (District Three) appointed Camilla Zapata; Bass (District Four) appointed Brian Mitchell; and Madrone (District Five) appointed Lisa Dugan
• The board authorized the below design — by local mural artist Lucas Thornton, playing with a theme from Blake Reagan — for a new mural on the county courthouse. After a brief discussion about the meaning and artistic merits of the piece (“What is this supposed to say?” Bohn wondered; “I don’t love it,” opined Bushnell) the board agreed to allocate $5,000 from the Public Works Department’s deferred maintenance fund to pay the artists. Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson suggested doubling the recommended amount of $2,500, and the board agreed, albeit reluctantly for some members.

Former Humboldt State lineman turned Super Bowl champion Alex Cappa visited the White House and met with President Joe Biden today during a scheduled visit with his fellow Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Cappa stood behind President Biden as he spoke during the ceremony on the White House’s South Lawn this morning.

“We’re here today to congratulate and welcome to the White House the Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers,” President Biden said. “This Buccaneer team is a testament to the fact that it’s never too late to come together and achieve extraordinary things.”

Biden also indirectly praised Cappa during his speech by calling the Buccaneers’ offensive line “dominant.”

Today President Biden welcomed Super Bowl LV Champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, to the White House for an acknowledgment of their hard work on the field and their commitment to saving lives off the field as a part of the NFL’s strong vaccination efforts. pic.twitter.com/tJOeCP8w54

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 20, 2021

Buccaneers quarterback and seven-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady also spoke at the ceremony.

“Behind me is an amazing group of players,” Brady said. “It was a very challenging season for a lot of reasons, but we bonded together, we worked really hard, we put all of our individual agendas aside and we came together as a team.”

Watch the full press conference in the video embedded at the top of this story.

Super Bowl LV Champions at the @WhiteHouse 😎 pic.twitter.com/1SRGRcx8yH

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) July 20, 2021

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Nearly four years after PG&E donated a batch of trailers to the Betty Kwan Chinn Foundation to be used as modular housing units, the Eureka City Council is still in the process of clearing the remaining red tape on the project. During tonight’s meeting, the council will consider, and most likely approve, the Coastal Development Permit for the site that holds the vacant trailers, bringing the long-planned housing project one step closer to completion.

The proposed project somewhat resembles Betty’s Blue Angel Village in Eureka and would provide affordable housing for individuals who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and help them to build their rental history. According to the city staff report, the project will consist of six individual trailers — each separated into two living quarters — and one large structure, constructed out of six connected trailers that will be able to accommodate up to 28 living units. Each separate structure will include a shared kitchen and bathroom.

The trailers are located on the Crowley Site, a city-owned lot on Hilfiker Lane, near the Hikshari Trail and between the Humboldt Bay Fire Training Facility and the Elk River Wastewater Treatment Plant. Since the trailers were moved to the site more than three years ago, the City has been moving through the tedious zoning and permitting processes to allow the development of housing on the site — something that has been especially difficult because of the land’s location in the Coastal Zone. 

Map of the project area | From the Eureka city staff report

Now the Eureka City Council is set to approve one of the final necessary permits to allow development of the site. If the Coastal Development Permit is approved, it will then go to the Coastal Commission for a 10-day appeal period and if no appeal is filed, the permit will be final. If someone does file an appeal, however, the permit will have to go through the Coastal Commission’s hearing process, which would create more work for the City and further delay the project.

So, how likely is it that someone will file an appeal? Well, City Manager Miles Slattery told the Outpost that it is definitely a possibility. Though some people who previously had issues with the housing project have since come around, at least one resident is not happy about the project and expressed their concern to Eureka city staff in response to the City’s public hearing notification.

“I continue to object to the Betty Chinn Development on Humboldt Bay,” resident Ann White wrote in an email to the City. “I am also writing in opposition of the project to preserve my right to an appeal if the project is approved. This project wholly ignores the Coastal Act.  It will destroy wildlife and their habitat.  The project will degrade aesthetics and impact public use of the Bay.”

If no appeal is officially filed, then the project will only need building permits before work can begin on the site. The project site will first need installation of plumbing and electrical, and the timeline on that work may vary,  Slattery said, depending on whether the work is donated — something that a couple of local companies had previously agreed to — or if it needs to be purchased.

The trailers themselves have also fallen into pretty severe disrepair and will need some rehabilitation, Slattery said. After years of sitting vacant, several of the trailers have roof damage and several have also had break-ins, causing broken doors and/ or windows. Best case scenario, Slattery said, the housing village could be ready for the Betty Kwan Chinn Foundation to start operations in four or five months.

“I think it’s a great project and it’s a long time coming,” Slattery told the Outpost. “ It will be another great resource for those who are disadvantaged.” 

The Eureka City Council meets tonight (Tuesday) at 6 p.m. at Eureka City Hall — 531 K Street. You can view the full agenda and directions on how to participate here.

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UPDATE, WEDNESDAY MORNING: The Rio Dell Police Department found Sky Vrbas early this morning.

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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office needs the public’s help to locate at-risk missing person Sky Marie Vrbas, age 20, of Eureka. Vrbas is missing under unknown circumstances.

Vrbas was reported missing by a relative on July 19, 2021, at about 11:14 a.m.

Vrbas was last seen at a business on the 100 block of H Street in Eureka on July 17 at approximately 1 p.m. She last contacted a family member by phone at 4 p.m. that day.

Vrbas is described as a white female adult, approximately 5 feet 1 inch tall, 140 pounds, with brown medium length hair and gray eyes.

Anyone with information for the Sheriff’s Office regarding Vrbas’ possible whereabouts should contact the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office at (707) 445-7251.

A 29-year-old man from Arcata was arrested for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon after he allegedly stabbed his roommate at their residence on the 4900 block of Airstream Ave. in Arcata on Sunday night.

Kaven Latheniel Dangerfield } HCSO

Sgt. Chris Ortega with the Arcata Police Department told the Outpost that suspect Kaven Latheniel Dangerfield told officers he stabbed his roommate during an altercation.

The victim, a 32-year-old-man from Arcata, was transported to the hospital with life-threatening stab wounds and remains in critical but stable condition.

Dangerfield also suffered lacerations to his hands that Ortega said are consistent with stabbing someone. Dangerfield was treated at the hospital before being booked into the Humboldt County Jail, where he is being held without bail.

UPDATE, July 21:

Trooper has been found.

A video shared by the horse’s owner on social media today shows Trooper being pulled form a thicket by a Calfire employee.

Watch the emotional reunion in the video below.

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A Ferndale resident is asking for help finding her missing horse after it vanished over the weekend along the Eel River bar.

Owner Kelly Chadbourne announced on social media last night that her 17-year-old gelding Trooper uncharacteristically disappeared from his pasture at Grizzly Bluff and Weymouth Bluff Roads over the weekend while she was out of town.

“He is not the type of horse to wander off and leave his buddies in the pasture,” Chadbourne said. “We searched the river bar for hours and found no signs of a horse. I fear with the extra traffic in town for the Rodeo that someone may have taken him, but I really hope I’m wrong.”

Chadbourne filed a missing animal report with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, but hasn’t officially reported the horse as stolen at this time. Anyone with information about Trooper can contact Chadbourne at (707) 496-4494 or the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Animal Control Division at (707) 840-9132.

“I am sick to my stomach you guys,” she said. “He couldn’t have just vanished! He had a pink fly mask and a pink tail bag on when I turned him out. I am currently searching the river bar. If anybody has any 4x4 vehicles that can help me search, I would be greatly appreciative.”

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Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

Humboldt County Correctional Deputies and medical staff at the Humboldt County Correctional Facility used medication to save four individuals suspected of overdosing on fentanyl.

Over the past weekend, correctional deputies were alerted to four separate medical emergencies occurring inside the same housing unit. On all four occasions, deputies located the inmates unresponsive and exhibiting signs of opioid overdose. Each incident required multiple administrations of Naloxone. Also known as Narcan, Naloxone is a nasal spray commonly used to counter decreased breathing caused by an opioid overdose.

By quickly responding and administering the life-saving medication, correctional deputies effectively saved all four inmates’ lives. The inmates were transported to a local hospital for treatment following the incidents and are expected to recover.

Correctional deputies have conducted multiple searches of the housing unit and have recovered approximately 15 grams of fentanyl in various forms.

Inmate Dustin Andrew Lawler, age 36, was found to be in possession of 13 grams of pills containing fentanyl, Xanex and morphine. A fresh charge of possession of a controlled substance in a correctional facility (PC 4573.6) has been added to his booking.

Inmate Daniel Ray Gonzales, age 30, was found to be in possession of 2 grams of Fentanyl. A fresh charge of possession of a controlled substance in a correctional facility (PC 4573.6) has also been added to his booking.

An investigation into how the substance entered the facility is being conducted, however, preliminary investigation indicates the substance was smuggled in by both inmates.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid and a Schedule II narcotic that is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. Humboldt County has seen a substantial increase in illicit fentanyl distribution, possession and overdose cases, including an alarming number of overdose deaths.

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, a lethal dose of fentanyl consists of two milligrams, equal in size to a few grains of salt. As of July 1, 2021, the Humboldt County Coroner’s Office has responded to 15 fentanyl overdose deaths.

Due to the rising prevalence of fentanyl in our community, Humboldt County correctional deputies have been equipped to carry Naloxone and have received training on its administration.

Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal commends the correctional deputies and medical staff for their quick actions in saving four lives.