The Eureka Reporter

The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors will consider adopting a resolution during its regular meeting Tuesday requesting that the federal government act quickly to address this year’s dire salmon season situation.

The board is requesting the disaster declaration be made through a provision of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

According to the draft resolution, the board is requesting that the U.S. Secretary of Commerce expedite a disaster declaration and that the heads of the Commerce, Agriculture and the Interior departments immediately adopt a comprehensive, basin-wide solution to problems in the Klamath River.

In recent weeks, U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer and other state and local legislators have also called for disaster declarations and demanded that the federal government provide financial relief for fishermen and communities that they say are being impacted by the Bush administration’s bad water and energy policies.

In order to deal with the poor returns of salmon to the Klamath River, federal fishery managers are causing a near closure of the commercial and recreational salmon season along most of the Pacific Coast, according to the county reports.

It is the second consecutive year the Pacific Fishery Management Council has recommended a severely restricted salmon season along the California and Oregon coast.

“This year’s season, cut by more than 90 percent, will have an immediate and devastating impact on commercial, tribal and recreational fisheries,” the staff report stated.

Direct economic impact on the commercial and recreational fisheries of a severely restricted season in both California and Oregon will result in losses estimated to exceed $100 million and losses to peripheral guide, motel, restaurant and other boat-related businesses could exceed $300 million, according to the county.

In other business, the board will consider proclaiming April 22 as Peninsula Community Clean-Up and Beautification Day.

The proclamation request by the Manila Recreation and the Manila Community Services District was made to support the goal of increasing participation of youth and community volunteers in community service.

(Nathan Rushton can be reached at nrushton@eurekareporter.com.)