by John Beslow

By this time, we all know that the General Plan is Humboldt’s guide to development for the next two decades and beyond. The General Plan Update process deals with land use here in terms of housing, agriculture and economic development, transportation, natural resources, and all pertinent development-related topics. Plan alternatives A, B and C have been considered from critical economic, social, environmental, and health viewpoints. One consideration that should certainly be a focal point in the final Update decision is the health impact of each alternative on county residents. Health and science experts from Human Impact Partners determined that Alternative A wins for best health outcomes for us and our children.

Humboldt County Health Officer Ann Lindsay told the County Planning Commission in March that Alternative A far surpasses the other two alternatives in positive health ratings for Humboldt’s residents. She explained that the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) judged health impacts of the alternatives in critical categories like sustainable and safe transportation, healthy housing, public infrastructure, public safety and cohesion, healthy economy, and environmental stewardship. The HIA concluded that Alternative A predominantly benefits health with 23 positive results for the 35 criteria considered, Alternative B has no positive health impacts and 8 negative ones, while “C” has the most negative health outcomes: 30 negative health impacts with a single positive one. Negative health impacts mean that we and our children will be less healthy. Concomitantly, we may also conclude that higher personal and public health costs will be associated with Alternatives B and C.

County officials worked hard to ensure that health considerations for each alternative were evaluated thoroughly. The California Endowment funded the $80,000 scientific study comparing health effects of the GPU alternatives; this HIA was published in March. Human Impact Partners conducted the research with the aid of the Humboldt County Public Health Branch, the Community Development Services Planning Division, the Humboldt Partnership for Active Living, community and civic organizations, and scores of County residents both individually and in focus groups.

The purpose of a HIA is to educate policy and decision makers as well as residents about health impacts of plans under consideration before any plan is implemented. The assessment utilizes social and scientific research tools and procedures to judge a project’s potential health effects, both positive and negative, on its affected population. Emotional and social well-being as well as physical health is considered in such a study so that those making the decisions can fully understand the health ramifications of their decisions. Additionally, an HIA puts forth suggestions to augment beneficial health outcomes and to cancel or minimize health threats.

Clearly, land-use and transportation have critical and wide-ranging effects on the environment and our natural resources, our economy, our way of life, and our health. To best preserve all these and to meet the County’s future housing and development needs without needless sprawl and excessive traffic, the HIA recommends Alternative A as the best mixed-use and transit-focused form of development for Humboldt. For their numerous health advantages, the HIA endorses public policies that will promote walking and bicycling, reduce emissions of pollutants into our water and air, improve traffic safety, and increase social cohesion. All these have direct and indirect links to asthma, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, depression, some cancers, and other health conditions and disorders.

With many of these diseases reaching epidemic levels in the United States, it is time that we recognize their close connections to the built environments we create. Surrounded by an amazing landscape replete with natural amenities, we are fortunate here in Humboldt to have the opportunity to learn from the development mistakes of other communities. We have every reason to avoid the sprawling model for growth that has claimed and homogenized counties across the country while injuring the health of their residents. There is still need to strengthen Alternative A, but the Health Impact Assessment demonstrates that it would serve as the soundest framework from which we can work during the final stage of the General Plan Update.

Jon Beslow is the Local Projects Director for Democracy Unlimited of Humboldt County and the Organizing Director for the Healthy Humboldt Coalition.  He can be reached at 682-5292 or jon@duhc.org.