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Eureka City Council unanimously adopts Humboldt Regional Climate Action Plan as city policy
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Summary
The Eureka City Council voted unanimously to adopt the Humboldt Regional Climate Action Plan (RCAP) as the city's climate action plan, relying on the county‑certified environmental impact report; staff said adoption positions the city for regional coordination and funding while implementation decisions will return to council.
The Eureka City Council voted unanimously to adopt the Humboldt Regional Climate Action Plan (RCAP) as the City of Eureka’s climate action plan and to make the CEQA findings relying on the county‑certified environmental impact report.
Senior planner Chris Lo Heffner presented the RCAP, describing it as a regional planning document developed in response to state climate requirements, including “Senate Bill 32 and Assembly Bill 1279,” and noting the county adopted the final RCAP and certified the associated environmental impact report in December 2025. “Tonight, the Council is being asked to adopt the RCAP for city planning and implementation purposes,” Lo Heffner told the council, adding that adoption is a policy decision rather than approval of specific projects.
The RCAP combines a countywide greenhouse‑gas inventory and sector strategies with a menu of over two dozen quantified measures and more than 100 individual action items jurisdictions can draw from. Lo Heffner said some measures are quantified (with estimated metric‑ton reductions) while others are supportive actions—such as regional coordination and shared staffing—intended to make the quantified measures achievable. He described next steps including formation of a regional climate committee and a shared climate program manager to coordinate implementation, pursue funding, and produce city‑specific work plans.
Council member Bauer moved to adopt the RCAP as the city’s climate action plan and to rely on the county‑certified environmental impact report; Council member Contreras Deloshe seconded the motion. After brief comments emphasizing urgency and the need for private‑sector engagement and infrastructure investment, the council approved the motion by a unanimous yes vote. The council did not approve any individual projects or funding in taking this planning‑level action.
Lo Heffner and staff said adoption positions Eureka to pursue regional grants and to coordinate with partners including Humboldt County Association of Governments, Humboldt Transit Authority, Redwood Coast Energy Authority, and Humboldt Waste Management. Staff will return to the council with city‑specific implementation materials—such as a Eureka work plan, staffing and resource estimates, and reporting metrics—after the regional governance structure and program manager duties are clarified.
Council and staff emphasized that the RCAP is a roadmap and that future implementation steps, funding decisions, and project approvals would require separate council actions.
