Public Meeting and Rally against Navy Warfare Testing, Wed. Dec. 15, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.

The U.S. Navy is coming to Eureka to discuss Warfare Testing.

Representatives from the Navy will hold a public meeting regarding warfare testing off our coast on Wednesday, Dec. 15th from 5:00-7:00 pm at the Wharfinger Building, and we NEED you there to be the voice for marine mammals and all marine species.

I requested that the Navy come to the North Coast to provide information for the community and answer their questions, said Congressman Thompson.

Warfare testing is known to kill whales, dolphins and other marine mammals and negatively impact human health. To learn more check out the Agricultural Defense Coalition website and PLEASE take a stand with us on Wednesday, Dec. 15th from 5:00-7:00 pm at the Wharfinger Building.

For meeting information contact Congressman Thompsons office at 707-269-9595 in Eureka.

TODAY: KMUD interview on Navy Warfare Testing 1:30-3 pm

Listen in on KMUD, 88.3 FM, from 1:30 pm to 3 pm as Susan Radebaugh interviews Rosalind Peterson from the Agricultlure Defense Coalition about the Navy Training Range for Warfare Testing that is slated to begin off our coasts.  You can also listen online.  Time to get outraged, folks.

Rally Tuesday at Eureka Courthouse against Navy’s 5-year Warfare Testing

There will be a rally at the Eureka Courthouse on Tuesday, Nov. 23 at Noon to oppose the U.S. Navy’s 5-year warfare testing and protest of the permit issued by NOAA which violates current environmental protections.

For more information, check out Agriculture Defense Coalition.

Extended Comment Period for Navy Testing Off Our Coasts

You still have a chance to make public comment on the Navy warfare testing off our northcoast.

NOAA NWTRC EIS – Public Comment Deadline NOVEMBER 30, 2010
Send Written Public Comments to:
Dr. Jane Lubchenco, NOAA Undersecretary
National Oceans & Atmospheric Administration – U.S. Department of Commerce
14th & Constitution Avenue, N.W., Room 5128, Washington, DC 20230

Contact your Elected Representatives at this Toll Free # (1866) 220-0044 in Washington, D.C.
Request U.S. Congressional Hearings in order to protect Public Health, Marine
Mammals, Fish, birds, biologically sensitive coastal and ocean areas, the fishing and tourism industries, and our marine reserves and National Marine Sanctuaries.
Ask for an SIXTY DAY EXTENSION of the NOAA Public Comment Deadline.

Local activists are also attending the Trinidad City Council meeting on Wednesday evening (Nov. 10) to ask for this issue to be put on Trinidad’s agenda. Local governments can push for the Humboldt Board of Supervisors to request a congressional hearing on the matter.

ACTION ALERT: Attend a Rally Tomorrow! Contact officials! Help stop the U.S. Navy’s attempt to expand the NorthWest Training Range Complex

Join concerned citizens tomorrow, Wednesday, October 27th at the Eureka Courthouse from 12 p.m. – 1 p.m. to protest the Northwest Training Range Complex (NWTRC).

U.S. Navy Experimental Warfare Testing Programs were initiated in 2008, and will continue in the Atlantic, Pacific, and the Gulf of Mexico over the next five years.

The NWTRC proposal will extend the range down the Northern California coastline into Mendocino County. The U.S. Navy will be using live ordinance, long range sonar and has permission to incidentally kill marine life. It will affect all of us living on the coast as well as endangered species that live in our coastal region.For more information, check out Agriculture Defense Coalition. You can also read the Navy’s Northwest Training Complex Environmental Impact Statement.

The deadline to act is October 31st!. Contact your representatives to request public comment with National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration. Tell them we want a 60-day extension on public comment and a U.S. Congressional Hearing on the matter.

Call the Whitehouse at 202-456-1111, fax your letter to 202-456-2461, or email the President.

Congressman Mike Thompson can be reached at 202-225-3311 or fax your letter to 707-269-9598.

 

Humboldt Bay’s guiding forces – candidate forum

November, 2006, Samoa Beach (photo by Terrence McNally/Arcata Eye)

Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District Candidates Forum

Wednesday, Oct. 7 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Humboldt Area Foundation, 373 Indianola Road, Bayside

The Humboldt Bay Stewards will host a candidates’ forum for the upcoming November election of Bay District Commissioners.

This is an opportunity for the public to meet the 3rd and 4th districts Commissioner Candidates and listen to them discuss the issues and their positions. The League of Women Voters will conduct the forum.  All candidates will have the opportunity to answer each of the questions submitted from the audience.

Topics of particular interest to Surfrider members: Marina dredging, port development, water quality… others? Add in the comments.

Massive Expansion of Naval Training Complex

From the Humboldt County Green Party:

March 16, 2009
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The Humboldt County Green Party is urging residents of the western coast of the United States to oppose the expansion of a massive Naval training complex to cover more than 126,000 square nautical miles along the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington. The complex will be used to conduct training, research, testing, and evaluation of military hardware, personnel, tactics, munitions, explosives, and electronic combat systems.

Navy training off the coast?

Ganked from the NCJ's Blogthing

The North Coast Journal’s blog has the story so far.

Concerning the proposed Northwest Training Range Complex, the department’s plan to designate most of the Pacific Northwest coast as training grounds for naval operations.

What sorts of training? According to this brochure:

Training Activities

Training activities involve activities in the range complex where Navy personnel learn skills they need to operate machinery or weapons. These activities provide realistic experience and include:

Operating vehicles, aircraft, submarines, and surface ships;
Conducting live fire training against surface and air targets at sea;
Conducting airborne surveillance activities;
Detecting, locating, and countering threat electronic signals;
Finding and removing underwater mines;
Training Navy divers in a cold water environment…