A Citizens Action group dedicated to effecting the outcome of the Georgia Pacific Mill site property to benefit the healthy sustainable future of the California North Coast community.

About North Coast Action
by Loie Rosenkrantz

HISTORY

North Coast Action (NCA) of Fort Bragg, California was inspired by and at the Bioneers Conference (broadcast via satellite) held at the Caspar Community Center in Caspar, California in October 2002. Of particular note was the plenary presentation of John Todd, Ph.D. form the New Alchemy Institute in Burlington, Vermont. Todd, a cutting-edge ecological designer and global leader in the field of ecological water purification, shared a comprehensive vision of complex eco-sustainability in a small urban setting. In addition, there was a local informational meeting held at the Caspar site (a small town just south of Fort Bragg), which began to directly address the question of what could happen at the very strategically located and highly valuable 434 acre ocean front Georgia Pacific (GP) Mill Site which was to close down operations in November 2002. The GP land site had been a military base, Indian Reservation, and successive lumber mill sites for close to 150 years and was going to be up for sale. The land had been substantially denuded, trashed and rumored to need much environmental remediation and was off limits to the local citizens. The GP mill site is almost one-third of the city size of Fort Bragg and holds the scenic coast land so that some say, ?Fort Bragg is a coastal town that doesn’t know it has a coast. At the meeting, some proposals of possible site uses were presented, spurring a multitude of visions. John Todd’s successful projects with water treatment plants and the creation of eco-parks further inspired ideas.


Several months later, in December 2002, when the sign-up list for a follow-up meeting about the mill site was unable to be located, Thaïs Mazur contacted Loie Rosenkrantz and the two agreed to organize a meeting for January 21st at Loie’s home in Fort Bragg. They made a series of phone calls inviting interested citizens and some local officials and representatives. Thaïs and Loie chose the name, North Coast Action (NCA), as the title for this new entity. David Russell, another Fort Bragg resident, decided to get involved with NCA and help organize subsequent meetings.

Our first meeting was a good start. There seemed to be an interest and impetus to go forward with potential visions for the GP mill site. Of specific note was a local citizen who offered to televise NCA’s next meeting, a larger public meeting at Town Hall, on MCET Channel 3 which reaches 10,000 people. Another positive surprise ws a local resident who showed up who is a senior toxicologist for the state of California, northern California division, which includes Fort Bragg. The City Manager was present, as well as a City Council member. The County Supervisor of District 4, a representative from the State Assemblyman’s office and other interested and knowledgeable community members attended. Each person provided valuable history, information and visions for the site.

NCA’s MISSION

North Coast Action (NCA) believes in and tries to operate from a desire to practice and encourage participatory democracy of an informed, consulted and involved citizenry. At this historical crossroad in both national and local history, NCA sees our function to provide a forum for all points of view and all visions for what might happen at the GP mill site in the future. We may personally have certain preferences, but as a group we are committed to having Town Hall Meetings open to all with no special interests dominating and no hidden agendas. All are invited. We intend and hope for genuine open participation, inclusivitiy and transparency.

If there is anyone who would like to come forward to represent themselves please email us at info@northcoastaction.org or telephone 707-964-7085.

North Coast Action believes that genuine participatory democracy is the true heart and soul and strength of a healthy community. The 434 acres is a site that could entertain diverse, complementary uses that would reflect the unique historical, cultural and natural features of greater Fort Bragg and support long-term sustainable, economic, recreational, creative and healthy choices for the north coast residents and visitors.

NCA welcomes donations to help support our work.