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With the largest dam removal project in U.S. history mere months away from its scheduled completion, work has officially begun on restoring the Lower Klamath Basin to conditions not seen for more than a century.

Up to 20 billion seeds comprising 98 different species are now being spread across newly exposed landscapes that have sat mostly underwater for the past 100 years.

In a project update presented via Zoom Thursday morning, Klamath River Renewal Corporation CEO Mark Bransom said the reservoirs have been drained behind the four dams slated for removal: JC Boyle, Copco No. 1, Iron Gate and Copco No. 2, which was already brought down last month.

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“It’s important to note that these four dams basically bisect the Klamath watershed into a lower and an upper region, and of course [the dams] have blocked the migration of fish and other species up and down the river” since they were installed, Bransom said.

After taking ownership of the four dams from electric power company PacifiCorp in late 2022, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) spent last year preparing for drawdown and dam removal. With initial drawdown complete, it’s now a waiting game for spring runoff and storm flows to flush through the system, returning the Klamath to base flow conditions by the fall.

“And that is the point at which we will be prepared to initiate dam removal,” Bransom said.

KRRC estimates that somewhere between 17 million and 20 million cubic yards of sediment have accumulated behind the dams over the past century, and scientists figure that about a third of that volume — 5 million to 7 million cubic yards — was mobilized during the drawdown. That sediment traveled downstream through the river system, much of it flowing out to the Pacific Ocean, “thereby restoring a really critical function in a healthy river system,” Bransom said.

That sediment volume of 5 million to 7 million cubic yards is roughly equivalent to the amount produced in the lower Klamath annually, Bransom explained, and this surplus was released during the winter because that’s when fisheries agencies and local tribes determined that it would have the fewest biological impacts.

“Most of the [fish] juveniles are up in the tributaries and have not yet started their out-migration to the ocean,” Bransom said.

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Here are before-and-after photos of Copco No. 2’s removal:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

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During the project update, Dave Coffman, Northern California and Southern Oregon operations director with Resource Environmental Solutions (RES), offered an update on the work of his employer, which is in charge of water quality and sediment monitoring.

That monitoring work has been ongoing for more than a year in a collaborative effort between RES, the Karuk Tribe and the U.S. Geological Survey, Coffman said.

He also elaborated on the revegetation efforts, which began in 2018 with the collection of 13 million-15 million seeds by hand, primarily through a partnership with the Yurok Tribe. Those seeds were then propagated at nurseries up and down the West Coast, resulting in a total seed source of 17 billion-20 billion.

“We can honestly say now, the restoration truly is underway,” Coffman said. “We’ve had revegetation crews out on reservoir sediments since the 15th of January.”

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While the majority of the planting and seeding is being done by hand, crews will soon continue the work via helicopter, laying down seed in more remote and muddy areas that are inaccessible on foot. Coffman said this revegetation should be wrapped up by mid-March.

Here’s a map of the restoration plan for the Copco Lake area:

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In the coming months, as spring runoff passes through the system, crews will work on decommissioning the now-defunct powerhouses, among other tasks.

“Once we get to the spring and see the river back down to base flow condition, we’ll get out and initiate the removal of JC Boyle, Iron Gate and Copco No. 1 more or less simultaneously,” Bransom said. Crews aim to have dam removal completed and the river restored to its free-flowing condition by September or early October, if not sooner.

“The goal is to be entirely out of the river in time for the fall [salmon] run and to have reopened some of the upper tributaries and main stem for fish that may be coming through,” he said.

PREVIOUSLY

• Ground Has Been Broken on Klamath River Restoration, the World’s Largest-Ever Dam-Removal Project
• (PHOTOS) Removal of Copco No. 2 Dam Complete, Restoring Klamath River Flows to Ward’s Canyon for the First Time in 98 Years
• (VIDEO/PHOTOS) Iron Gate Reservoir Drawdown Has Begun as Dam Removal on the Klamath Continues
• (VIDEO) BOOM! Copco 1 Dam Blast Sends Middle Klamath River Flowing Freely For the First Time in a Century
• Interior Department Reaches Landmark Agreement with Klamath Basin Tribes, Project Irrigators to Collaborate on Ecosystem Restoration and Water Reliability

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Press release from the U.S. Department of the Interior:

The Department of the Interior [on Wednesday] announced a historic agreement with the Klamath Tribes, Yurok Tribe, Karuk Tribe and Klamath Water Users Association to advance collaborative efforts to restore the Klamath Basin ecosystem and improve water supply reliability for Klamath Project agriculture. The Department also announced more than $72 million in new investments – including funding from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda – for ecosystem restoration and agricultural infrastructure modernization. 

“The collaboration and cooperation reached today in the Klamath Basin is a critical step forward as we work to support healthy ecosystems and water reliability in the region for generations to come,” said Secretary Deb Haaland. “Following months of consultation and discussions, we’re proud to formalize this partnership with Tribes and irrigators and make a shared commitment that will benefit the forests, watersheds, agriculture and abundant populations of migratory bird and fish species that are unique to this Basin. With new resources from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we’re able to make immediate investments that will benefit the communities and wildlife that call this place home.” 

As part of today’s announcements, the Department also unveiled the Klamath Basin Drought Resilience Keystone Initiative, a new effort to steward investments from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, and support a wide range of restoration activities that will help recover listed species, create new habitat for fish and birds, and rethink the way water moves across the Klamath Basin to better align agriculture with ecosystem function. The initiative is one of nine key conservation areas that the Department is focusing resources towards through a new restoration and resilience framework, and comes at a critical time as the removal of four dams on the Klamath River is underway.  

New Memorandum of Understanding to Advance Collaborative Conservation 

A newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Klamath Tribes, Yurok Tribe, Karuk Tribe and Klamath Water Users Association commits the parties to working together to identify, recommend and support projects that advance shared Klamath Basin restoration goals, including improving water and irrigation stability and reliability; strengthening ecosystem resilience; protecting fish populations; and advancing drought resilience.  

The MOU also commits the Department of the Interior to working across its bureaus, other federal Departments and agencies, the states of Oregon and California, and non-governmental partners to help secure funding and approval for projects and actions that advance these shared goals, including new investments from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act.  

Additionally, the agreement formally recognizes the significant value of Indigenous Knowledge and commits the parties to incorporate it into its restoration efforts throughout the basin.  

Investing in America Investments to Restore Klamath Basin Ecosystems 

The Interior Department today announced more than $72 million in funding for ecosystem restoration and agricultural infrastructure modernization throughout the Klamath Basin.  

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will dedicate $64 million for work to restore the regional ecosystem and repair local economies in the coming years. This investment will fully fund completion of the Klamath Falls National Fish Hatchery by 2027, focus on innovative collaborative conservation in the Sprague River watershed, and continue implementation of Tribally led projects throughout the Basin. As part of the $64 million investment, $25 million will be made available for co-developed restoration projects in the Klamath Basin that will help resolve ongoing water-related challenges and invest in water stability and restoration efforts throughout the region. The full project list may be found on the Service’s website. 

Additionally, the Service will provide $4 million to support the 14,000-acre Agency-Barnes wetland restoration project at Upper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge, as well as $1.8 million to support a feasibility analysis of modifications to water supply infrastructure in Klamath Drainage District for the benefit of fish, wildlife, and farms.  

The Service will also engage Klamath Basin conservation partners in the coming year to develop a conservation and restoration project database and interactive map. This tool will track and describe conservation work in the Klamath Basin for the public and help to coordinate restoration efforts among partners in the Basin. It will also house and provide access to important data sets that can help drive long-term restoration success and support science and research efforts. 

With resources provided by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the Bureau of Reclamation is also establishing a robust drought resilience program for basins experiencing long-term drought and the impacts of climate change – including throughout the Klamath Basin. In the coming months, Reclamation will announce significant additional funding throughout the region to facilitate multi-year planning and alignment of water supply and demand as well as to address critical infrastructure needs. Additionally, Reclamation is funding $2.9 million to the Klamath Tribes, Yurok Tribe, Hoopa Valley Tribe, Karuk Tribe and Modoc Nation for projects that restore watersheds and revitalize water infrastructure.

Talk to any California legislator about the budget deficit the state is facing, and you might hear a familiar refrain: It’s not just about new programs. It’s also how well existing laws are working.

But that can be difficult to track — for the public and lawmakers, alike.

Many new laws include homework for relevant state and local agencies: A deadline to report back to the Legislature about the performance of the new program or commission. The Legislature, itself, says these reports “provide crucial oversight to ensure effective implementation of programs.”

But more than 70% of the 1,118 reports due in the past year were not submitted to the Office of Legislative Counsel, the public repository for the reports, according to a CalMatters analysis of its records. And about half of those that were filed were late. (About 230 were reports required from multiple agencies.)

The office’s website for these reports isn’t widely known about and isn’t comprehensive, but it’s the only system for tracking them across state government. The office said that it does not have information on the percentage of reports filed, and that it removes reports from its website one year after their initial due date, even if they’re filed late, as long as they aren’t required on an ongoing basis.

In theory, these reports could be used to avoid introducing duplicate or unnecessary bills. A total of about 2,000 are put in the hopper each year, and governors sometimes cite duplication in vetoing measures, in addition to raising cost concerns and policy reasons.

Last year, Newsom vetoed 156 bills. In an Oct. 7 batch on health care, he blocked one to require Medi-Cal to cover medication abortion, which he called “well intentioned, but unnecessary,” and another calling for a state database of mental health providers for postpartum depression, which he said would be “duplicative of existing programs and resources.”

“The Legislature, in requiring these reports, is making the decision that this policy area needs to be further explored in order to properly legislate,” said Brittney Barsotti, general counsel for the California News Publishers Association. “If those reports aren’t being completed or being made available to the public, then it could be hindering the policy process.”

One example: Assemblymember Tom Lackey said that one of his bills in 2022 might have been very different had a California Highway Patrol report been filed on time.

That bill re-authorized an inspection exemption for some agricultural vehicles, created by a 2016 law he also authored, which directed the CHP to report back to the Legislature about the impact of the exemption by Jan. 1, 2022. While the report was completed in October 2021, it wasn’t released to legislators until August 2022, seven months late and one day after they passed Lackey’s reauthorization bill.

“The delayed report could’ve changed the bill,” the Palmdale Republican said in an interview. “If we had it before, we could have modified the bill to be more meaningful because now we’re probably going to have to redress it a third time because there’s a sunset, and we could’ve prevented that if the information had come quicker.”

“When you have to duplicate over and over again, that’s a waste of resources, a waste of time, and it’s frustrating,” Lackey added.

The Highway Patrol says that sometimes reports just take longer. “The CHP makes every attempt to submit reports to the Legislature within the statutory timeline,” Jaime Coffee, its communications director, wrote in an email. “Occasionally, reports require additional review and analysis that delay the submittal.”

But the report that the Highway Patrol drafted in 2021 doesn’t show up on the legislative counsel’s reports website because reports are removed one year after they’ve been filed. It’s available on the patrol website.

Assemblymember Phil Ting, who served as budget committee chairperson from 2015 through last year, said delayed or missing information also plagues plans state agencies or boards are supposed to make for the future.

“One of our major jobs is to provide oversight over the entire state government,” said the San Francisco Democrat. “Oftentimes, when reports aren’t filed or information is not brought forward to the committee, it’s very frustrating.”

How legislators do research

According to state statutes, any report required or requested by law must be submitted to the Secretary of the Senate as a printed copy, as an electronic copy to the Chief Clerk of the Assembly, and as an electronic or printed copy to the Office of Legislative Counsel. Upon receiving the reports, the Assembly clerk and Senate secretary print them in the journal and might refer them to the relevant policy committee.

Since 2013, the Office of Legislative Counsel has been required to make the list of local and state agency reports accessible to the public to increase transparency and create “a repository for information” that “more effectively allows for tracking the completion of a report.”

But it’s not always clear whether a missing report hasn’t been completed, or if it was completed, but wasn’t submitted to the Office of Legislative Counsel.

The lack of reliability may be why some lawmakers and consultants say they don’t often use the website. Instead, they gather intel from multiple sources. Some legislators receive reports through their policy committees. There’s also the Legislative Information Systems public website that provides bill language, votes and analysis. Lawmakers can also reach out to the Legislative Analyst’s Office or the state auditor. They can also ask state agencies directly, though that’s not always a quick process.

First-term Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, a Los Angeles Democrat who was just appointed as labor committee chairperson, said one challenge as a new lawmaker is trying to stay on top of the wealth of information available on any given topic, so a clearinghouse of objective resources would be helpful.

“Education is power, knowledge is power,” she said. “My team has done a great job of just digging in and finding resources. But certainly, the more we invest in those sorts of areas for learning using different formats and tools, I think it serves everyone.”

The California State Library also provides legislators with research and reports on related bills from prior years. In one case, Andrew Mendoza, Lackey’s legislative director, was tracking down information for a bill related to child abuse. The only available copy of a report was on paper at the library, he told CalMatters. Inquiries to the library from legislators or the governor’s office are treated as confidential requests to allow staff to explore bill ideas in the early stages.

There’s also the California Open Data portal, which collects information from state agencies. But only 58 of the 237 state agencies and commissions have submitted data.

But who is supposed to make sure reports are actually submitted or made public? There doesn’t seem to be one source.

The state auditor’s office could evaluate the work of a specific agency. Until December, the Legislature had a Committee on Accountability and Administrative Review, whose job was to study how well state programs were implemented and run. But it only held one oversight hearing in 2022 and only three in 2023.

As part of his committee reorganization announced last November, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas disbanded the accountability panel and shifted its duties to a budget subcommittee tasked with examining how effectively the state is spending money. The committee will be led by Assemblymember Avelino Valencia, a Democrat from Anaheim.

“Delivering effective programs for taxpayer dollars is our perennial responsibility,” the Salinas Democrat said in December. “This subcommittee will closely examine what is, and isn’t, getting the job done.”

Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire, who was sworn in to the post last week, said he will be “digging into the issue” of the lack of oversight of past laws.

Asked what the governor can do to increase accountability on reports, Alex Stack, a spokesperson for Gov. Gavin Newsom, said in an email: “The state is required to produce a high volume of annual recurring reports on a wide range of programs and expenditures, with a commitment to transparency, accuracy, and high quality — all while striving to meet deadlines. Where legislative staff signal that a specific report is needed urgently to inform a decision, those can be prioritized.”

Improving public access

Timely reports could help lawmakers avoid introducing unnecessary or duplicative bills, though some legislators might do so regardless of existing laws or programs — to start a conversation, or in response to constituent requests.

But there’s another key reason they’re important: For Californians to advocate for their needs, they need information.

That’s why last year, Sen. Kelly Seyarto introduced a bill to expand which reports are made available to the public.

“Constituents cannot know if their members are effectively representing them if those constituents lack the information necessary to determine their best interests,” the Murrieta Republican wrote in the analysis of the bill, which was signed into law last September.

“Expanding existing agency reporting requirements to encompass all legislative reports is a small adjustment that will go a long way to ensure all Californians have equal access and opportunity to evaluate the same information legislators use to make important policy decisions.”

But reports aren’t always intended to influence decision-making. Sometimes, ordering a report instead of introducing a new bill is a way to punt a difficult issue down the road.

And other factors can impact how useful a report actually is.

One example: The 2016 Voter’s Choice Act, which allows counties to opt into mailing every voter a ballot, expanding in-person early voting, allowing voters to cast a ballot at any vote center in their county and providing ballot drop-off locations. The law required the Secretary of State to report on how elections went in counties that opted into this model within six months of the vote, starting in 2018.

Reports for the 15 Voter’s Choice counties in the 2020 election, however, were not filed until 2022. That meant other counties couldn’t look at that data to decide whether to opt in to that model. But many counties made their decisions based on other factors. Mail balloting expanded during the COVID pandemic, and under a 2021 law, all voters statewide receive ballots in the mail making the reports less relevant.

At a December hearing of the Senate elections committee, in response to an inquiry by Sen. Steve Glazer, the deputy Secretary of State said the late reports were due to the office being understaffed, especially as the number of participating counties grew.

While not disputing that the Voter’s Choice Act had increased participation, “it’s a challenge to actually be very clear on exactly why people participate or don’t,” the Orinda Democrat said at the hearing. “One of the things that we strive for as policymakers is really hard data, objective hard data, so that we can make good choices.”

Susan Shelley, vice president of communications for the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, said it’s important to review programs such as the Voter’s Choice Act alongside other laws implemented during the pandemic to see how the policies are working together.

“At a time when the Legislature is confronting a budget deficit, it is more important than ever to go back and look at previous legislation and review the effectiveness of programs already implemented,” she said.

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

Morgan “Bud” Leroy Cupp
November 22, 1942 – February 5, 2024

Bud Cupp was born November 22, 1942, in Seattle, Washington to William Morgan Cupp and Eulah C. Cupp (Cover) and passed away on February 5, 2024, surrounded by family, in Blue Lake.

Bud grew up in Homedale, Idaho before moving to Crescent City in 1953. He graduated from Del Norte High School in 1960 and went into the Navy where he was injured in boot camp and medically discharged in 1961. Bud met the love of his life, Alice Louise Chindgren at a Del Norte Teen Club dance in 1961 and they were married October 16, 1962, in Crescent City. They had their son, Walter William, in 1963 and daughter, Carolyn Ann, in 1964.

Bud had many talents and jobs throughout his life, from working as a produce clerk in a grocery store, working in a mill, gas stations, long haul truck driver, driving chip and dump trucks, heavy duty truck mechanic and later opening his own heavy duty truck mechanic shop in Crescent City called Bud’s Truck Service. Bud moved his family and business to Arcata in 1983. When his son Walter retired from the Navy, they opened up Cupp and Son’s Truck Repair until they retired and closed the shop in the early 2000s due to health issues. Bud gained many friendships throughout the years as a heavy-duty truck mechanic. To know Bud was to love him. He was a one-of-a-kind man.

Bud lived and loved fiercely. He enjoyed four-wheeling, camping at Siskiyou Forks and along the Chetco River, playing cards, going to Siltcoos Lake to go cat fishing and spending time with family and friends. He looked forward to his weekly lunch dates at Denny’s or Peppers with their dear friends that became family. He belonged to many clubs and organizations throughout the years. He loved to dance, go bowling, watching his western movies and trips to Reno. His family — especially the grandkids and great-grandkids — were the light of his life.

Bud is survived by his wife of 61 years, Alice Cupp (Chindgren), grandsons Ryan and Adam Cupp, granddaughters Terra Cummings (Josh), Jenny Cupp (Jim), grandson David Luis Jr, daughter in-law Linda Cupp (LaVasser), granddaughter Destenie Hall & Family, great-granddaughters Kaitlyn, Emmalyn and Paige Cummings and great-grandsons Jaxon and Radley O’Garey and numerous family and friends which are way too many to mention.

Bud is proceeded in death by his parents Bill and Eulah Cupp, son Walter Cupp, daughter Carolyn Luis (Cupp), great-grandson Caleb Cummings and numerous other relatives.

There will be a celebration of life to honor this amazing man on Saturday, March 9, 2024, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mad River Grange — 110 Hatchery Rd, Blue Lake. All who knew and loved him are welcome

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

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As California’s March 2024 Primary Election draws near, six candidates competing for Jim Wood’s 2nd District seat in the State Assembly are preparing to square off in a local debate. The nonpartisan forum, hosted by True North Organizing Network in partnership with the California Native Vote Project and Cal Poly Humboldt, will take place this Friday in Blue Lake.

California’s 2nd Assembly District encompasses Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Trinity and northern Sonoma County, including most of Santa Rosa. Wood has represented the district since 2014. 

Seven candidates qualified for the primary election ballot, though Mendocino County resident Cynthia Click recently announced her decision to suspend her campaign. The six candidates still in the race are as follows:

• Michael Greer – Del Norte Unified School District trustee, Republican
• Rusty Hicks – Chair of California’s Democratic Party
• Ariel Kelley – Mayor of Healdsburg
• Franklin “Frankie” Myers – Vice-Chairman of the Yurok Tribe
• Chris Rogers – Santa Rosa city councilmember
• Ted Williams – Mendocino County’s Fifth District supervisor

True North’s Community Organizer Evan Morden confirmed that all six candidates are expected to attend the upcoming debate, which will be hosted by Terry Supahan, executive director of True North, and Calvin Hedrick, an organizer with the California Native Vote Project.

“We’re excited that this is going to be the first [forum] hosted on tribal lands for the assembly race,” Morden told the Outpost. “The debate is definitely going to focus on tribal sovereignty, working with tribes, water issues, as well as housing. We haven’t finalized our questions just yet, but those will be the primary topics.”

The debate will kick off at 5:30 p.m. at the Sapphire Palace Event Center, located in the Blue Lake Casino and Hotel, in Blue. The event is free and open to the public. 

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PREVIOUS COVERAGE OF THE STATE ASSEMBLY RACE:

• In Surprise Announcement, Jim Wood Says He Will Not Seek Re-election to California Assembly
• California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks, Now an Arcata Resident, Launches Run for State Assembly Seat Being Vacated by Jim Wood
• Santa Rosa Councilmember Chris Rogers Announces Campaign for State Assembly Seat
• Yurok Tribe Vice Chairman Frankie Myers Declares Candidacy for State Assembly District 2 Seat
• INTERVIEW: Rusty Hicks, California Democratic Party Chair, on How He ‘Fell in Love’ With the North Coast and Decided to Run for State Assembly
• Yurok Vice Chair Frankie Myers Discusses His Assembly Campaign, the Power of Representation and the Unique Voice He’d Bring to Sacramento
• Assemblymember Jim Wood Endorses Rusty Hicks in Crowded Race to Be His Successor
• Michael Greer Touts Political Experience, Background in Public Education As Assets in Assembly Race

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Less than 48 hours before a judge was set to hear motions for preliminary injunction aimed at halting the start of several Eureka housing development projects, the local group Citizens for a Better Eureka (CBE) has issued a press release saying it has dropped those motions.

However, CBE says it will push forward with four lawsuits alleging that the city violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) by failing to adequately evaluate the impacts of converting the city-owned properties into housing developments. 

If a judge had granted the requests for preliminary injunction, the city would have been ordered to pause all work on the related housing development projects, pending the outcome of the CEQA suits. Now, the city can continue pursuing those projects, though CBE member Michelle Costantine doesn’t sound concerned about that, saying in the release that there’s “currently very little funding” for the projects.

Reached by phone, Eureka City Manager Miles Slattery said that’s simply untrue. Two of the three projects being targeted by the CEQA lawsuits — the Linc Housing developments slated to be built on parking lot sites at Eighth and G and Sixth and M — are largely funded already thanks to a $30.1 million grant awarded by the California Strategic Growth Council last year.

“That’s secured, ready to go, and we’re rolling,” Slattery said.

The city has applied for the rest of the needed funding on those projects — approximately $15 million — from the National Housing Trust Fund, a loan program financed by the California Department of Housing and Community Development and the federal government.

“We’ve been in this process for many months, going back and forth with them,” Slattery said. “If that gets awarded, we’ll be fully funded and ready to roll,” by completing the design and starting construction.

The third project site, at the corner of Fifth and D streets, is slated to be developed by Dishgamu Humboldt Community Land Trust, a unit of the Wiyot Tribe. The city completed a memorandum of understanding with the Tribe at the end of 2023. 

“As part of proposal [the Tribe] made it very clear that a tax credit program has set aside specific money for tribes,” Slattery said, adding that this is probably the most “fundable” multi-unit housing project in development due to the Wiyot Tribe’s ability to secure funding that’s not available to non-tribal entities.

The CBE, meanwhile, is largely funded by Security National, a real estate loan acquisition and servicing company founded by Robin P. Arkley, II, who in 2021 declared his intent to fight the city’s plans in the courts and at the ballot box. His corporation is also funding “The Eureka Housing for All and Downtown Vitality Initiative,” which will appear on ballots this November. 

Here’s the press release from the Citizens for a Better Eureka:

Citizens for a Better Eureka announced today they will continue with its lawsuits against the City regarding the development of downtown but will withdraw the current motions for injunctions against the City.

The CEQA lawsuits were pursued because the members didn’t believe the city had fully considered the impacts its plan would have on the economic vitality of downtown. Although members understood the likelihood of obtaining injunctions was low, they decided to pursue them to secure more certainty that the City could not move forward with its plan. At the same time, the CEQA lawsuits were still undecided.

“There’s an initiative qualified for the November ballot, and there is currently very little funding for the downtown developments, so it is better not to waste the court’s time with these injunctions,” Michelle Costantine, a CBE member, said.

After re-evaluating the injunctions in light of receiving additional information about the City’s plans, the members did not feel it was necessary to continue with the current injunctions and elected to withdraw them for the present time.

Citizens for a Better Eureka remains deeply interested in creating housing for City residents at all income levels and the economic vitality of downtown. The members are focused on addressing the misinformation that continues to permeate regarding their intentions with the initiative and the lawsuits.

The Citizens for a Better Eureka is a nonprofit organization of more than 60 Eureka downtown business owners and concerned citizens advocating for smart downtown planning and a vibrant local economy.

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[NOTE: This post has been updated from its original version to include replies from Eureka City Manager Miles Slattery.]

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PREVIOUSLY:

• Backers of Eureka’s Pro-Parking ‘Housing for All’ Initiative Say They’ve Gathered and Submitted Enough Signatures to Get It On the Ballot
• Arkley-Affiliated ‘Citizens for a Better Eureka’ Files Two More Lawsuits Against the City, Aiming to Block Linc Housing Developments
• Backers of Pro-Parking Lot ‘Housing for All’ Initiative Say They’ve Filed a Lawsuit Against the City of Eureka Because They Believe They Should be on the Spring Ballot Rather Than the Fall Ballot
• Eureka Council Sends Pro-Parking ‘Housing for All’ Initiative to November 2024 Election Ballots
• Security National Has Spent at Least $236,000 on the Pro-Parking ‘Housing for All’ Initiative So Far
• State Attorney General’s Office Joins the Fight Against the Pro-Parking Group ‘Citizens for a Better Eureka’
• Housing for All Backers (Meaning Security National, Really) Have Outspent Opponents by Margin of 163-1
• PISTOLS for TWO: An Exchange of Letters on the Eureka Housing for All Initiative and the Outpost’s Coverage Thereof
• ‘I Will Not Stand For It’: Attorney General Bonta Decries ‘Cynical’ Lawsuits From Citizens for a Better Eureka
• Judge Tosses Suit From ‘Citizens for a Better Eureka’ Backers Accusing the City of Violating Elections Code

PREVIOUSLY: 

• It’s ELECTION LIMERICK Time Once Again! Please Send Us Your Letters of Support For Local Candidates and Measures, But Only in the Form of a Limerick

Last week the Outpost let you know that we would, once again, be accepting submissions of election limericks, giving the public a way to share their opinion on local candidates and ballot measures while limiting the style to a shorter, more entertaining format than typical endorsement letters. 

Now, since it is Valentine’s Day, we will show our love to those who answered the call by publishing the first round of limericks submitted to our inbox.

FIRST DISTRICT SUPERVISOR

There once was a Coastie named Gordon
Who once rescued folks from the ocean
Clatworthy’s his name
Housing folks is his game
To elect him would be our great fortune!

– Carol Ann Conners

THIRD DISTRICT SUPERVISOR

Mike is so involved in community
He listens to all with impunity.
Always logical and fair,
Despite chaos in the air,
Let’s keep Mike and seek unity!

– Christine Champe

SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE DIVISION ONE

I have a confession to make,
I don’t know April but here’s my take:
The incumbent is scum,
Look it up, he’s a bum!
The choice is a clear piece of cake.

– Christine Champe

MEASURE A

We will vote NO on Measure A.
Despite the rhetoric they say.
This won’t help the county,
Or the farmers around me.
Join me and say NO way.

– Nathan Whittington

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In Humboldt, there’s a measure named A,
But confusion’s the game they play.
Farmers, take heed,
Don’t let them mislead,
Vote No, keep their tricks at bay.

Democrats, Republicans, Greens unite,
Agreeing this measure isn’t right.
For Humboldt’s sake,
A stand we must take,
Vote No and defend with all our might.

– Casandra Taliaferro

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The Cannabis Reform Initiative …
Well that seems to me as indicative
Of our need to grow weed
(‘cos it’s safer than speed)
And the current cost is so prohibitive.

– Bob Turvey

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Good intentions, galore, galore
Humboldt unites, the stuff of lore
At the end of day
Measure A — no way
Together voters: NO on A

– Dylan Mattole

MEASURE C

There’s a fire department in Fieldbrook
Whose value is oft overlooked.
But if we pass measure C
Then your next emergency
Will have a far better outlook.

– Teri Huber-Bundros

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So far it seems that Measure A, the Cannabis Reform Initiative, has sparked the most poetic inspiration in our readers. The candidates, not so much. We only received one (printable) poem related to the First District race, one for Third District, and not a single measly limerick for any of our Second District candidates.

The Superior Court Judge race also garnered just one limerick. Hey, inspiration can’t be forced! But perhaps after reading this first round, some of you will feel the need to write a little something for the candidate you support who hasn’t had any limerick love yet. 

Did you send us a limerick that didn’t get published? It is probably because of one of these reasons:

• It was too gross! 
• It contained libelous claims about one of the candidates!
• It was not even close to being a limerick! And we were pretty lenient on this, so if yours didn’t make the cut, it must have been real off. (See Hank Sims’ post from last year shaming everyone and reminding them of proper limerick elements and meter here.)
• It had absolutely nothing to do with the upcoming local elections! Not sure why, but this was surprisingly common and several people sent us some pretty strange limericks.

Now that we have outlined the minimum requirements for publication, maybe you want to take another stab at it. So write some great limericks — or, OK, even terrible ones — in support of your favorite candidate or initiative, and send them to news@lostcoastoutpost.com with the words “Election Limerick” in the subject line!