Humboldt Supervisors Clash Over Stance on Biomass Project

A controversial out-of-county wood pellet production and export project is opposed by Humboldt County environmental groups and is causing internal division within the Board of Supervisors. Daniel Mintz reports…

Photo source: https://www.drax.com/us/

Humboldt County Supervisors are divided over a controversial biomass project. Humboldt County’s Board of Supervisors is embroiled in a political rift over a proposed Northern California biomass project, with Supervisor Rex Bohn supporting the initiative while others on the board vehemently oppose it. The controversy came to a head during an October 28th Board of Supervisors hearing, where a proposed letter urging an extension of the project’s draft environmental impact report public comment period was unanimously approved. However, tensions escalated when Supervisor Steve Madrone moved to have the county write a letter in outright opposition to the project, a motion seconded by Supervisor Natalie Arroyo. Bohn questioned Madrone’s action, suggesting it undermines the collective will of the rural counties represented by the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC), of which Bones is the board’s representative and also a board member of RCRC affiliate Golden State Natural Resources, the biomass project’s manager. The debate highlighted a shift in the Board of Supervisors’ political dynamics, with Madrone noting a change in the board’s majority. He also recalled a recent incident where his county representation on the Great Redwood Trail agency’s board of directors was sidelined. While Supervisor Mike Wilson expressed discomfort with sending an opposition letter at this stage of the environmental review, the board’s division was clear. Environmental groups argued the biomass project would be polluting and greenhouse gas-intensive, while RCRC representatives touted its benefits for forest health and rural economies. In the end, the board agreed to allow Madrone to potentially agendize a letter expressing the majority’s concerns about the project. The incident underscores the complex political landscape surrounding this contentious biomass development.

See our previous reporting on this topic: https://kmud.org/controversial-uk-biomass-company-drax-partners-with-california-rural-counties-to-expand-wood-pellet-production/