Richardson Grove comment period widened
If you missed the January 30th deadline to mail your comments on the Caltrans Richardson Grove project, you’re in luck! The new deadline is March 12.
UPDATE: Looks like Caltrans may have extended the comment period because EPIC busted them cutting corners:
We have checked the CEQAnet website repeatedly during the week of January 26, 2009, and there is no record of CalTrans having submitted the Richardson Grove DEIR to the State Clearinghouse. Such submittal is required by law. It is our understanding, as of the date of these comments, that Caltrans submitted the DEIR for Richardson Grove to the State Clearinghouse on January 27, 2009; and that the document apparently won’t be posted until February 5…
Because Caltrans has failed to follow mandatory public review requirements, by not posting the DEIR with the State Clearinghouse, EPIC and the public have been denied our right of full review. EPIC reserves the right to supplement these comments during the required review period, which properly commences when Caltrans complies with the requirement to post the DEIR with the State Clearinghouse.
In other comment news…
Speaking of deadlines, Eureka City Planner Sidnie Olson sparked controversy last week when she suggested environmentalists would drown her in last minute submissions to strategically delay the project.
Comments were due January 31st.
At Tuesday’s Eureka City Council meeting, Councilman Larry Glass said he wanted to speak on behalf of the environmental community to let her know she’s wrong on that assumption. He noted the large heft of the Draft Environmental Impact Report and the relatively short time people had to review it.
Good for Larry for setting her straight — but also for speaking as an environmentalist. The term is practically a slur in Humboldt County these days. It’s good to see elected officials sticking to their values.
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so, you gonna moderate this comment too heraldo, cause I make a statement that you in your feminism, dont agree with?
You should make a blanket statment that you edit submissions.
Your comment wasn’t edited, it was removed.
If you want to be Humboldt County’s sex police perhaps you should start your own blog.
Sidnie, Sidnie……didn’t you ever notice when everyone turned in their term papers or research papers? The day it’s due! Oh, sure there were a couple of brownosers who turned their stuff in early, but c’mon. You should always expect the majority of comments to come in at the end, and it’s not a conspiracy. Who could pull off any conspiracy around here, anyway?
I encourage all readers to click on Copernicus’ link if you want to determine who is reasonable. Just be prepared to get creeped out. There should be an audio loop of cuckoo clocks on the site. And maybe some crazy laughter.
After you are finished writing and calling Kim Floyd of Cal-Trans to halt this project, nip the issue in the bud by asking Assembly Member Karen Bass, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Senator Barbara Boxer, Senator Darrell Steinberg, and Senator Dianne Feinstein to uphold state and federal environmental reviews regarding all of the illegally fast-tracked projects across the state.
http://action.edf.org/campaign/CA_environmental_review
Visit http://saverichardsongrove.blogspot.com/ to take action locally.
Thank you Heraldo, you beat me to the Richardson extention post by a few minutes :)
I get it. Free speech, within limit.
No Problem.
Why is Copernicus such a masoginist?
What’s “masoginist” supposed to mean?
Ms. Olson is a very knowledgeable and dedicated planner; I believe her comment was stretched further than it should have, or was made in frustration because she’s getting swamped. For my part, I simply believe that nothing would ever get done if it wasn’t for the last minute! (And I’m guilty of this too from time to time (“Oh! Comments are due this week — I’d better finish that letter!”)
I’d definitely cut her some slack- I don’t think she meant to slur anyone. No need to have Larry beat up on her just to please his constituents.
Richardson Grove comment period widened that’s funny
So if taking the full 60 days to wade through that 2,000 page piece of s@#t is a strategy, then what was the thought behind releasing the ugly beast to the public smack in the middle of the holidays?
Was that just someone (named Rob’s) idea of a sweet x-mas gift?
I don’t hold it against Ms Olson that she is dreading the prospect of trying to spin that lead turd into gold. But crying about some imagined tactic in the face of the painfully obvious tactic of making participation in the comment period more difficult by way of throwing it into the busy holiday season, is the pot calling out the kettle.
The DEIR was a waste of electrons, let alone any paper that might have gone to the . It failed to answer any of the crucial questions about the true impacts of such an ill considered plot
Yeah, I think she was taken out of context or something on this one. I don’t envy her right now. It’s probably not an easy time to have a microphone or notepad across the desk. She probably would’ve liked to say much more in frustration.
And nice catch by EPIC on Richardson Grove. Surprising oversight by Caltrans. That’s one of the easiest parts of the whacky process so it looks like they better pay a little more attention to what they’re sending out.
Just a few of my own thoughts.
What were the leading questions from the T/S that lead to Ms Olson’s comments? In my past business dealings with her, she has always been very professional and I find unusual that she would make a statement in the context that was reported.
Did Larry contact Ms Olson prior to “setting the record straight” to find out her side of the story before calling her out in public?
Doesn’t the Eureka City Council have an unwritten rule about staff bashing in public?
I wouldn’t call it “bashing.” Such statements warrant a response.
As Linda Atkins so aptly put it on Tuesday night, A different opinion than your own does not constitute a bias.
I never heard Sidnie’s name mentioned, Glass made his remarks to her boss Kevin, and referred to his senior planner. Refuting public statements made by staff is hardly staff bashing.
yup heraldo edits all my comments too because i bring up too valid of points, heraldo likes being the fox news of humboldt liberals because he can stay “fair and balanced” just like they do by directing all the convos the way he chooses. PLus he got all his friends posting to back up his ridiculous posts. So much for a venue based on free speech, heraldo would rather construct the debate to his likening.
robo…you’re ranting!
it must suck to work for the gov’t since people can publicly criticize you and the job you do, but let’s face it, that is part of the job–when you work for the public, you get to hear their opinions, no matter how uninformed or absurd. Imagine the crap Sidnie Olson must get from project proponents!
Imagine the perks, bribes, and gifts from project
proponents.
Maybe the opponents of the project(s) need to bribe her to make sure she does her job in upholding regulations…
I agree with you that such statements warrant a response. However if the statements were reported out of context and Larry did not verify the intent with Ms Olson, in my opinion that is “staff bashing”.
I agree with you that such statements warrant a response. However if the statements were reported out of context and Larry did not verify the intent with Ms Olson I believe that is “staff bashing”.
Ms. Olson’s statements were published in the widely distributed daily paper. Many people read them. Nothing wrong with setting the record straight.
Don’t let Cal-Trans rip a hole through the Redwood Curtain! Sign this petition now and help save the Richardson Grove Old Growth Redwoods!