Comments & Advocacy Letters
Gutting Proposition 64 Would Harm the Environment and Our Youth
When voters approved Proposition 64, they dedicated significant Cannabis Excise Tax and Cultivation Tax revenues for the Tier 3 programs, generating at least $150 million per year for childcare for low-income families, youth substance use prevention programs, and…
Friends of the Eel River Opposes SB 607
Friends of the Eel River strongly opposes SB 607. One of the most important aspects of the California Environmental Quality Act is that it provides a means for everyday citizens and advocacy groups to participate in assessing projects for significant environmental impacts…
Approving PG&E’s Flow Variance Request Will Avoid Catastrophe on the Eel River
Nearly every year for the past decade, PG&E has requested permission from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, to adjust diversions at the Potter Valley Project from the Eel River into the Russian River. This is because the Project has failed in nearly…
Marine Animals in Jeopardy Need NOAA
Since President Trump took office in January, he and Elon Musk have unlawfully and indiscriminately orchestrated massive cuts to government programs and the Federal workforce. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (“NOAA”) has lost over 10% of its workforce…
Funding for FWS is Funding for Endangered Species
Since January, President Trump and Elon Musk have taken a wrecking ball to the federal workforce, ignoring the directives of Congress on appropriated funding across the government and systemically dismantling the integrity of the Executive Branch. In less than three…
SB 607 Threatens to Undermine California Environmental Protections
The undersigned conservation, land use, and environmental justice organizations write to oppose Senate Bill 607 (Wiener). SB 607 is being portrayed as making “technical changes” to clarify CEQA, streamline review for projects like infill housing, clean energy, and…
We Support the Right to Clean Water Act
The undersigned organizations advocate for the protection of environmental and public health, water quality, and a resilient water future. On behalf of the undersigned organizations, we write in strong support of Senate Bill 601 (Allen), The Right Clean Water Act, to…
Bear Hounding: Inhumane, Dangerous, & Unnecessary
AB 1038, "Bears: hunting: use of dogs" proposes the reintroduction of bear hounding to the state of California, a cruel practice that harms and...
Comments on the Northwest Forest Plan DEIS
For 30 years, the Northwest Forest Plan has guided the management of 17 national forests stretching from western Washington and Oregon south to...
In Support of the Scott and Shasta River Watersheds
The undersigned groups write in strong support of AB 263 (Rogers), which would allow the emergency regulations adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) that are currently in place on the Scott and Shasta River Watersheds to remain in effect until…
Comments on PG&E’s Draft License Surrender Application
The recent commenting period on PG&E's draft license surrender application is the latest step in the long process of evaluating the best options...
Letter to Congress Opposing Mass Firing of Federal Employees
On behalf of our members, supporters, and volunteer stewards, we write with significant concerns regarding the recent mass firing of federal employees still within their probationary periods, particularly those individuals who had been employed by the BLM, FWS, USFS…
Protecting Instream Flows in the Eel River
We recently submitted a letter to Chuck Bonham, the director of California's Department of Fish and Wildlife, requesting that his agency provide...
Comments on the Great Redwood Trail Draft Master Plan
FOER worked hard to provide detailed comments on the Great Redwood Trail Agency’s (GRTA) nearly 600-page Draft Master Plan for the Great Redwood...
FERC Urgently Needs to Approve PG&E’s Flow Variance Request
As many of you are likely now familiar, PG&E is unable to meet the flow schedule for the Potter Valley Project as outlined in their amended...
Scoping Comments on the Great Redwood Trail PEIR
Whenever a state agency begins a new development project, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires agencies to evaluate and...
Critical Dam Safety Documents Need to Be Made Public
Friends of the Eel River has long been pursuing more clarity from PG&E on dam safety at the Potter Valley Project. The utility company has long...
Comments on PG&E’s Flow Variance Request
The Potter Valley Project, which blocks access to pristine, cold water spawning habitat for Eel River salmonids, is no longer a functioning...
Letter to the Great Redwood Trail Board in Support of Indigenous Communities
March 26, 2024 Dear Chair Hart and Board Members, Friends of the Eel River (FOER) and allied organizations support the Great Redwood Trail and have...
PG&E’s Initial Draft Surrender and Decommissioning Plan Released
PG&E PLANS TO REMOVE EEL RIVER DAMS IN 2028 Draft Surrender and Decommissioning Plan Offers Two Paths to Freeing the Eel - Soon to be...
Comments on PG&E’s Proposed Plan and Schedule
December 29, 2022 Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 888 First Street, NE Washington, D.C. 20426 Re: Potter Valley...
Conservation Groups Joint Statement on PG&E Herbicide Spraying
On September 29, 2022, PG&E alerted Humboldt County that it was going to spray herbicides along its easements across the region. PG&E failed...
Support for Save Jackson Coalition
Secretary Wade Crowfoot California Natural Resources Agency 715 P Street, 20th Floor Sacramento, CA 95814 Sent via email to...
Comments to FERC Regarding Potter Valley Project (P-77) Decommissioning Plan and Schedule
July 29, 2022 Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 888 First Street, NE Washington, D.C. 20426 Re: Potter Valley...
Coal Train Update
In the last month, there's been a flurry of activity from the federal Surface Transportation Board, entities seeking to take the Northwest Pacific...
FOER Comments on Humboldt County’s Draft Groundwater Sustainability Plan
Friday, December 24, 2021 Hank Seeman Humboldt County via email Re: Comments on Draft Groundwater Sustainability Plan Dear Hank and Groundwater...
Support for Cutting the Green Tape Grant Proposal
December 9, 2021 Re: Support for Cutting the Green Tape Grant Proposal To Whom It May Concern: Friends of the Eel River supports the Cutting the...
Support for Proposed Marshall Ranch Streamflow Enhancement Project
December 8, 2021 Humboldt County Planning Department 3015 H Street Eureka, CA 95501 Submitted via email to planningclerk@co.humboldt.ca.us Re:...
Friends of the Eel River Applauds SB 307
In September, Senator McGuire introduced SB 307 to address the threat of outside interests seeking to haul coal through the Eel River Canyon by...
FOER Letter to DOT Regarding Mendocino Railway RRIF Loan Application
Wednesday, November 17, 2021 The Honorable Carlos Monje Undersecretary U.S. Department of Transportation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, D.C....
No Coal In Humboldt
By now, news of the impending threat of coal trains coming to town has spread far and wide. Municipalities from Sonoma to Humboldt have passed...
Letter to California Public Utilities Commission Regarding PVP Equipment Failure
Wednesday, October 27, 2021 President Marybel Batjer California Public Utilities Commission 505 Van Ness Avenue San Francisco, CA 94102 via...
Low Flows in the Eel River Require Action to Protect Public Trust Values
Flows in the mainstem Eel River are at historically low levels. In fact flows are lower now than they were in 2014 when the river disconnected in...
FOER Comments to FERC on PG&E’s latest Flow Variance Request
For the seventh time over the past nine years, PG&E is requesting yet another flow variance at the Potter Valley Project due to limited water...
Friends of the Eel River comments on FERC Office of Public Participation
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) asked for our input on development of their new Office of Public Participation, so of course we...
FOER Supports Proposed Railbanking of NCRA’s Line from Willits North
The North Coast Railroad Authority (NCRA) has submitted reports to the Surface Transportation Board in support of its proposed railbanking of the...
FOER comments Proposed Phase 3 Commercial Cannabis Land Use Ordinance
Mendocino Board of Supervisors 501 Low Gap Road Ukiah CA 95482 Submitted by ecomment March 21, 2021 Re: Proposed Phase 3 Commercial Cannabis Land...
FOER comments Marshall Ranch Streamflow Project
Humboldt County Planning Department 3015 H Street Eureka, CA 95501 Submitted via email to planningclerk@co.humboldt.ca.us Re: Friends of the Eel...
FOER Comments on Initial Study Report; Study Plan Disagreements and Requests for Amendments
Friends of the Eel River's comments to FERC on the Initial Study Report filed by the coalition of five entities known variously as the Two Basin...
FOER Comments on 8 Mile Bridge
CalTrans is preparing to rebuild Eight Mile Bridge, formally known as South Eel River Bridge, on hwy 162 crossing Outlet Creek. In their Initial...
Is PG&E Concealing Dam Safety Liabilities?
Friends of the Eel River has been evaluating the safety and reliability of Scott Dam for several years now. We continue to have serious concerns...
Comments on Humboldt Wind Energy Project Final EIR
Friends of the Eel River's comments to the Humboldt County Planning Department on the Humboldt Wind Energy Final EIR. It is our understanding that...
Joint Terra-Gen Wind Project Letter
Sent via email to jford@co.humboldt.ca.us on date shown below September 12, 2019 Director John Ford 3015 H St Eureka, CA 95501 Dear Director Ford,...
FOER Comments on Humboldt Wind Energy Project DEIR
June 14, 2019 Humboldt Wind Project Planner County of Humboldt Planning and Building Department, Planning Division 3015 H Street Eureka, CA 95501...
Cape Horn Dam Fish Ladder is Inadequate
Amidst the tumultuous relicensing, auction, bankruptcy, and withdrawal developments for the Eel River dams, attention has largely centered around...
Friends of the Eel River Ask State, Feds to Protect Northern California Summer Steelhead
Friends of the Eel River submitted both federal ESA and CESA petitions to list Northern California Summer Steelhead as an Endangered Distinct...
PG&E Moves To Auction Off Eel River Dams Amid Growing Seismic Safety Concerns
Utility Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) began seeking potential buyers today for two aging dams on the upper Eel River, even as new questions...
FOER Comments on Humboldt Wind Energy Project Notice of Preparation
Cliff Johnson, Senior Planner County of Humboldt Planning & Building Department 3015 H Street Eureka, CA 95501 RE: Humboldt Wind Energy Project...
FOER Comments on Notice of Preparation for Ocean Ranch Restoration Project
July 12, 2018 Gordon Leppig, Senior Environmental Scientist California Department of Fish and Wildlife 619 2nd Street Eureka, CA 95501 RE: Notice of...
FOER Comments to Humboldt County on Eel River Fisheries Restoration and Dam Removal
Tuesday, May 29, 2018 Humboldt County Board of Supervisors via electronic mail RE: Humboldt County’s Position on Eel River Fisheries Restoration and...
Support for Great Redwood Trail Act, SB 1029
May 10th, 2018 California Senators and Assembly Members State Capitol Sacramento, California Re: SB 1029 Great Redwood Trail Act — Support...
FOER Comments on Hum Co Cannabis Ordinance Final EIR
Wednesday, March 28 2018 Humboldt County Board of Supervisors via email to SLazar@co.humboldt.ca.us Re: Commercial Cannabis Land Use Ordinance and...
FOER Comments on Hum Co Commercial Cannabis Draft EIR
Humboldt County Planning & Building Department Attn: Steve Lazar, Senior Planner 3015 H Street Eureka, CA 95501-4484 via email to...
FOER and Allies Submit Comments to FERC on Scoping Document 1 & Study Plan Proposals
Friends of the Eel River and our conservation group partners submitted comments to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on their Scoping...
Scoping Comments – Environmental Impact Report for Amendments to Hum Co Code Regulating Commercial Cannabis Activities
Tuesday, May 9, 2017 Humboldt County Planning & Building Department Attn: Steve Lazar, Senior Planner 3015 H Street Eureka, CA 95501-4484...
Letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Energy Subcommittee
March 15, 2017 The Honorable Fred Upton Chairman Energy and Commerce Committee U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 The Honorable...
Comments on Draft EIR for Fish Habitat Flows and Water Rights Project
Click here to read our comments on Sonoma County Water Agency's Fish Habitat Flows and Water Rights Project prepared by Shute, Mihaly, &...
Comments to California Department of Water Resources on Eel River Valley Groundwater Sustainability
Click here to read our full comments to the California Department of Water Resources on Humboldt County's Groundwater Sustainability Plan...
FOER Comments on Northwest California Integrated Resource Management Plan
NCIP Comments Bureau of Land Management via email to NCIP_comments@aecom.com RE: Friends of the Eel River Scoping Comments on the Northwest...
Letter of Support for Coastal Conservancy’s Certification of Final EIR: Eel River Estuary and Centerville Slough Enhancement Project
Tuesday, January 31, 2017 California State Coastal Conservancy 1515 Clay Street, 10th Floor Oakland CA 94612 RE: Friends of the Eel River Letter of...
Comments to FERC re: Application for Temporary Variance of Minimum Flow Requirement
In July 2016 PG&E requested yet another temporary variance from minimum flow requirements for the purpose of preserving water resources during...
Comments to Humboldt County Planning Department re: Medical Marijuana Land Use Ordinance
November 4, 2015 Humboldt County Planning & Building Department Attn: Steve Lazar, Senior Planner 3015 H Street Eureka, CA 95501-4484...
Letter to Department of Forestry re: Support for Indian Creek Easement
July 6, 2015 Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection Resource Management Attn. Jeff Calvert P.O Box 944246 Sacramento, CA 94244 RE: Support for North...
Comments to FERC re: Temporary Variance 2015
June 2, 2015 Honorable Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 888 First Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20426-0001 via...
Comments to NC Regional Water Board re: Draft Order R1-2015-0023, Waiver of Waste Discharge
June 8, 2015 Matthias St. John Executive Officer North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board by email Re: Comments on Draft Order R1-2015-0023,...
Comments to US Army Corps re: Gravel Mining in Humboldt County
Thursday, April 02, 2015 Jim Mazza U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Division 1455 Market Street 16th Floor San Francisco, CA 94103-1398 RE:...
Comments to Humboldt County Board of Supervisors re: General Plan Update, Water Resources Element
January 12, 2015 Dear Supervisors, On the whole, Friends of the Eel River believes the current draft of the Water Resources Element reflects the...
Comments to FERC re: Temporary Variance and “Make up Flows”
PG&E requested a temporary variance to reduce flows into the East Branch Russian River as they performed work on the Potter Valley Project....
Comments to NC Regional Water Board re: Listing Eel for Flow Impairment
Friday, April 18, 2014 Katharine Carter, North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board 5550 Skylane Blvd, Suite A Santa Rosa, CA 95403 Via...
Support for Land Conservation through Western Rivers Conservancy
Tuesday, February 18, 2014 Western Rivers Conservancy 1418 20th Street, Suite 100 Sacramento, CA 95811 On behalf of Friends of the Eel...
Comments to FERC re: Temporary Variance Request
Sunday, February 2, 2014 Kimberly D. Bose, Secretary Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 888 First Street, N.E. Washington, DC 20426 Re: Potter...
Support for Proposed PLANT Act (HR 2735)
California Wilderness Coalition • Environmental Protection Information Center • Friends of the Eel River • Humboldt Baykeeper • Northcoast...
Comments to DFW & NMFS re: Urgent Request for Release of Water to Eel River
SHUTE MIHALY & WEINBERGER LLP 396 HAYES STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94102 T: 415 55 2-7272 F: 415 55 2-5816 www.smwl aw.com AMY J. BRICKER...
Comments to FERC re: Amendment of License for Diversion
March 17 2009 Hon. Kimberly D. Bose Secretary Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 888 First Street, N.E. Washington, DC 20426 Re: Potter Valley...
Contact Us
Membership forms and other printed material may be mailed to:
Friends of the Eel River
PO Box 4945
Arcata, CA 95518
Email: foer(at)eelriver.org
Phone: (707) 798-6345
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