In the News
US fisheries are overfishing, again
by Molly Masterson
This National Ocean Month, as we take time to appreciate the "big blue," we must not forget to thank its unsung - and gilled - heroes. When we picture a healthy ocean, most of us see one teeming with fish. Healthy fish populations are building blocks of marine ecosystems, affecting everything else in the food web from whales to seabirds. They are also engines of our coastal economies and the communities that rely on them, with fisheries in the United States supporting an estimated 1.7 million … Continue Reading
July 13, 2021
Police Reform, LGBTQ Rights, Voting: The Disappearing Dem Agenda
by Sam Brodey
With the most promising window for action in the Joe Biden era already closing, Democrats are going all-in on advancing a sweeping infrastructure bill-at the expense of many other progressive priorities on their wishlist. Police reform, guns, LGBTQ protections, and voting rights-they were once all near the top of the to-do list for Democrats when President Joe Biden took office and Democrats claimed control of the House and Senate. But, at the moment, none of them are going anywhere, and the … Continue Reading
July 07, 2021
Rep. Huffman salutes Humboldt County Public Health, says it needs more funds
by Ruth Schneider
North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) toured Humboldt County's Public Health facilities on Wednesday as part of a visit to the county, lauding the work it does, while noting more work remains with the county still shy of 50% fully vaccinated adults. But he stressed he wants to see more funding for local Public Health. "It's remarkable," he said. "You've got every square inch of space seemingly being used with high-tech equipment and cardboard boxes jammed in next to each other. This … Continue Reading
July 07, 2021
Local officials unveil Humboldt County airport microgrid
by Isabella Vanderheiden
State officials and local leaders gathered at the Humboldt County airport in McKinleyville on Wednesday for a groundbreaking ceremony unveiling the airport's renewable energy microgrid. The microgrid will provide clean energy to Humboldt County and serve as a lifeline in the event of a natural disaster once the site becomes fully operational in early 2022. The microgrid was designed and developed by the Schatz Energy Research Center and Humboldt State University and is part of an interagency … Continue Reading
July 07, 2021
Federal Bill Would Standardize Home Visit Process for Adoption, Foster Placement
by The Imprint Staff
Not every applicant would make an equally suitable adoptive or foster parent. But if the professionals who must evaluate those applications aren't all asking the same set of questions, it's pretty hard to compare applicants and to identify those that would best suit a child's individual needs for a safe, loving home. Recognizing this, a bipartisan group of federal lawmakers has introduced a resolution that would standardize the process of conducting home visits and require uploading the … Continue Reading
July 04, 2021
Fairfax teenager wins congressional art contest
by Keri Brenner
If Samuel Lopez's painting "Boy in a Blue Mask" evokes the plight of students enduring the isolation and anxiety of the pandemic, Lopez planned it that way. "I wanted to tell people not to be afraid of the coronavirus," said Lopez, 17, of Fairfax, who completed the watercolor on brown paper for his art class at Terra Linda High School in San Rafael. The painting won first place last month in the 2nd Congressional District art contest overseen by U.S. Rep. Jared Huffman. It will be displayed … Continue Reading
July 01, 2021
House passes a major infrastructure bill - but not the one you're thinking of
by Tal Kopan
WASHINGTON - The House passed a significant infrastructure bill Thursday that would bring hundreds of millions of dollars to the Bay Area and beyond and make climate-friendly policy changes to federal transportation programs. Most everyone involved acknowledges it won't become law as is, given the current political dynamics. But passing the bill is nonetheless a significant data point, as it gives the Bay Area an indication of what could be coming if President Biden succeeds at passing the … Continue Reading
July 01, 2021
Healdsburg SMART Bridge Could Get $13.6M: Infrastructure Bill
by Maggie Fusek
HEALDSBURG, CA - The U.S. House of Representatives approved a $715 billion infrastructure plan, and if the Senate passes it, it will mean $13.6 million for the SMART Russian River Rail Bridge Rehabilitation project in Healdsburg. If President Joe Biden signs it into law, it would be the nation's largest infrastructure investment in about 75 years: a 50 percent increase over the last infrastructure budget, according to The New York Times. California would be a big winner under the … Continue Reading
July 01, 2021
Biden admin set to ditch Trump's Calif. irrigation policy
by Jeremy P. Jacobs and Michael Doyle
The Interior Department appears ready to reverse an eleventh-hour Trump administration policy that would slash bills that California irrigators must pay for environmental restoration, according to documents obtained by E&E News. Former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt signed the policy on Jan. 19 - a day before President Biden's inauguration - that said restoration and mitigation requirements for the massive federal project that delivers water from wet Northern California to farms in … Continue Reading
June 30, 2021
House Democrats pump up water recycling bill
by Jeremy P. Jacobs
House Democrats and Western water providers yesterday pressed for more federal investment in water recycling as the region faces a deepening drought. California Rep. Jared Huffman (D) touted the "Large-Scale Water Recycling Project Investment Act," H.R. 4099, which would create a new $750 million federal grant program. Such projects are "drought-proof," Huffman said at a hearing of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife, which he chairs. The Democrat asked … Continue Reading
June 30, 2021
Congressman Huffman introduces bill to retain marina fees
On Friday, Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, introduced bipartisan legislation with neighbor, Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, to extend the authority of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest to collect and retain marina fees to enhance recreation and improve access at the Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area. "This is an important piece of legislation for Trinity County, its residents, economy, and the many visitors it welcomes every year," said Representative Huffman. "The Shasta-Trinity … Continue Reading
June 30, 2021
Sonoma County receives $37 million federal grant for wildlife mitigation
by PHIL BARBER
Ravaged by fires over the past four years, Sonoma County got a boost for future efforts to mitigate calamities Wednesday when President Joe Biden announced a $37 million FEMA grant to the county for use in wildfire prevention. "It was a sense of relief just washing over me," Lynda Hopkins, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, said of Biden's announcement. "Being in the midst of a historic drought, with extremely low moisture levels, knowing we're walking into a really tough … Continue Reading
June 28, 2021
In Your Town for June 29, 2021
Contest launches for student app makers Rep. Jared Huffman has announced the start of the 2021 Congressional App Challenge, a contest for software creators who are in high school. The competition, which was created in 2013, aims to promote engagement in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. Information on registering for the contest in the state's 2nd Congressional District, which includes Marin County, is at bit.ly/3h1icYL. Work must be submitted by Nov. … Continue Reading
June 28, 2021
Huffman and others introduce Bicameral Bill to protect America’s Coastal Regions
by Willits News
U.S. Representatives Jared Huffman (D-Calif.-2) and Jennifer González-Colón (R-P.R.), along with U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), have introduced legislation that would reauthorize the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Coastal Program, which brings together FWS activities in priority coastal areas along the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, and in the Caribbean. Within these areas, the FWS partners with coastal communities … Continue Reading
June 28, 2021
House lawmakers to review bipartisan drought bills
by Jeremy Jacobs
Lawmakers on a House panel will be up to their necks in water-related legislation tomorrow, including multiple bills seeking to boost supplies for the drought-stricken West. The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife will consider legislation to authorize environmental mitigation projects at the shrinking Salton Sea in Southern California, which poses a significant public health risk, and measures to boost wastewater recycling programs. The Salton Sea, … Continue Reading
June 26, 2021
ECONEWS REPORT: Rep. Jared Huffman on Dams, Wild Places and the State of the North Coast Environment on Capitol Hill
Congressman Jared Huffman joins Gang Green to talk about this legislative session. Top of his mind, as always, is his public lands bill-the "Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forests Act"-which packs together new Wilderness designations with fuel breaks, trespass cannabis clean up, new trails and visitor centers and more. Sen. Padilla has taken up the bill in the Senate and is proving to be an effective advocate. Also on the docket is dam removal on both the Eel and … Continue Reading
June 25, 2021
Bill would refresh coastal conservation program
by Michael Doyle
Lawmakers have waved off some customary Capitol Hill differences to float a bill that would continue some politically popular coastal conservation efforts. Jointly introduced by Democrats and Republicans in both the House and Senate, the legislation would reauthorize the Fish and Wildlife Service's Coastal Program. The program provides a variety of grants, among other measures. "This collaborative bill will ensure the health and resilience of coastal ecosystems, benefiting the wildlife, … Continue Reading
June 25, 2021
House Democrats seek to boost water recycling projects
by Jeremy Jacobs
Western Democrats yesterday introduced legislation aimed at boosting water recycling as their region grapples with drought. The bill, from House Natural Resources Chairman Raúl Grijalva of Arizona and Reps. Grace Napolitano and Jared Huffman of California and Susie Lee of Nevada, would establish a new $750 million federal grant program for recycling projects. "Southern Nevada - and the entire desert Southwest - is facing a water crisis, and solving this problem is going to take … Continue Reading
June 24, 2021
Mendocino student a finalist in Congressional Art Competition
by Jody Martinez
Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) recently announced the results of this year's Congressional Art Competition for California's Second District, which was open to all high school students in Huffman's district. Mendocino County's top entry was by Songe Kvinsland, a Mendocino Community High School student, who became a finalist with artwork titled "Disco." Humboldt County's finalist was Fiona McNiel, from Academy of the Redwoods, with "A Girl in Waiting." Sonoma County's finalist was … Continue Reading
June 24, 2021
Rep. Huffman announces 2021 Congressional App Challenge
From a release issued by the office of North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman: Congressman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) announced the start of the 2021 Congressional App Challenge for high school students in California's Second Congressional District. Established by the U.S. House of Representatives in 2013, this Congressional App Challenge competition invites high school students from all participating congressional districts to compete by creating and exhibiting their software application for … Continue Reading