Recently, the Eureka City Council agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding with Blue Lake Rancheria to asses the potential of turning Dock B in Eureka into a revamped regional economic and community asset for the Port of Humboldt Bay.
Dock B is the 7.1 acre site behind Englund Marine & Industrial Supply. It has been through a lot, and is currently in pretty bad shape after going through a fire and an earthquake in it’s recent history. That said, Dock B stands as the only Foreign Trade Zone in Eureka, and one of the total four within Humboldt County.
This provides an opportunity for collaboration between Blue Lake Rancheria and the City of Eureka in developing maritime commerce opportunities which can benefit the whole community, while advancing Tribal sovereignty. Blue Lake Rancheria is currently looking to apply for a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) grant to develop the site.
“The Tribe is viewing these DOT funds as a potential opportunity, in collaboration with [the city], for getting some feasibility study money to determine what a project might look like, what kind of activities might be fruitful and appropriate [at that location], and working together to find ways to advance Tribal sovereignty,” – Ciara Emery, Blue Lake Rancheria Director of Strategic Initiatives