Press release from Steve “Sungnome” Madrone:

Steve Madrone, a local land use and watershed management expert, Hammond Trail builder, and community development specialist is running for 5th District Supervisor. Madrone has a wealth of local expertise and an ability to bring all sides together to create “real community solutions.”

Dwight Miller, Mayor of Trinidad said, “I have known Steve Madrone for many years. He is a rare person, thoroughly committed to improving our quality of life and the natural resources of our community. He is a thoughtful listener. He has an ability to smoothly work with competing interests toward low-cost solutions to our evolving environmental and social issues.”

Another supporter, Don Allan, a Westhaven resident and member of local land trust and nonprofit boards, said “Steve has helped secure millions of dollars in grant funds for community and watershed improvement projects, and has helped create dozens of jobs. I have known Steve Madrone for almost 40 years and in that time I have seen him patiently and persistently work with numerous diverse stakeholders to address their concerns and incorporate their ideas into solutions. He has the know-how and the energy to bring this approach to the Board of Supervisors.”

Keith Barnard, another local watershed expert said “In the 40-plus years that I’ve worked off and on with Steve, I’ve been amazed at the creative solutions to complicated issues that he always comes up with.”

Madrone plans a press conference launching his candidacy at the Humboldt State University Quad at 4:15pm following the Redefining Democrat Rally on Saturday, Sept. 9.

Madrone earned a Bachelors Degree in Natural Resources and a Masters Degree in Watershed Management form Humboldt State University. These degrees and 44 years of working to solve local watershed problems and create living wage jobs gives him a comprehensive view on Humboldt’s problems. His completion of over 400 watershed and trail projects over the past 40 years has allowed him to create long-term solutions to many of our pressing problems. These efforts have brought millions of dollars of funding into the county creating numerous living wage jobs.

“I’m running for supervisor because I have the expertise, energy, integrity, and commitment to bring our community together to solve our problems,” Madrone said. “In these times of conflict, and partisanship, it will be nice to have a “bridge builder” on the board who has an extensive track record of success in creating real community solutions.”

Madrone is a finisher, having completed the requirements for Eagle Scout as a youth, and then as an adult taking on the challenge of securing easements from private property owners and necessary funding to complete the Hammond Trail. He has worked all over Humboldt County, in particular the 5th District, and has been a supporter of native culture and sacred sites. He has been married for 33 years and has four children and many grandchildren.

HSU graduate student Robert Shearer said “I’ve had the unique combination of experiences of being a former student of Steve’s as well as his current colleague, both politically and academically, as we’re both members of Humboldt Progressive Democrats. I trust that Steve has the integrity to consistently put the values of our communities before any outside interest, that he’ll engage his constituents and encourage active participation in the political process, and that he is among the most qualified people possible to facilitate the challenging conversations that lie ahead for our district’s land use and development issues. Steve Madrone has my full endorsement for County Supervisor, as I believe he is an important part of the change we need to see in the current makeup of the board.”

Ms. Kris Huschle of McKinleyville said, “I have known Steve for years and he is a person of integrity and has decades of experience working in multiple sectors of our economy and would make a positive contribution to our community.

According to Riley Quarles, an Arcata resident, “Steve Madrone consistently demonstrates a clear-headed approach to identifying and resolving local land use problems, employing community outreach and a transparent public participation process to ensure that everyone who wants to be actively involved has the opportunity to be an integrated part of the solution.”

Madrone was a facilitator of the creation of the Trinidad Bay Watershed Council, which brought local stakeholders together to solve local problems. This effort helped secure over $10 million dollars in funding to build a state of the art fishing pier without polluting creosote pilings; to replace and repair dozens of failing septic systems; to control storm water runoff from the streets, and to implement extensive road erosion and sediment control measures to protect local water supplies and Trinidad Bay. Bringing together all stakeholders is an expertise of Steve’s.

Now is the time to bring our community together to work on all the pressing problems of our time. Now is the time for Steve Madrone for 5th District Supervisor.