Friends of the Eel River Force FERC to Comply with the Endangered Species Act 

Cape Horn Dam at high flows requiring closure of the fish ladder.

 There’s a proposal to remove the fish-blocking Scott Dam on the Eel River but looming problems still remain. Cape Horn Dam, just downstream of Scott Dam, technically allows for fish passage through its fish ladder–but that’s only when the ladder is properly functioning and the trouble is that fish often can’t use the ladder because it … Read more

Action Alert: Support the Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forests Act

Huffman public lands postcard

Support the Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forests Act   The Northwest California Wilderness, Recreation, and Working Forests Act, introduced by Congressman Jared Huffman and Vice President Kamala Harris back in 2018, will protect wild public lands and rivers, expand recreational opportunities, improve fire risk management, benefit local economies, and even address trespass cannabis growing. We … Read more

EcoNews Report Toxic Tires Killing Coho

 The EcoNews Report talks with guest Warner Chabot, ED of the San Francisco Estuary Institute, who gives us the scoop on breaking research into a toxic chemical from tires that is killing coho salmon at alarming rates. This research further emphasizes the importance of protecting the remaining coho salmon populations that are struggling to … Read more

EcoNews Report on summer steelhead and spring chinook salmon

Recent scientific discoveries have validated the ancient knowledge that summer-run steelhead and spring chinook salmon are truly distinct from their winter- and fall-run cousins. The Karuk Tribe has filed a petition to list Klamath spring chinook, while FOER has petitioned to list Northern California summer steelhead, as distinct under the federal Endangered Species Act. FOER … Read more

Great Redwood Trail Ribbon Cutting

Great Redwood Trail Ribbon Cutting Ukiah

Last month our staff attended a ribbon cutting in Ukiah for the first officially branded portion of the Great Redwood Trail. We are so thankful to Senator McGuire and his staff for their work establishing a future for this trail. As the Senator said at the ribbon cutting, this portion of the trail is an … Read more

Reflections on 2019 and Looking Forward

FOER Board and Staff 2020

Hi Friends, We are so thankful for all the generous support from our end of year fundraising campaign. Support from our community is crucial to continuing our important work protecting the Eel River and its fisheries. Our board and staff started off the new year with an exciting strategic planning session down in Willits along … Read more

Data Suggests Broad Decline Among Regional Bird Populations

American Avocet, the species with the biggest decline in eBird | Ken Burton

“Data suggests that 2/3 of regional bird species are in decline, 1/3 of those are double digit declines” Friends of the Eel River’s Conservation Director Scott Greacen hosts a discussion with Ken Burton, author of Common Birds of Northwest California and A Birding Guide to Humboldt County, about patterns in observational data that may reflect changes in bird … Read more

Talking About the Bigger Picture of California’s Legal Cannabis Industry

Cannabis growing in Humboldt County

Are prohibitionary cities and counties unintentionally sanctioning the illegal cannabis market? Friends of the Eel River’s Conservation Director Scott Greacen discusses this question with HDL‘s Cannabis Policy Advisor Mark Lovelace. Tune in to hear about California’s first year of legal cannabis. Legislation legalizing recreational cannabis in California provided robust local control by allowing cities and counties … Read more