SAVE HUMBOLDT BAY

About Save Humboldt Bay

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Humboldt Bay is more than a body of water. It is a working bay, a food-producing bay, and a way of life.

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For generations, Humboldt Bay has supported families, farms, fishermen, businesses, wildlife, recreation, and a working waterfront. It is one of California's most productive coastal ecosystems and remains deeply connected to the economic, cultural, and agricultural identity of the North Coast.

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The Bay is home to a remarkable mix of industries and resources. Commercial fishing boats leave its harbor. Shellfish farmers grow oysters and other shellfish in its waters. Local businesses depend upon its working waterfront. Its eelgrass beds, wetlands, mudflats, and tidal waters provide habitat for fish, birds, marine life, and countless other species.

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Humboldt Bay is also one of the West Coast's most important shellfish-growing and nursery areas. Local farms produce shellfish for markets throughout the region while nurseries raise shellfish seed that supports growers far beyond Humboldt County. That activity supports local jobs and generates business for suppliers, restaurants, wholesalers, retailers, transportation providers, researchers, and other working-waterfront businesses.

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But Humboldt Bay's importance cannot be measured by economics alone.

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For thousands of years, the Bay has been central to the Wiyot people and their culture, food systems, and way of life. Over the generations, commercial fishing, shellfish farming, timber, shipping, agriculture, recreation, and other working waterfront activities have also become part of Humboldt County's history and identity.

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That history has brought challenges as well. Humboldt Bay has experienced periods of significant industrial activity and environmental degradation. Over the past several decades, tremendous public and private effort has gone into improving and restoring the Bay—cleaning up former industrial sites, restoring wetlands and habitat, improving water quality, and protecting sensitive areas.

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Those investments matter. The progress we have made matters. And what we do next matters.

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Save Humboldt Bay was created because decisions being made today could shape this extraordinary place for generations.

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We are a coalition of people who depend upon and care deeply about Humboldt Bay—including shellfish farmers, commercial fishermen, agricultural producers, traditional landowners, local businesses, and community members.

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We believe Humboldt Bay can have a strong economic future without sacrificing the natural resources and existing industries that already make it valuable. We support thoughtful, responsible economic development, including the development of renewable energy. We also believe major projects must be evaluated honestly and carefully, particularly when they could affect water quality, fisheries, aquaculture, navigation, sensitive habitat, working lands, or the communities that depend upon them.
 

Our concern is ensuring that offshore wind development—and the port, transmission, dredging, and other infrastructure required to support it—does not come at the expense of Humboldt County’s existing agriculture, aquaculture, commercial fishing, working lands, natural resources, and communities.
 

We believe renewable energy development and the protection of Humboldt County’s existing resource-based industries should not be an either/or choice. Major projects must be evaluated honestly and carefully, particularly when they could affect water quality, fisheries, aquaculture, navigation, sensitive habitat, working lands, or the communities that depend upon them.
 

Our purpose is not to preserve Humboldt Bay in the past.

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It is to protect what makes Humboldt Bay extraordinary while making thoughtful decisions about its future.

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Because a healthy Humboldt Bay doesn't serve just one industry or one interest.

It supports families. It supports jobs. It produces food. It sustains wildlife. It carries generations of history.

it is worth protecting.