To: Board of Supervisors
From: Supervisor Mike Wilson
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Resolution Regarding Support for Sustainable Offshore Wind Development (Supervisor Mike Wilson)
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Adopt the attached resolution regarding the county's proactive efforts to ensure that offshore wind development occur in a sustainable manner, to maximize environmental and economic benefits to the region, and to minimize or mitigate unavoidable impacts.
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SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Economic Development (1120-275), General Fund (1100)
DISCUSSION:
Summary
On May 24, 20222, your Board received a report on offshore wind (OSW) activity occurring in the state and the Humboldt County region. At that meeting, your Board directed staff to engage with local community partners to explore and vet opportunities and obligations surrounding the development of local supply chains and the preparedness of the workforce for offshore wind, and authorized the County Administrative Officer to submit, on behalf of the county and Board letters of support and requests for funding related to the development of local supply chains and the preparedness of the workforce for OSW. On Oct. 18, 2022, your Board also approved a legal services agreement with the Law Office of Julian Gross to advise the county regarding various OSW and community benefits-related issues.
Since then, staff have remained engaged with community partners, Tribal Nations, state and federal agencies, potential project developers, local businesses and others on OSW development and potential community benefits. In August, the county signed on to a letter submitted to the Department of Interior's Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management (BOEM) by the Redwood Region Climate and Community Resilience Hub (CORE Hub) regarding the proposed sale notice, bid credits and the eventual lease of the Humboldt Wind Energy Area, located 21 miles off the coast of Hum...
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