Redwood Meat Co., located at 3114 Moore Avenue near Eureka’s Myrtletown neighborhood, has been a family-run operation for more than seven decades. | Photo by Andrew Goff.
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Mere weeks after John “Punk” Nylander and his nephew Ryan Nylander halted operations at Redwood Meat Co., citing rising utility and insurance costs, John’s three children have filed a lawsuit against the pair, accusing them of grossly mismanaging the family company through fraud, embezzlement, tax evasion and document shredding.
The three litigants — Stephanie Nylander, Rachel Nylander Flores and Russel Nylander — only recently learned that they are minority shareholders of Redwood Meat Co., the only USDA-certified slaughterhouse, processing and delivery service for nearly 200 miles.
Russel Nylander worked at Redwood Meat Co. for more than 30 years, starting when he was just a teenager. In a declaration submitted to the court on Monday, he says that shortly before he learned that the business might close down, his cousin Ryan, who is the company’s secretary and chief financial officer, instructed him to throw away about 80 bankers boxes full of documents.
“Those boxes were thrown into a dumpster and disposed of,” Russel says in his declaration. “Two women who worked in the front office of RMC also shredded documents for a week, which I witnessed. These records appear to be RMC financial records.”
His testimony continues adds that Redwood Meat Co. has apparently racked up about $900,000 in debt to the IRS that’s “believed to be for unpaid payroll taxes,” and Ryan sold a house belonging to the company for $600,000 without notifying shareholders. The proceeds are unaccounted for.
“I have no information about the whereabouts of the monies paid in this transaction despite requests,” the declaration says.
Now, according to Russel and his sisters, their dad and cousin are trying to complete a short sale of the slaughterhouse property at 3114 Myrtle Avenue in Eureka without proper notification and involvement of shareholders.
“The sale of this real property would completely decimate RMC and would make it entirely impossible for the company to be saved from total closure,” Russel says in his declaration.
The lawsuit filed this week accuses John and Ryan Nylander of breach of fiduciary duty, corporate waste and unjust enrichment, and a temporary restraining order was requested to prevent them from selling the company headquarters and destroying any more financial records.
Appearing before Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Timothy Canning Wednesday afternoon, attorney Cyndy Day-Wilson, representing the plaintiffs, said time is of the essence, given the possibility of the business being sold out from under her clients.
“Thus the emergency to come in and see you, Your Honor, to stop that sale … to put it on hold to find out what’s going on,” Day-Wilson said.
Neither John Nylander (who’s listed as the company CEO) nor Ryan Nylander showed up for Wednesday’s hearing, and neither did an attorney to represent them. But after confirming that they’d been legally served with notification of the proceedings, Judge Canning granted Day-Wilson’s motion for a temporary restraining order, which prevents the company’s executives from closing the pending property sale or liquidating any assets. A preliminary injunction hearing has been scheduled for later this month.
Calls to Redwood Meat Co. this week have not been answered.
As outlined in an Outpost story last month, Redwood Meat Co. has served the needs of local ranchers, farmers, retailers and deli counter butchers for more than 70 years, offering government-sanctioned kill facilities, packaging and distribution of cattle, lamb, goats, hogs and more. One Humboldt County farmer described the company as “critical infrastructure for local beef,” and its closure has upended operations for many local meat producers, forcing them to transport livestock to the Central Valley, Siskiyou County or beyond for processing.
In the hallway after Wednesday’s hearing, Day-Wilson declined to talk to the Outpost about the case, saying she can’t discuss pending litigation. She did not reply to a subsequent email asking to be put in touch with her clients.
In arguing for the motion in court, Day-Wilson said she and her clients have been trying since May or earlier to get copies of Redwood Meat Co.’s corporate records, but they haven’t gotten much.
“[B]asically, the corporate records stopped in 1994,” she said. “Since 1994 there have been no board meetings, no notice of sales, purchases, anything like that.”
The lawsuit says that the defendants have apparently been using corporate funds to pay for insurance policies on their personal residences, logging activity at their own properties, personal phone bills and more.
“It also appears that Defendants have taken out loans purportedly for the business, which have then been used for their own personal expenses, or have conversely used RMC funds to pay off personal loans,” the suit alleges. “Plaintiffs believe that payments have been purposefully miscategorized in RMC’s books to appear like they are for business expenses … to banks that, to Plaintiffs’ knowledge, Redwood Meat Co. does not have loans with.”
There are other discrepancies in the books, too, including the tally of outstanding shares of the corporation and the record of how those shares have been allotted, transferred and redeemed, the suit says.
“I recently learned that my name is listed on the statement of information as a director [of Redwood Meat Co.],” Russel says in his declaration. “I was never informed of this nor do I consent to it.”
Per the company bylaws, on file with the Secretary of State, Redwood Meat Co. shall have three directors, to be elected an annual shareholder meetings, but there hasn’t been a shareholder meeting in the last three decades, the suit says.
An agreement from 1984 indicates that Stephanie and Rachel each held 18 shares of company stock, while John and his late brother (Ryan’s dad, Allen “Butch” Nylander) held 405 shares apiece. Russel appears to have inherited 18 shares sometime thereafter. There have been deaths, divorces and family disputes in the intervening 40 years, and with scarce corporate records it’s unclear how many outstanding shares there are, and who owns them, according to the lawsuit.
Despite Russel’s status as a director, neither he nor his shareholder siblings were ever sent notices of board meetings, requests for approval of corporate business decisions or records of sales of company property, according to the suit.
After a series of unfulfilled requests for more detailed records, the plaintiffs and their attorney went directly to the company’s headquarters on May 30 and spoke with Ryan Nylander’s wife, Molly.
“Molly Nylander, who to the minority shareholders’ knowledge is not a shareholder, director, or officer, indicated a stack of files and records that purported to be the corporate records,” the lawsuit reads. “When asked if there were other documents, Molly responded that what was being shown to the minority shareholders and their counsel was the extent of RMC’s corporate records.”
With the company in such dire financial straits and a community of longstanding customers invested in its survival, many have hoped that Redwood Meat Co. could be sold to someone else who can keep it in operation.
“The minority shareholders are informed that multiple offers to purchase RMC have been received, but that Ryan and/or John have refused to provide the books and accounts to potential buyers,” the lawsuit says.
On July 16, Day-Wilson sent a list of questions to John and Ryan Nylander, asking for bank statements, tax returns, board meeting minutes, a list of company assets and explanations of various financial mysteries.
“To date, no response to these questions has been received,” she wrote in the suit.
Ferndale’s Foggy Bottoms Boys recently wrote in a Facebook post about how the absence of Redwood Meat Co.’s services has left a gap in the local food system, forcing them and countless other ranchers to alter their operations in numerous ways.
Russel says in his declaration that he and his sisters would like to preserve Redwood Meat Co. for the sake of such farmers and ranchers who have come to rely on it.
“Saving RMC from closure is imperative to both the company itself and the local community,” he writes.
Owner Trey Cartier at the Summitt. Photo: Brittany Johnson.
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Since opening in January, a unique new lounge has claimed a spot on the Arcata roster of places to gather, drink and watch sports.
Sitting atop the lavender building on G Street in Northtown, the deck of the Summitt offers outdoor seating, a fireplace and a beautiful view of Cal Poly’s campus stretching up the forested hillside while a peaked roof, flatscreens and mobile/rearrangeable furniture on the interior give cozy clubhouse vibes.
“I think it’s one of the best seats in the house,” said founder/owner/operator Trey Cartier in a sit-down with the Outpost.
Through August, the Summitt will be showing the Olympics (with a schedule that strongly prioritizes the women’s events). But “sports bar” couldn’t hope to capture the establishment in its entirety. Doubling as a digital art and film gallery, tripling as a queer speakeasy and quadrupling as a creative workspace, the Summitt combines varied, distinct elements that Cartier hopes will “make sense together in an unknowable way.”
The Summitt concept began coming together in 2021. As the Covid-19 pandemic’s robbery of social interaction stretched on, Cartier said she found herself and her community craving gathering spaces lost.
While she initially secured the G Street penthouse as a studio/workspace, Cartier said the property’s commercial zoning kept her ideas of a “sanctuary, supportive vibe” congregation spot humming in the background.
The Summitt logo by Lady Trample (@ladytrample on Instagram). Photo: Gillen Tener Martin.
And already, the Summitt is becoming a sanctuary for some. abby hamburg, a regular in the lounge, said that after experiencing harassment in other local drinking establishments as a trans man, he’s grateful for an environment in which everyone is “committed to a safe space.”
“Not wanting to re-perpetuate that [harassment] for others, it’s really nice to have a place where I know I can bring my queer friends or my friends of color or, you know, anyone of any minority community, and not have to worry,” hamburg told the Outpost over the phone.
The name “Summitt” pays homage to former Olympian and women’s college basketball coach Pat Summitt, who had the most career wins in college basketball history at the time of her retirement. The nod – and the eccentric dual focus on art and sport – represents a celebration of the diverse ways in which humans strive and achieve new heights, according to Cartier (who also lectures in film studies and production at the university).
“The whole essence is to celebrate tenacity and amplify love,” she said.
Artists and athletes share much in common in Cartier’s eyes: they embody essential humanness in an age of artificiality, live to the utmost of what’s possible, drive toward successes not yet seen, raise the bar on human potential, connect others through inspiration and avoid cheating.
“We’re not trying to cheat at finding the right words when we’re doing poetry and we’re not trying to cheat the game when we’re training to do our best,” she said. “It’s figurative, but it’s significant.”
And so, interspersed with televisions airing the hottest women’s sports of the weekend, you will find art adorning the Summitt walls: stills extracted from experimental, conceptual and documentary films as well as other mixed media work. Full films are available through framed QR codes or on the lounge’s website (with membership).
“It’s almost like an in-person Instagram,” said Cartier, adding that all tips to staff (she is the entirety of “staff” currently) are divvied up for the artists showing work.
You may also roll up to find a special event – queer mixer, silent disco … pop punk queer skate mixer (Aug. 9) – going down.
hamburg, who Cartier described as a “strong co-conspirator of the space” and an involved Summitt event planner, recalled a Pride mixer he recently threw.
“By the end of it, I think it was just like four or five trans and non-binary folks sitting around talking about, like, top surgery doctors … who’s a good doctor, what’s the process, where to go,” hamburg said. “The natural community support [that] came out of that first event was so inspiring for me that I just was like, ‘Okay, what’s next? How can we do more of this? How can we keep these conversations happening?’”
Anyone uninterested in sports, art, mixing or discoing but who seeks reliable internet, charging stations and a chill space to work, perhaps with a craft beer in hand, can pop in and be “introverted in an extroverted space” (in Cartier’s words).
Besides the unusual combination of offerings, the Summitt also operates differently than a typical drink-serving enterprise.
“We’re just trying to be self-sustainable,” Cartier said, adding that the aim is to create a “safe space” with good energy and an unusual mix of people – art geeks, sports fans and all others in between and beyond – rather than turn a profit.
hamburg, who works in suicide prevention locally and is organizing a team for the Summitt at Arcata’s Sept. 8 Out of the Darkness Community Walk, said that being able to access a communal space without the pressure of buying something can be “healing” – especially for members of the queer community, who attempt suicide at higher rates.
“When people are going through a heavy depression, there can often be fiscal limits and boundaries, and so they feel like they can’t go out and do anything,” hamburg said. “Come and sit in the sun and get a little bit of social interaction without the pressure of anything. Come and listen to other people and just be present with other folks in the space, not even necessarily engaging or contributing.”
“To me, that’s what suicide prevention looks like,” he concluded.
The deck. Photo: Gillen Tener Martin.
For those who are looking to purchase, the Summitt offers beer, wine, prosecco and non-alcoholic beverages, and patrons are welcome to bring in outside food.
“We had a whole crew bring in some pizza on Saturday for the women’s soccer game,” Cartier said. “There’s so many great local businesses around … scoop something up, bring it over.”
All (over 21) are welcome during operating hours, and monthly passes and membership offer discounts and perks for those looking to make the Summitt a regular haunt – including free use of the space for private events. hamburg shared that he’s hosted his book club in the lounge since becoming a member.
Membership is offered on a sliding scale, with trans and women athletes as well as queer community members offered lower rates in an attempt to be creative on how to “give space back and really center certain people that don’t usually have space,” Cartier explained. She said that memberships are intended to symbolize “co-creation” in what the Summitt is becoming rather than exclusivity, and that she hopes members feel the Summitt is a place they can count on.
Cyanobacteria on the Mad River in 2020. | File photo by Jacob Pounds, Blue Lake Rancheria.
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Press release from the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services:
As summer starts to wind down, officials are reminding residents to keep an eye out for and avoid contact with cyanobacteria while recreating at area rivers and lakes.
Cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, can be present in any fresh water body, and looks like dark green, blue-green, black, orange or brown scum, foam or mats on the riverbed or floating on the water. Cyanobacteria can produce harmful compounds, such as toxins and taste and odors, that cause health risks to humans and animals. Warm water and abundant nutrients can cause cyanobacteria to grow more rapidly than usual causing “blooms.” These blooms are termed “harmful algal blooms.” Typically, cyanobacteria warnings come out between late July and early August, coinciding with low flows and sustained high temperatures in the inland areas which may contribute to cyanobacteria growth in local rivers and lagoons.
Supervising Environmental Health Specialist Ben Dolf with the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services Environmental Health Division (DEH), said, “Visual indicators are key to identifying areas impacted by harmful algal blooms. Citizen surveillance is key, and DEH staff will investigate any potential blooms reported by the public.
While most cyanobacteria do not affect animals or people, some are capable of producing toxins that can be harmful to animals and humans. Dogs and children are most likely to be affected because of their smaller body size and tendency to stay in the water for longer periods of time.
Officials recommend the following guidelines for recreational users of fresh water areas:
Keep children, pets and livestock from swimming in or drinking water containing algal scums or mats.
Adults should also avoid wading and swimming in water containing algal blooms. Try not to swallow or inhale water spray in an algal bloom area.
If no algal scums or mats are visible, you should still carefully watch young children and warn them not to swallow any water.
Fish should be consumed only after removing the guts and liver and rinsing fillets in tap water.
Never drink, cook with or wash dishes with water from rivers, streams or lakes.
Get medical attention immediately if you think that you, your pet or livestock might have been poisoned by cyanobacteria toxins. Be sure to tell the doctor or veterinarian about possible contact with cyanobacteria or algal blooms.
Join or support one of the many watershed and river organizations.
To report a bloom, e-mail CyanoHAB.Reports@waterboards.ca.gov or call 844-729-6466 (toll free). Blooms can also be reported via the “bloomWatch” app which is available for free download on iTunes or Google play.
For information on conditions in Humboldt County, contact the Humboldt County Department of Health & Human Services Division of Environmental Health at 707-445-6215 or 800-963-9241. Photos of suspected blooms can also be emailed to envhealth@co.humboldt.ca.us.
Arcata Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) North Edge: Business Financing & Community Development press release:
After 46 years of service to the community, Arcata Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) is changing their name to North Edge: Business Financing & Community Development. The new name represents the organization’s mission and service area while staying true to its core commitment to support small businesses and foster community development across Northern California.
When North Edge—formerly known as AEDC—was first established in 1978, it provided lending services exclusively to the City of Arcata to support housing rehabilitation and small business development. Since then, they’ve expanded their service area from Arcata to a six-county region and increased their services beyond lending.
“We’ve expanded to serve Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Lake, Siskiyou, and Trinity counties,” said Susan Seaman, Program Director. “Before our name change, folks in these communities didn’t see themselves in our name, so we wanted to go with something more inclusive.”
The transformation from AEDC to North Edge: Business Financing and Community Development reflects their commitment to bringing the northernmost parts of California to the forefront of equitable economic prosperity. It’s not just a name change; it’s a step towards uplifting the region and giving small business owners the financial edge they need to grow.
As a nonprofit Economic Development Corporation (EDC), North Edge prioritizes providing affordable loans to those who need them most. The organization offers a range of financing options, including SBA 504 Loans, USDA Rural Development IRP funds, and SBA Microloans, ensuring that businesses in Northern California have the capital they need to operate.
North Edge is more than just a lender; they also partner with various community organizations to promote a resilient and equitable rural economy across Northern California. Initiatives such as the Redwood Region RISE, an initiative of California Jobs First and the Redwood Coast Region Economic Development Summit highlight North Edge’s commitment to regional economic prosperity.
“We’re not just about business loans—we’re really about overall community development and engagement,” explained Hannah Joy, business development and loan officer. “The name North Edge better captures our mission, the area we serve, and the people that we’re here to support. Our name is changing, but our services are not. North Edge is just the next chapter of the story.”
To learn more about the services offered, visit their new website at northedgefinancing.org.
The future home of CalFire Humboldt-Del Norte HQ? The “Todd Property,” as seen from Davis Street at Highway 101 in Rio Dell. Screenshot via Google Maps.
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The State of California’s massive firefighting agency, CalFire, wants to move its North Coast regional headquarters into the sleepy City of Rio Dell, which has long sought ways to boost economic development. Given the city’s struggles, you might expect its leaders to welcome such a big-time tenant with open arms, but city officials worry that the state’s plans could eliminate important opportunities for future development and tax revenues.
For decades, the city has looked at the 17.9-acre site – two adjoining parcels known locally as the “Todd Property” – as a “vital location” for future residential and commercial development in Rio Dell. The city has tried to buy the property from the Todd family at least three times over the last 40 years but, for one reason or another, negotiations never panned out.
The state bought the property a year and a half ago with plans to relocate CalFire’s current North Coast headquarters in Fortuna, forcing the city to scrap its plans for the site. The city has asked if CalFire (and the state agency negotiating on its behalf, the California Department of General Services) would be willing to surplus a few acres at the south end of the site to help the city meet state-mandated housing requirements. But, so far, the state hasn’t budged.
“We believe that there is a win-win scenario for everybody here,” Rio Dell City Manager Kyle Knopp told the Outpost during a recent phone interview. “I think it’s a great thing that CalFire wants to relocate to Rio Dell, but it limits [the city’s] opportunities. This [property] is about 75 percent of our available, commercially developable land. … I think there’s plenty of room for everybody to get everything that they want.”
Map: City of Rio Dell
If you look at an aerial view of the site, as shown in the map above, it’s easy to see why it’s such a hot commodity. It’s the biggest slab of vacant land in Rio Dell; it’s centrally located – just south of Davis Street between the heart of town and the west side of Highway 101; and it’s almost completely vacant, aside from a modest home with a garage and barn.
The city made its first attempt to buy the property back in 1985. At that time, city leaders wanted to transform the site into “Rio Dell Village,” a mixed-use development with a motel and restaurant. However, then-property owner Leroy Todd decided to back out of the deal “over a change in the development plan he was not informed about,” according to an overview of the site’s history.
Map depicting abandoned plans for a commercial development on the Todd property. | City of Rio Dell
The city tried to buy the property again in 2011. By that time, Leroy Todd had died and left the property to his daughter, Linda Todd. The city held a few community meetings to introduce the concept of “Rio Dell Plaza,” a proposal to turn the site into a town center. Former Rio Dell City Manager Ron Henrickson had “several meetings” with Linda Todd to negotiate the terms of the purchase but, again, negotiations failed.
Over the course of the next decade, the city kept in touch with the property owner and reworked its plans for the site. In January 2021, the city secured $225,000 in Regional Early Action (REAP) funding from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for design and pre-permitting. The rendering included plans for high-density multi-family housing, medium-density senior housing, commercial highway-serving uses, a new city hall, a police station and a library.
Map: City of Rio Dell
In May 2021, Linda Todd said she would be willing to accept a proposal for the site, and the city had it appraised a few months later. Around that time, there were rumors of other interested buyers – such as Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), a firm interested in turning the property into a solar panel field, as well as a large private contractor – none of whom were affiliated with CalFire.
The city was aware that CalFire was looking for land to build a new regional headquarters but, as far as Knopp knew, the state wasn’t looking at any properties around Rio Dell. “The first mention of CalFire’s interest in the property to me was [in] March 2022,” Knopp said. “Shortly thereafter, we met with the local Del Norte Humboldt Unit Chief [Kurt McCray]. It was clear at that time the state was looking at various other sites, other sites that seemed to be preferred.”
But knowing that CalFire had at least some interest in the site, Knopp asked whether the agency would be willing to surplus a portion of it — five to seven acres of the site — to help the city generate additional tax revenue.
With the previously planned commercial development, the city was expecting to rake in more than $100,000 per year in transient occupancy tax [TOT] and sales tax revenues, according to an overview from the city. CalFire’s plans, on the other hand, would result in only about $32,000 per year in property taxes – zilch in either sales tax or TOT revenues.
“This is significant for a City that is designated a severely economically disadvantaged community,” the city’s analysis says.
In a follow-up email exchange between several CalFire officials, obtained through a Public Records Act (PRA) request submitted by the City of Rio Dell, McCray was sympathetic to the city’s position on the matter but said, “I believe our purchase of the entire property would not align with the City’s vision.”
“In my opinion, all of their points were presented to find a workable solution while keeping as much City control in the development of the entire Todd Property,” McCray wrote in the Mar. 31, 2022 email. “I don’t fault them for their interest in the Todd Property, but Chief [Derrick] Misner and I believe that acquiring five to seven acres of the Todd Property would not allow the needed space for current and future Unit needs. … At this time, I believe it would be beneficial for some or all of you to meet with the City of Rio Dell to better explain our needs and consideration of the Todd Property.”
At the beginning of June 2022, the city submitted a $1.17 million offer – $200,000 over the appraised market value – to then-owner Linda Todd. The offer was rejected.
The state had the site appraised later that month and offered to buy the property for $1.82 million, which was accepted. The State Public Works Board approved the purchase request in March of 2023, and DGS closed the deal a month later.
After the property sale was approved, the city set up another meeting with CalFire and DGS to discuss its plans for the site. Once again, the city stressed the site’s economic significance and encouraged shared use of the parcel to help the city meet state-mandated housing requirements outlined in its Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA). Knopp said that the city also asked for some mock-ups of the proposed facility but never heard back.
“We’ve been a little disappointed and confused by the lack of communication coming from the state. We’ve had to have [state] Senator Mike McGuire and his staff intervene to get any dialog or communication going with the decision-makers at these two state agencies,” Knopp said. The city also sent a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office seeking assistance. “[DGS and CalFire are] continuing to insist that Rio Dell will be involved at some point in the future, but they don’t really clarify when that will be. I think their position really is to keep the local community out of the design process which, to me, is a bit of a red flag.”
The city got ahold of a trove of documents and emails relating to the project through a PRA request, which allows the public to request information from California government agencies. In a follow-up request submitted earlier this year, the city finally got to see a few preliminary renderings of the project and what appears to be a more finalized version, as seen below. (Click here for a more detailed version of the rendering.)
Aerial view of Concept A. Rendering by COAR Design Group.
The site plan includes a fire station, administrative office, emergency command center, service center, auto shop, fitness and training facilities, as well as ample parking and storage for CalFire equipment. The draft plan also includes two acres of solar panels and 1.5 acres of stormwater retention basin. Under the current plan, existing buildings on the property would be demolished and the entire 17.9 acres would be paved over.
“We want to see a smarter development that is efficient with land use, not a big asphalt parking lot,” Knopp said, noting that all of the buildings on the site appear to be single-story. “When you look at the design, you know, it’s using every single nook and cranny … and really spreading the design out laterally as much as possible. To me, that’s not a good starting point.”
The site design should be finalized by March 2026, according to the project description found in this staff report. Construction is slated to begin in August 2026 and wrap up by April 2028. The entire project is expected to cost $57.4 million.
The Outpost contacted a CalFire spokesperson and Humboldt-Del Norte Unit Chief Kurt McCray for additional comment on the project but our inquiry was directed to DGS. Asked for a more general statement on the matter, the spokesperson reiterated that the project is under the authority of the state but said, “The growth of CAL FIRE, both in operational capacity and personnel staffing levels, as well as future growth, is a driving factor in the need for this move.”
Reached via email, DGS spokesperson Fallon Okwuosa emphasized that CalFire is “in the very early stages” of the planning process and said the city will have an opportunity to provide a formal comment on the project when it goes through the environmental review process.
“While the city has asked for information, we informed them that the state had not yet begun any environmental reviews and was only beginning to work with our selected architect on basic site concepts,” Okwuosa told the Outpost. “The city elected to file [PRA] requests to receive highly conceptual, mock test fits of CalFire’s program at the site despite the project being in its earliest stages of development, and CalFire still determining what their needs are at the facility.”
Asked if the state would be willing to surplus a few acres of the property to the city, she reiterated that the “determinations about the utilization of the site are some time away.” In other words: It’s too soon to tell.
“CalFire is working with DGS and the selected architect to evaluate the department’s current needs,” she continued. “The project has not been provided with the seismic studies, geotechnical, and other design criteria to determine the configuration of the essential services facilities or usable land available and restrictions for buildings within the property.”
Okwuosa also disputed the assertion that the state has been unwilling to collaborate with the City of Rio Dell.
“The state is committed to being communicative with the city throughout the project’s lifecycle,” she said. “CalFire will continue to communicate through appropriate channels with the city in a public and professional way as we work to formalize the design process and have adequately assessed the property.”
While it may be too soon to work out some of the details of the project, Knopp emphasized the importance of respecting the people who live in Rio Dell.
“I think that this is a story that is told over and over again,” he said. “There is a history of large, bureaucratic organizations – both public and private – coming into this community and really not paying attention to or respecting the local community. … We believe that there is a win-win scenario here for everybody, but our obligation is to look out for the community of Rio Dell and its future interests, and we will continue to do that at every turn.”
Mayor Debra Garnes told the Outpost that she’s optimistic that the city and state will be able to find “something that works for everybody.”
“We’re not trying to be antagonistic; we’re just trying to make a case for surplus using the land,” Garnes said “I’d like to reiterate the fact that we want them here and we understand it is their land. The idea that we can all win and we can all benefit – that’s really what we are pushing forward. … It’s our job as city staff to do what’s best for our community. If we can share that space, I think it’ll be very, very good for everybody.”
A McKinleyville Community Forest access point, located up Murray Road about two miles past McKinleyville High School. Photo: James Richards
For McKinleyville and its people, a community forest of their own has been a long-awaited but good-as-guaranteed idea for more than a decade, inching toward reality through years of paperwork, map drafts and public meetings. But now that McKinleyville finally owns 599 acres of forest bordering the east side of town, tangible progress has picked up – and relatively quickly, considering all it took to get to this point.
In the months since acquiring the forest in late January – via a land transfer from Trust for Public Lands, which used a $3.8 million grant to buy the property from Green Diamond Resource Co. – McKinleyville has been on it. A McKinleyville Community Forest advisory committee has formed, the first official trail is open and another is in progress. The McKinleyville Community Services District (MCSD) recently erected signs to mark an access point, located up Murray Road a couple miles past town. Visitors park in a pullout next to a locked gate, but MCSD is developing a parking lot there that is expected to open soon.
The forest has been open to the public since the land transfer, but where, how and whether to use it is still a little confusing.
A map of the McKinleyville Community Forest (click to enlarge). McKinleyville Community Services District website.
The property is long and skinny – stretching from Murray Road to just north of North Bank Road – with town to the west and Green Diamond-owned land to the east. It’s primarily filled by second and third growth Sitka spruce, redwood and Douglas fir. Three-quarters of the trees are under 30 years old, and some areas were harvested as recently as 2017. The property overlaps the Widow White Creek and Mill Creek watersheds, and is home to at least seven species considered rare, threatened or of special concern. Nearly 11 miles of logging roads cut through the forest, and some of them lead into private land still owned by Green Diamond, though the boundaries aren’t always clear.
For an unincorporated town with a full-time parks and recreation staff of three, whipping the thing into shape is a big undertaking; it’s the first community forest owned by a community services district in California. And between mapping out a trail network, building necessary infrastructure and just waitin’ for the trees to grow, the forest is easily more than a decade from realizing its full potential.
A sign in the to-be-opened parking lot on Murray Road. Photo: Jacquelyn Opalach
Even so, eager community members have been calling up and popping by the McKinleyville parks and recreation office, asking: “Hey! When are you gonna put trash bins in? How about restrooms?” (One such McKinleyville-an was visiting the office for a status update when this reporter arrived for an interview with Parks and Recreation Director Kirsten Messmer, who stepped into her role at the beginning of July.)
“We’re at step one,” Messmer said during the interview. “So it’s really exciting. But it’s also like: Okay, we need to create this plan to guide where we want to go.”
That plan will be shaped by the McKinleyville Community Forest Committee, which met for the first time in July. Its job is to recommend actions to the McKinleyville Community Services District Board of Directors, the unincorporated town’s elected government body that oversees water and sewer, street lighting and parks and recreation (other sectors are under the county’s jurisdiction).
The committee is big – 14 members (at the moment) and three alternates – composed of forest and natural resource professionals and members of the public. Two non-voting seats are filled by MCSD board members, and a currently empty 15th seat will be filled by a representative from the Wiyot Tribe. A few subcommittees will form to focus on the forest’s bigger priorities – like funding and security – and those subcommittees will have seats for community members.
“I feel really great about how many committee members we have,” Messmer said. “People are interested in being a part of the project and have a lot of knowledge and expertise that lends to this. So that’s really exciting.”
At its inaugural meeting, the committee discussed priorities for the forest. The to-do list is long, but step one is obvious, Messmer said at the meeting: developing a management plan and mapping out a trails plan.
The management plan will be a blueprint for the forest. It will grow from a 116-page framework plan that was prepared for MCSD by the forestry consulting firm BBW & Associates back in 2021. The framework plan preliminarily explores long-term goals and management ideas for the forest.
Meanwhile, phase one of the forest’s first official trail is already complete.
The beginning of Scroll Keeper, the forest’s first trail. Photo: Jacquelyn Opalach
[UPDATE, 3 p.m.: After this post was published, RCMBA Board Member Sean Tetrault emailed the Outpost to say the organization “was part of the process of laying out the conceptual trail plans that the MCSD used with Green Diamond” during the permitting process. “I and other volunteers spent hours working on maps and in conversations trying to help facilitate this great community addition,” he said. Regarding the community forest and its network of trails, Tetrault added, “It’s a great addition to the community and we are all excited to see MCSD make it a success.”]
MBTTA working on the jump track. Photo courtesy of Shaun Fyfe.
“The first thing you gotta do is go walking through the woods where there never was anything – which is really fun – but it’s a lot of labor and a lot of exploring before you find anything that’s even usable,” Fyfe said in an interview with the Outpost.
Although the forest contains unofficial trails created by former trespassers on foot or bike, many of the routes are ecologically damaging or unsafe to use, Messmer said. While some existing trails might be restored, MBTTA is currently identifying completely new routes, allowing MCSD to direct trail development exactly as it sees fit.
MBTTA completed phase one of the forest’s first MCSD-approved trail last month. Starting at the marked Murray Road access point, it’s a mile-long route called Scroll Keeper that runs alongside the road. The trail is open and ready to use by hikers, bikers and equestrians, but MBTTA plans to improve mountain bike features along the trail in the near future. (The trail isn’t marked yet; find it to the right after crossing the gate at the Murray Road access point.)
“[It’s] kind of like the backbone of the network,” Fyfe said. “Everything that we’re going to be building is going to come off of that trail.”
Now MBTTA is working on jump lines exclusively for mountain biking, and has identified five other potential multi-use trail routes. If approved, these trails would total around six to eight miles, stretching throughout the forest and creating a foundational network from which future trails may sprout. Fyfe plans to present the five new routes to the committee at a future meeting.
The in-progress jump track. Photo: Jacquelyn Opalach
Trails may be the most popular feature of a community forest, but McKinleyville is looking at a long list of other needs, too.
Security is perhaps the stickiest of challenges facing MCSD as it aims to develop the forest, which has been the site of illegal activities of varying severity since long before the land transfer. Historically, people have dumped loads of garbage or abandoned entire cars, built unauthorized trails, driven off-highway vehicles, and used the property for shooting practice.
The fool who got stuck last week. Submitted.
Just last week, someone managed to lodge their car inside the jump track MBTTA is currently building, severely damaging the trail, Fyfe said. The disruption was a big hit to the community, he added, given the thousands of dollars’ worth of labor and equipment people have donated to help develop the track.
Overall, though, Fyfe thinks that people have started to respect the property more now that it’s a community forest.
“Since we got the MOU, it’s been kind of known that we’re developing this. So we’ve noticed a really positive change, and that’s been really great,” Fyfe said. “We’ve made incredible progress.”
Enforcing MCSD’s rules and regulations – no weapons, no overnight camping, no fires – is beyond the scope of MCSD staff, Messmer said. MCSD will clean up trash and “patrol” the forest for potential issues, but enforcing most of them will be up to the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office.
In addition to trails and security, the committee scratched the surface of other priorities for the forest, like budget, restoration, equipment needs and entrance point development. The committee meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. in the Azalea Hall Hewitt Room, located at 1620 Pickett Road, McKinleyville, but folks can also participate on Zoom. Messmer said those who want to stay in the loop can also call the parks and recreation office at (707) 839-9003 to sign up for a community forest email blast list.
“Yes: it’s awesome. It’s gonna be really cool to see what all we develop out there and how it all comes together, and how the community keeps coming together to make things happen,” Messmer said.
“But we definitely need to make a plan with intention and with the help of our very specialized committee members, reach out to the public, see what’s important to them, and then utilize that plan as we move forward.”
“I am taking everything one day at a time,” she said, again noting the long road ahead. “We’ll get there.”
In the meantime: There is a lovely panoramic view of town and the ocean from a logging road on the property’s northern border, just steps from the Murray Road access point. It’s worth checking out.
Press release from the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office:
Mattox
On December 7, 2023, a Humboldt County jury found 25-year-old Gregory N. Mattox guilty of Voluntary Manslaughter of 36-year-old Joshua Gephart, as well as being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Providing False Information to Law Enforcement with the Intent to Evade Justice.
Today, the Honorable Judge Cockrum sentenced Mattox to serve 21 years and 8 months in prison for his crimes.
During the morning hours of July 2, 2023, Mattox shot and killed Gephart after the two briefly interacted outside the front gate of a business on Boyd Road in Arcata. Mattox fled the scene on a bicycle.
Detective Victoria Johnson of the Arcata Police Department led the criminal investigation into Gephart’s death, with the assistance of many others, including APD Evidence Technician Taron Brown, and local businesses who provided video surveillance, which proved critical to identifying Mattox as the shooter.
Deputy District Attorney Candace Myers, with the assistance of District Attorney Investigator Greg Hill and Victim Witness Advocate Michala Pelren, prosecuted Mattox. Local defense attorney Paul Gallegos represented the defendant.
District Attorney Stacey Eads stated: “I am grateful to the members of the jury for their service, and truly hope the aggravated prison sentence imposed by Judge Cockrum today provides at least some degree of closure for Mr. Gephart’s loved ones.”
