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A ‘Way of Life at Risk’

The catastrophic drought that is striking the West seems to have gotten the attention of Congress.

On May 25, North Coast Representative Jared Huffman chaired a virtual bipartisan hearing on the status of drought conditions in an area that extends from the Rio Grande to the Pacific Northwest. Huffman is no stranger to environmental issues, being a member of several congressional committees and subcommittees that supervise federal water projects, fisheries management, coastal zone and oceans policy, and wildlife and endangered species.

The hearing of the Water, Oceans and Wildlife Subcommittee Huffman chairs, consisted of nine expert witnesses, who each gave five minutes of testimony. It was followed by two hours of discussion and questions from members of Congress, some thoughtful and some critical, and occasionally reminding the viewer of an overcrowded lifeboat.

One of the expert witnesses was Amy Cordalis, counsel for the drought-ravaged Yurok Tribe. Wearing a traditional Yurok woven cap, she described the effects of watching a river starting to disintegrate in front of her eyes.

“From time immemorial, the Yurok lifeway has centered around the Klamath River. Drought puts our natural resources and way of life at risk,” she said. “The Yurok Reservation is in one of the most remote areas in California. We are hundreds of miles away from state or federal offices. The tribal government responds to emergencies like drought. In the next few months, we anticipate hundreds of homes will be without drinking water because the streams will run dry.

“Fire risk is extremely high,” she continued. “Last year, the Yurok Reservation was surrounded by wildfires for days and experienced the worst air quality on the planet. For two weeks, the reservation and surrounding areas were covered in a shroud of smoke. Many community members are still suffering from the health problems caused by such poor air quality. We anticipate this will happen again and are making preparation.”

She emphasized that the tribe needed funding if the commercial fishermen and their families were to survive the drought.

“Fish disease is rampant on the Klamath River,” she said. “We have already lost nearly an entire class of baby salmon from fish disease. This will have a long-term impact on the Klamath stock, reducing the size of future harvests available to tribal and offshore commercial fishermen. Adding insult to injury, the remaining and the returning 2021 adult salmon class is historically low. As a conservation measure, the tribe canceled its 2021 commercial fishery.

For the Glory!

Photo by Mark McKenna Sculptures from the Kinetic Lab in Arcata pedal down H Street in the Glorious and Official Unofficially Sanctioned 2021 Kinetic Grand Championship, also known as the Kinetic Sculpture in Place, on May 29. POSTED 05.31.21

The is the fifth year in a row the tribe has not had a robust viable fishery and we have lost millions of dollars as a result.”

The present catastrophe, while amplified by nature, has its roots in decades of misguided federal policies.

“Watersheds throughout the west are over-developed, over-appropriated and over-stressed,” she said. “We have overbuilt infrastructure, over promised water supplies to the detriment of our own health and the planet.”

— Elaine Weinreb POSTED 05.28.21 Read the full story online.

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Still Orange: Humboldt County stayed in California’s orange “moderate” COVID-19 risk tier June 1 despite infection and test-positivity rates more than four times that of the rest of the state. According to the state data, Humboldt saw a test-positivity rate of 5.6 percent with 8.2 new cases confirmed daily per 100,000 residents for the week.

POSTED 06.01.21

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Vaccine Lottery: California residents who have received their COVID-19 vaccines will be eligible to win a grand prize of $1.5 million or cash prizes of $50,000, when the state draws 40 winners from the list of vaccinated state residents in a series of drawings beginning June 4 and ending June 15. Those who have received a vaccine shot are automatically entered.

POSTED 05.27.21

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Blue-green Algae Arrives Early: Anyone visiting Humboldt lakes or rivers is being cautioned to look out for blue-green algae after the Blue Lake Rancheria confirmed levels of cyanobacteria at two sample sites on the Mad River last week. The cyanobacteria, which can produce harmful toxins that cause health risks to humans and animals, usually appears on the North Coast in late July or August. POSTED 05.28.21

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Digitally Speaking

The number of otter sculptures to be featured in a scavenger hunt spanning five counties, including Humboldt. Sculpture installations have begun and can be spotted around the county, including Trinidad. See a sneak preview slideshow at www.northcoastjournal.com. POSTED 05.27.21

They Said It

“Phasing out a program that was the first of its kind in the theater field and higher education in North America was a painful and heart-wrenching decision.”

— Dell’Arte Managing Director Alyssa Hughlett in a press release announcing the school’s decision to end its MFA

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Comment of the Week

“Does it feel like a dystopian novel? Yes. Am I fully vaccinated and would like to win anyways? Also yes.”

— Alana Nicklas on a Journal Facebook post about the state’s incentive program to award a total of $15 million to vaccinated California residents in a series of drawings. POSTED 05.27.21