Times-Standard - Plugging in Humboldt Bay: Government officials tour the area, discuss future of project for the local economy
Matsuda, along with a team of officials from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration, toured the bay for the first time since the government awarded the area a $275,000 grant. The money will allow for an analysis of the area's economic strengths, with the hope that a marine highway service will be created to better the county.
”We saw that there was a potential for moving goods,” Matsuda said as he stepped off the boat after a nearly two hour tour of the bay. As a sort of water highway similar to the way goods are transported along Interstate Highway 5, Matsuda said the project represented a new model of distribution at both the state and federal level, with an emphasis on easing the strain that hauling goods via truck has on the environment.
”We wanted to show that there's an alternative, and that greener transportation can help relieve some of the tension in the state's larger ports, such as Long Beach and Oakland,” Matsuda said. “Plus, the energy benefits and maintaining air quality are all very important to us.”
Matsuda largely credited Congressman Mike Thompson with securing the funding for the project last year, and was quick to point out that it likely would not have happened under the current congress, which recently put a ban on specially directed earmark spending.
”What we really liked about the area was the leadership we saw here. He [Thompson] really provided the voice” Matsuda said. “Sometimes you need that effort to make sure that the project gets the attention it needs.”
Originally scheduled to accompany Matsuda on the tour, Thompson was unable to make the trip to Humboldt County and was in Washington, D.C. Saturday. In a phone interview with the Times-Standard, Thompson stressed the importance of business connections and reiterated his support for the project, formally called the “M-5 Marine Highway Corridor.”
Still in the early stages of development, a request for proposal on the project is expected in the coming weeks.
”Our infrastructure is pretty maxed out right now,” Thompson said. “Any way that we can open up other ties to move goods is important.”
While it remains unclear what the bulk of the cargo moving out of the area will be, Thompson said that the much maligned timber industry would likely play a key role in any future development.
”We have a lot of material that we need to get out of the area, and also a lot of stuff coming in,” Thompson said. “Once the housing market recovers, you'll see a lot more demand for lumber.”
Matsuda echoed that sentiment, and said he hopes to have a better idea of the area's needs by the end of the calendar year, at which point, the preliminary market analysis is expected to be complete. As a “maritime dependent” community, Matsuda said, understanding the connection between Humboldt Bay and the rest of the state is vital to it's success.
”It might as well be an island,” Matsuda said of the area. “The real key is what the industry could be; where that untapped potential is.”
Humboldt Maritime Logistics President Stephen Pepper worked on the project locally for more than two years and was optimistic that Saturday would serve as a jumping off point for the future of the project.
”This is a huge step for our community, and we're very happy to have them here today,” Pepper said. “At this point, it's just a matter of getting everyone on the same page. I think this project will bear fruit for us locally.”