Restoring the Eel Must Be Done Right

Dear Friends, Can you believe we are preparing to celebrate 30 years of protecting the Eel River? Many of you have been with us since the beginning, for which we are incredibly grateful. Some of you may have participated in Friends of the Eel River’s very first meeting in late 1994, our initial actions intervening … Read more

Scoping Comments on the Great Redwood Trail PEIR

Abandoned rail cars on the shore of the river.

  Whenever a state agency begins a new development project, the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) requires agencies to evaluate and disclose to the public the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project. This evaluation of impacts usually comes in the form of an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). These reports are an important part of … Read more

Great Opportunities and Challenges for the Great Redwood Trail: EcoNews Report #234

A kayaker paddles in a murky river next to an abandoned rail car. Eco News Report Saturdays at 10 A.M. on K HUM 104 point 7 or on your podcast app.

 This week on the EcoNews Report, our host Alicia Hamann from Friends of the Eel River discusses the opportunities and challenges presented by the Great Redwood Trail. The project, proposed to be the longest rail-trail in the nation, is the state’s opportunity to fulfill their responsibility to remediate the environmental harms caused by the … Read more

Unmanageable with Alicia Bales: Eel River Deep Dive

 Tune into this clip from Episode 8 of “Unmanageable with Alicia Bales” to hear Friends of the Eel River Conservation Director Scott Greacen break down dam removal at the Potter Valley Project and what a diversion means in the eyes of California water law. This show aired live on April 7, 2024. To listen … Read more

Help Protect Public Access to the Van Duzen River and Future Great Redwood Trail

Have you or someone you known been around Humboldt County since the 1970s? If so, perhaps you can help protect public access to the Van Duzen river and the future Carlotta Spur of the Great Redwood Trail. The Great Redwood Trail Friends coalition is currently investigating historical public use of Fisher Road in Carlotta to … Read more

Volunteers Needed for Earth Weekend Cleanup on April 20

Eel River Cleanup Project and Friends of the Eel River are collaborating on a cleanup event on Saturday April 20 from 11am – 2pm. Heading north on Redwood Drive from Garberville, park at the first turnout on your left after crossing HWY 101.   Check out our Facebook event page for event updates.   Our … Read more

KMUD Environment Show: Dam Removal, Groundwater, and the Great Redwood Trail

An old railroad track stretching dangerously over open air along a hillside. The KMUD Redwood Community Radio logo is featured next to the text, "Tom Wheeler and Alicia Hamann talk dam removal, groundwater, and the Great Redwood Trail."

Tune into this recording from the KMUD Environment Show hosted by Tom Wheeler to hear our Executive Director Alicia Hamann discuss our most pressing initiatives at Friends of the Eel River: dam removal on the Eel River, protecting the public’s interest in groundwater, and planning for the Great Redwood Trail. This show aired live on … Read more

Update on Public Trust Groundwater Lawsuit

Disconnected surface flows showing brown, bare patches of land in between water.

In the fall of 2022 Friends of the Eel River filed suit against Humboldt County for failing to protect the public trust values of the Lower Eel River by managing groundwater use during critically dry years. The public trust doctrine is an ancient legal principle establishing that certain natural and cultural resources should be preserved … Read more

Great Redwood Trail Community Event

Come on out for the Great Redwood Trail Community Event on Saturday, October 14th, located at the Dyerville Overlook near Founder’s Grove, exit 663 off Highway 101. Friends of the Eel River, Humboldt Trails Council, and KEET TV are asking for volunteers to help with set-up, parking, waste management, and more. We’re also seeking organizations … Read more

Sonoma’s Eel River Diversion Plan Risks Extinction of Humboldt Fisheries

Sonoma’s Eel River Diversion Plan Risks Extinction of Humboldt Fisheries Plan Would Delay PG&E Removal of Eel River Dams Eureka, CA – Yesterday, a group led by Sonoma Water proposed a new plan to maintain diversion of Eel River Water to the Russian. Humboldt County fishermen, Tribes, and conservation groups were blindsided by the proposal. … Read more