Go broad or go deep? That’s one of the big questions state lawmakers are debating as they grapple with how to most effectively use $1.5 billion that voters approved last year for projects to reduce the impact of California wildfires.

That money comes from Proposition 4, the November ballot measure that authorized a $10 billion bond to pay for climate-related projects such as water systems and wildfire mitigation.

In his January budget proposal, Gov. Gavin Newsom recommended that $325 million of the bond money should be allocated in the upcoming fiscal year to a variety of wildfire prevention programs. The remainder would be spent over the next five years.

But Democratic Assemblymember Steve Bennett, chair of the budget subcommittee on climate, energy and transportation, told the administration in a hearing on Wednesday that the state should pursue a focused strategy to make the most use of limited resources.

“It can’t be a little bit here, and a little bit here, and a little bit here,” said Bennett, who represents Oxnard. “We need a comprehensive plan to say these are the resources we have; by linking these things together, this is how we could maximize our effectiveness.”

Robyn Fennig, assistant director for Hazard Mitigation for the state’s Office of Emergency Services, described the proposal for the upcoming fiscal year as one part of a broader strategy that might include trying to secure matching federal funds.

Bennett also noted that the state faces an enormous challenge to address the threats from climate change.

“There has been a sea change in terms of what’s happening as a result of climate change,” Bennett said. “The home insurance crisis was serious, but it’s now going to be unmanageable for California if we don’t find a way to decrease our losses when these wildfires sweep it near or into communities.”

State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant, defended the administration’s approach.

“I completely agree that [home-hardening] has to be a focal point, but our strategy has to be doing all of these things together,” he told lawmakers. “If we’re not managing the forest, we’re going to have large forest fires that burn right into our communities. ”

The bond measure language, approved by the Legislature last year, offers some flexibility on how to spend the money, Rachel Ehlers, a policy analyst with the Legislative Analyst’s Office, said at the hearing.

But that flexibility leaves some questions for lawmakers, she said, flagging a proposal in the governor’s budget plan to add an additional $9 million to a pilot program that gives homeowners financial assistance to make their homes more fire-resistant.

“Do you want the funding to go deep and have fewer structures that are protected, but have more of them covered? Or do you want it wide, where you’re giving smaller grants that won’t protect the whole structure, but maybe more properties get access to it? What regions of the state do you want to focus on?”

For the pilot program, established in 2019,the administration’s approach was to target the most vulnerable communities, Berlant said.

Six counties currently are participating in it, based on factors including population health and age, as well as wildfire risk and other climate data. The state reports 17 homes have completed the fire-proofing process and another 23 are in progress. The additional money could expand the program to two more counties.

The selection process could be similar for one of the new programs proposed under the Prop. 4 funding: providing financial assistance to vulnerable Californians to create a five-foot zone around their home that could protect it from burning down.

“You talked about, how do we prioritize? We can’t help everybody,” said Berlant. “We can educate everybody, but those that are most vulnerable who can’t physically do this work, who can’t financially afford to do this work, this program will provide funding to assist them.”

The administration noted that Newsom’s budget proposal is a work in progress — one that was drafted prior to the Southern California wildfires.

“I recognize we have to do all the above and I recognize it is fiendishly difficult to try to figure out, “Do we do 10% here, etcetera there,” Bennett said at the hearing. “In my mind, there has not been enough focus yet on (home) hardening and I think we’re starting to recognize that.”

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

Sharon Loris August-Sanchez
Nov. 26,1951 -Dec. 14, 2024

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our mom, Sharon. She passed away peacefully at home, just as she wanted.

Sharon was born in Scotia on November 26, 1951 to George and Janet “Loris” August. She joined three older siblings — Loran, Richard and Janet — and later welcomed a younger brother, Dean, into the family. She grew up in Loleta and graduated from Loleta Elementary School, where she made many longtime friends. Sharon graduated from Fortuna High School in 1969.

Except for a couple of years when she lived in Redding, Sharon was a true “born and raised” in Humboldt girl, riding horses, living the simple country life.

In 1972 she welcomed her first daughter, Chelsey, followed by another daughter, Shamrae, in 1975. Although she loved her girls and her Dashaud Jacob, it was really her grandchildren who were her pride and joy.

She leaves behind her daughters Chelsey Branstetter of Ferndale and Shamrae Carrick (Denton) of Fortuna; her grandchildren, whom she loved dearly, Maci, Kylee and Lane Branstetter, and Rylan Tuey and Lillian Carrick; along with her great-grandson, Braxx Tuey. She was a very proud grandma.

Sharon is also survived by her sister Janet Borges and brothers Richard “Dick” and Dean August. She is preceded in death by her parents, George and Janet; her brother Loran August and his son Marc August; along with her grandson Austin Tuey, who left a big whole in her heart when he passed.

Sharon leaves behind many nieces and nephews, as well as a few lifelong friends whom she held close to her heart.

We will have a celebration of life later when we can enjoy the sunshine, just as she would like.

Until we meet again, mom. We love you.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Sharon August-Sanchez’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.

A nationwide spending boycott to protest the power of billionaires and wealthy companies isn’t leaving Humboldt totally untouched. 

Thousands of people around the country are planning on not buying anything for all of tomorrow, except at local businesses. According to the Associated Press, a group called The People’s Union USA is taking credit for the idea. Participants have, for the most part, been plotting on social media. Several local groups, such as the Humboldt Progressive Democrats and Showing Up for Racial Justice Humboldt, have endorsed the protest. 

“The false narrative of the cuts being instituted as helping regular Americans is being refuted with this boycott,” said Sarah Bee, the vice chair of the Humboldt Progressive Democrats in a statement sent to the Outpost. “The only thing the one percent care about is the bottom line and we can withhold our dollars from the billionaires and support small local businesses instead.”

Eureka resident Dan Carmell posted a flyer about the boycott on the r/Humboldt subreddit to provoke some discussion. Although he doesn’t have much faith it’ll change anything and sees it more symbolically, he thinks it’s still worth doing because it requires no effort. 

“[I’m] just another angry, bewildered progressive,” Carmell wrote in a direct message to the Outpost. “In the past, I would have hoped for a snowball effect for popular support to reverse the Trump/Musk/GOP agenda, ultimately aimed at Congress…I don’t see a path to a mass popular movement nor any chance of such a movement altering the GOP agenda one iota. As a long time activist, I know that dedicated people do it anyway, performative or not, as a matter of principle.”

The reaction from most online has been fairly apathetic. Several commenters on Reddit called the boycott performative and mostly for the benefit of those participating. 

Cal Poly Humboldt student June Morris is a little more optimistic, though she also doesn’t think too highly of movements that seem to be almost entirely organized online. She believes that an economic blackout like this one can be a solid rebuke to those in charge.

“It’s a reminder,” Morris said. “You are nothing without us…It’s not like this gets rid of the demand, but if there’s nobody buying their supply, that’s money they’re losing…It feels like we’re trying to speak to them, but the only language they understand — or will listen to — is money.” 

“I think it’s worth a shot,” Morris continued. “Hope is really important in times like this, and maybe some good will come out of this.”

Press release from the Eureka Police Department: 

The Eureka Police Department conducted two Shoulder Tap operations during the month of February within the city limits of Eureka. The first operation, conducted on February 13th, resulted in the arrest of one suspect for furnishing alcoholic beverages to a minor, possession of drug paraphernalia, and having an outstanding warrant. The second operation, conducted on February 21st, resulted in two suspects being cited for furnishing alcoholic beverages to minors.

ABC agents and local law enforcement conducted a Shoulder Tap operation, which targets adults who purchase alcohol for persons under the age of 21. A minor under the direct supervision of law enforcement stands outside of a liquor or convenience store and asks customers to buy them alcohol. The minor also indicates they are underage and cannot purchase the alcohol.

Underage drinking harms our community. Preventing the sale of alcohol to minors will help to increase public safety and make our roads safer.

If an adult agrees to purchase alcohol for the underage person, they can be arrested and cited for furnishing alcohol to a minor. The penalty for furnishing alcohol to a minor is a minimum $1,000 fine and 24 hours of community service.

“We conduct these operations to keep alcohol out of the hands of our youth,” said ABC Director Joseph McCullough. “By preventing underage drinking we can increase the quality of life in our communities and reduce DUIs.”

Statistics have shown that young people under the age of 21 have a much higher risk of being involved in a crash than older drivers. About 25 percent of fatal crashes involve underage drinking according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the ABC Alcohol Policing Partnership (APP)program.

Press release from Brett McFarland:

165 years after the brutal February 26, 1860, massacre of Wiyot men, women, and children on Tuluwat Island and neighboring villages, a new song emerges, inspired by Wiyot Tribal member Alan Miller Coonskin’s family history and his work to help his people heal.

As the program director for a recovery house in Bear River, Alan helps Indigenous community members coming out of prison and rehab heal from their trauma and prepare to return home in a good way. Confronting the impacts of multigenerational trauma in his community is no easy task, but that’s exactly what Alan has dedicated his life to.

If you saw Brett McFarland’s music video for the song Humboldt, you may have noticed Alan and some of the men from the recovery house standing with their eel hooks. It was during the filming of that video that Brett first learned details of Alan’s family history.

“When we were shooting the Humboldt video, sometimes we’d spend an entire day just to get a few seconds of footage,” Brett recalls. “But since we had the camera rolling, we started interviewing the people we were filming about their experiences living in Humboldt. We heard so many interesting and touching stories, but what we heard from some of the Indigenous community members hit me so deeply that I still lie awake at night thinking about them.”

When Brett asked Alan how he felt about living in Humboldt, Alan responded, “This is my home. My family’s home.” Then, visibly emotional, Alan recounted how his great-great-grandmother, Zowishwish, swam from Tuluwat Island eight months pregnant the night of the massacre. He explained that he is only here today because of the strength of the women on both sides of his family. He also shared how his grandmother Evelyn had told him firsthand about life in the boarding schools.

“When I listened to Alan tell his story,” Brett says, “it turned a tragic historical event into something deeply personal.”

These stories gave Brett chills, and shortly after, he reached out to Chuck Petty, Executive Director of the Humboldt Historical Society, to ask if they had a copy of Bret Harte’s 1860 newspaper article reporting on the massacre. [UPDATE: See editor’s note below.]

“I had hoped to include a picture of the article in the Humboldt music video,” Brett reveals. “But Chuck told me they didn’t have it. ‘No problem,’ I said. ‘Any old antique newspaper article on the massacre could work.’ But Chuck told me they didn’t have that either. He said,
‘No such articles exist. After they ran old Bret Harte out of town, they pretty well buried it. It wasn’t until about 20 years ago that it started surfacing in the news again.’”

“Hearing Chuck say that blew me away. That’s when I knew I had to write a song about it.”

Brett’s newest song, “Street Signs,” was inspired by these stories that came up during the making of the video for Humboldt. It aims to help the community heal by bringing not just awareness but also an emotional connection to the tragedy. The song also shines a light on people like Alan, who work tirelessly to honor both the living and the dead through service to their community.

[Ed. note: Chuck Petty, the Executive Director of the Humboldt Historical Society, disputes the quote attributed to him in the release above. See his note in the comment section below.]

PREVIOUS BRETT:

• (VIDEO) Everyone in Humboldt County is Required to Watch This Music Video Now
• (VIDEO) ‘Humboldt’ Singer Brett McFarland is Back With a Snappy New Song and Video About How Everything is Going to Hell
• (VIDEO) ‘The California Nobody Knows’: Popular YouTuber Wanders Around Humboldt County With Local Farmer, Songwriter Brett McFarland
• (VIDEO) ‘Humboldt’ Songwriter’s Latest Splashy Music Video Celebrates the Fall and Rise of the Klamath River

(AUDIO) Jess Meadow on KHUM

It’s time for another edition of KHUM’s Wellness Wednesday, Kianna Znika (AKA DJ Lizzerd Kween)’s weekly chat with Humboldt-based physical, mental and spiritual health professionals.

This week Kianna speaks with Jess Meadow, founder of the Living Rhythm Collective, for a chat about Ayurvedic medicine, the benefits of holistic healing, and the importance rejuvenating oneself with occasional resets. Tune in by clicking the player above and learn more about Living Rhythm Collective at her website.

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Below: Photos from Meadow’s KHUM interview.

PREVIOUS WELLNESS WEDNESDAY:

• Are You Down to Experiment With Sobriety and Gut Health, Humboldt? The Water Kefiry, a Local Ferment Factory, Would Like to Help You With That

California’s largest insurer should know within a couple of weeks whether it can raise premiums on its nearly 3 million policies in the state after making its case in a face-to-face meeting with Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara yesterday.

In comments after the closed-door meeting, Lara said he would carefully consider the request, which he previously rejected. He said he hoped to reach a decision within 14 days.

State Farm General — the state arm of the national State Farm Group — had asked to increase homeowner premiums an average 22% on an interim basis outside the usual approval process under California insurance law. It wants to bypass the rate hearing that would normally be required, saying it has been waiting for the Insurance Department to approve rate increases it requested last year, and that payouts from the Los Angeles County fires have worsened its financial position.

In the request, made at the beginning of February, the company said it wants to start charging customers the “emergency” rate increases in May. Lara rejected the request against his staff’s recommendation Feb. 14, saying he needed more information and called for the company’s top executives to appear before him.

Wednesday’s meeting, in the Oakland offices of Lara’s Insurance Department, lasted for nearly an hour and a half. At the meeting were representatives of the department, State Farm, including Chief Executive Dan Krause, and Consumer Watchdog, an advocacy group that urged the commissioner to reject the interim rate increases, .

In a press conference after the closed-door meeting, the commissioner said he is going to look at the company’s data, ask for more information if he needs it and wants to “get this done” no less than two weeks from now.

“I want consumers to understand why I made the decision,” he said.

State Farm executives said in a letter to Lara dated Feb. 25 that the company has paid $1.75 billion so far on about 9,500 claims and expects about $7.6 billion in total claim payments. The company estimates its surplus has decreased from $1.04 billion at the end of 2024 to about $400 million after the LA fires.

“This is an unfortunate circumstance for our customers and all Californians, and only worsens SFG’s financial position and related internal and external measures of financial strength and forward-looking claims-paying ability from what they were last June,” the company wrote.

Under Proposition 103, the voter-approved law that regulates insurance in the state, insurance companies that ask for rate increases of 7% and above are subject to rate hearings if an intervenor objects. Consumer Watchdog intervened in State Farm’s rate requests last year, and is objecting to the company’s request for interim increases now.

Consumer Watchdog’s response to State Farm’s letter stated: “Granting an ‘emergency interim rate’ increase under these circumstances would set a dangerous precedent, effectively allowing insurers to circumvent Proposition 103’s prior approval requirements.”

The meeting yesterday was not an official rate hearing; Lara characterized it as an “informal meeting.”

In an interview with CalMatters after the meeting, attorneys for Consumer Watchdog said the financial information State Farm has provided in its letter, as well as at the meeting, is not sufficient. They expressed hope that the commissioner seemed open to bringing the matter to a rate hearing, as required by law.

“We need the underlying data” behind the numbers the company has publicly released, said Ben Armstrong, the actuary for Consumer Watchdog.

In an emailed statement, State Farm spokesperson Sevag Sarkissian said only: “Today we took the opportunity to reiterate with Commissioner Lara the urgency needed to approve State Farm General’s interim rate request so that State Farm General can continue helping California customers.”

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