Consent Enforcement Agreement in Humboldt

The Commission approved a consent enforcement agreement resolving years of unpermitted development on biologically and culturally significant wetlands in Humboldt County. The violations included constructing a house more than two-and-a-half times larger than permitted (21,000 square feet instead of 8,000), encroaching into designated wetland buffers and damaging environmentally sensitive habitat and known cultural resources, installing an unauthorized rock road on an adjacent parcel, and removing major vegetation including native Blackberry that was culturally significant to Wiyot area tribes. 

The property owner continued working even after receiving a Stop Work Order from the County, ignoring permit conditions for months despite the Wiyot tribes having specifically communicated cultural resource locations prior to construction. The consent agreement includes a Cease and Desist Order, Restoration Order, and Administrative Penalty, and requires the return of ancestral land to one or all of the Wiyot area tribes—providing the best opportunity for long-term restoration and healing of the damaged resources.

This case represents a particularly egregious collection of violations that, despite local government intervention, may never have been fully addressed without the Commission's enforcement staff. While the harm done to Wiyot cultural resources cannot be fully repaired, the consent agreement addresses the damage in a significant way through maximum restoration and restitution. The resolution requires the violator to pay $400,000 in penalties—$300,000 to the state's Violation Remediation Account to fund other beneficial coastal projects, and $100,000 directly to the entity that accepts ownership of the land for ongoing stewardship. 

Most importantly, both parcels (totaling 6.1 acres) must be offered at no cost to one or all of the Wiyot area tribes, returning ancestral land to its original stewards while permanently protecting sensitive wetlands and cultural resources. This demonstrates that the Commission takes permit violations seriously and will pursue enforcement actions that not only halt illegal development but also work to repair damage and prevent future harm.