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The proposed road would be 110-feet-wide and 1.7 miles long, cutting through the entire distance of the Eureka Marsh to create a truck bypass around Highway 101. In May 2002, the City received $250,000 in state funds to design the road and prepare an environmental impact report. Preliminary reports reveal numerous issues, including impacts to valuable coastal wetlands and public access to open space. The City has delayed its release of the environmental studies and will be requesting an additional $550,000 in funds to continue pursing the project.
The City of Eureka began acquiring parcels that make up the Eureka Marsh in 1985, receiving a total of $1.5 million from the California Coastal Conservancy for the purposes of acquiring and restoring its saltwater and freshwater habitat. To date, City officials have not upheld their contractual obligations to produce or implement a restoration plan.
"The open space and fish and wildlife habitat found in the Eureka Marsh are much too important to lose to a truck bypass. The CTC should inform the City that it will no longer waste taxpayer funds on this ill-conceived road plan," Cynthia Elkins, Program Director of EPIC, said.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recognizes the Eureka Marsh as an "Area of Importance" to the functioning of the Humboldt Bay ecosystem. It was prioritized for acquisition and restoration for this reason and because the Eureka Marsh contains important wetland habitat for a variety of species. It is made up of saltwater and freshwater marshes, beaches, mud flats, and riparian thickets, and is considered to be one of the premier bird-watching spots along the North Coast. Proposed trails would connect the Eureka Marsh to the Elk River Wildlife Area and link to a larger trail system planned around Humboldt Bay.
"Residents and visitors to this area want to protect open spaces along Bay's waterfront and have public access to these areas. The Eureka Marsh is one of the most obvious and important areas where this should occur. Everyone will benefit much more if the City carries through on its promise to restore the Eureka Marsh, abandons its plans to destroy it with a road, and gets to work building the trail," Mike Buettner, founder of Humboldt Watch, said.
"The City of Eureka's 1999 General Plan calls for protecting Eureka's wetlands `against any significant disruption of habitat values.' Constructing a giant road through one of the Bay's most valuable wetland areas is clearly against this measure," Jennifer Kalt, Coastal Protection Consultant with EPIC, added.
The proposed road would extend from Waterfront Drive to Truesdale Street, although the City's ultimate plan would extend it through the Elk River Wildlife Area to Herrick Avenue.
The organizations taking part in this action include the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC); the North Group, Redwood Chapter, Sierra Club; the Northcoast Environmental Center; HumboldtWatch; and the Eureka Homeowners Committee.
Additional information on the Eureka Marsh and this issue can be found on EPIC's website at:
http://www.wildcalifornia.org/pages/page-159