Commentary and Opinion by Samuel Strait – March 10, 2023 For years the County of Del Norte has been plagued by the religion of Environmentalism at great cost to the entire community for little in the way of any reason. The most recent example of this extreme philosophy is found in a recent Federal Court decision where an injunction fostered by "Friends" of Del Norte, the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC), and the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) was found to be arbitrary and capricious. A summary judgement was granted in favor of Caltrans and the National Marine Fisheries Service against the plaintiffs lifting a nearly decade old injunction which prevented construction on highways 199 and 197 to improve safety and bring both roads up to Federal trucking standards (STAA). Prior to 2014, funding from the Federal government was acquired to conduct a series of seven highway safety projects which in addition to making both roadways safer, allowed for certain kinds of trucks formerly prohibited from accessing the roads until the completion of this series of projects. In 2014, Friends of Del Norte, EPIC and CBD sought to halt construction by filing for and was granted an injunction to halt the projects on grounds that environmental studies and safety concerns were not met. In the following three year period, Caltrans revised the environmental and safety assessments mainly concerning the Oregon side for potential impacts and found the evaluations to be both reasonable and supported by evidence. Thus a decade long injunction has been lifted, allowing for all construction projects to move forward. While this appears to be a win for the County, a long time coming, the project in the interim will likely not move forward with the construction phase for some time to come. Originally funded at $34 million, nine years have passed and the cost will have in all likelyhood to have doubled or more in cost. What is truly sad about this whole affair is that the cause of this delay, Friends of Del Norte, EPIC, and CBD will unlikely be held to account for the increased cost, the legal cost, or the costs in human life that have occurred during the nine year period. Costs which should be concerning, but most importantly during the past ten years time period, twenty five people died at just two of the locations of the planned safety improvements. Safety improvements which will now be delayed a minimum of three to five years and likely more avoidable traffic fatalities had the safety projects gone forward in 2014. For years, the citizens of this County have suffered the machinations of "Friends of Del Norte" and other deep pocket environmental organizations that greatly affect the ability of locals to move forward economically and develop a sustainable community. Frivolous lawsuits and injunctions with very little in the way of reasonable care for the environment litter our local landscape at the behest of organizations such as Friends of Del Norte with no consequences directed at the malfeasant party. With this recent example of duplicity, it must be time for local citizens to take action against this cancer in our community. Those that have had their lives ruined and have lost loved ones by actions taken by Friends of Del Norte should take a page out of their play book and sue for damages. It is well past time when the consequences of their actions should rest on the backs of this unholy group of perpetrators. Once there are consequences for this kind of extreme advocacy only then perhaps the environment will benefit. Until that time the damages incurred will very likely exceed any benefit to this community.