Tuesday May 31, 2022
The Mendocino Voice —
Attendees of the Blue Economy Symposium and Learning Festival May 19-22 in Fort Bragg heard mixed news regarding the health, economic and otherwise, of our local stretch of the Pacific. First the bad news: the byzantine, multi-agency permitting process in California has meant that exciting new ideas take years to implement, even when those ideas are vital environmental fixes. The good news is that money is available for local ocean restoration, education and development — lots of money.
“As far as [the] fiscal condition, the state is in pretty good shape,” California’s state controller Betty T. Yee told the Fort Bragg audience at the symposium. She encouraged locals to push forward ideas that could range from an aquaculture barge called a “Flupsy” to making Fort Bragg a leading base for scientific research to deal with the decimation of the kelp forest and climate change.
“We have, as someone said, lots of money, lots of cash, so please, please please [ask for some],” Yee said. “If I were on the side of reviewing grant applications, I would be thrilled to look at grant applications from this area because of all the efforts being made and the partnerships being built, as I see all of you coming together.”