3rd District Supervisor Report
October 2021 Update

I have been working with Senator McGuire and Sheriff Kendall in regards to State aid for illegal cannabis grows in our County. On Sept. 29, the three of us along with the sheriffs of Humboldt and Trinity counties held a press conference to highlight the state funding $1.5 million for enforcement against the worst of the worst cannabis grows in our region. Mendocino County will get $600,000 which will be used for needed staffing and resources. The goals are to go after illegal grows causing egregious environmental damage and organized criminal activity.

 

The state budget includes $6 billion for broadband in California. The proposed map includes fiber optic lines going up Hwy. 101 throughout Mendocino County, including a line up Sherwood Road and a line to Covelo. Don’t hold your breath but the money is in the state budget.

 

The new cannabis ordinance was rescinded by the Board. Kudos to the people who worked on the two referendums. This was people power at its best. The people’s vision for our County and the concerns over water, environment, and community were not in alignment with this ordinance. After a year of working on this, the other supervisors finally recognized that this wasn’t the path that most everyone in our County wanted to take. Now we need to get back to making the existing ordinance work properly.

 

The Great Redwood Trail which is a 320 mile rail-to-trail project from the San Francisco Bay to Humboldt Bay takes another step forward. Senator McGuire authored SB 69 to transition the North Coast Railroad Authority into the Great Redwood Trail Agency. The Governor signed the bill into law. I have been a Director on the NCRA Board and will continue on the GRTA. In the 11th hour, it seems that a proposal was put forth by the coal industry to ship coal from Wyoming to Humboldt Bay using this line. I sponsored an agenda item in opposition to this secretive deal since it is unrealistic and the environmental consequences of shipping the coal on this line would be detrimental to our lands and climate change in general. The Mendocino County BOS approved my item.

You can always contact me at haschakj@mendocinocounty.org or 707-972-4214.

John