Port Development Update
The Syncrolift Project

October 1, 2002


The City of Eureka recently released plans for a large boat repair facility on Humboldt Bay as part of its larger plan to advance industrial port development. The facility would use a specialized crane to lift boats up to 250 feet in length, and would cost taxpayers an estimated $20,000,000.

The plan threatens Humboldt Bay in a number of ways. Boat repair work involves toxic chemicals and solvents that end up in the water and are harmful to fish and wildlife. A large platform for the crane, called a syncrolift, would negatively impact eelgrass beds, mudflats, and salt marsh habitat. In addition, increased boat traffic would increase the introduction of invasive species into Humboldt Bay.

There is currently an established syncrolift facility just north of Eureka in Crescent City that is larger than the one planned for Humboldt Bay, and many people believe that the Eureka facility will be unable to compete. Please write the City of Eureka and tell them to not gamble taxpayer funds on this ill-advised plan and to instead focus their efforts on protecting and restoring Humboldt Bay.

Contact:
Dave Tyson, City Manager
531 "K" Street
Eureka, CA 95501
(707) 441-4100


This article can be found online at www.wildcalifornia.org/publications/article-6