Stakeholder Analysis Related to Sea Level Rise Adaptation and Planning for the Eureka-Arcata 101 Corridor

ESM 475 Senior Planning Practicum Project

Contributors: Jonelle Alvarez, Diana Orozco, Penelope Ponce, Thomas Premo, and Robert Tatian-Burger

Practicum Supervisor: Dr. Laurie Richmond

Timeline: January – May 2020


The purpose of this project was to conduct a stakeholder analysis related to sea level rise adaptation for the 101 Corridor in order to provide the California Department of Transportation with information relevant to the development of a Comprehensive Adaptation and Implementation Plan for sea level rise along the 101 Corridor that reflects outreach, education, and coordination with stakeholders and other relevant entities and planning processes in the region.


This stakeholder analysis had three components:

  • Identifying and mapping relevant stakeholder groups connected to the 10Corridor that may need to be engaged in an outreach, education, and coordination effort.
  • Conducting semi-structured interviews with members of key stakeholder groups. These interviews served as a way to better understand stakeholder concerns and what they would like to see in an outreach strategy, as well as what is already being done for SLR planning and education in Humboldt Bay.
  • Completing a review of SLR adaptation planning engagement processes used by other planners and entities facing the issue SLR. The selected cases are summarized and used to draw potential insights or lessons for a potential outreach strategy related to the 101 Corridor.

In the end, findings from all three of these activities were used to form recommendations for Caltrans in beginning SLR adaptation planning and stakeholder outreach for the CAIP. This
report aims to serve as a guide to assist Caltrans in preparing their CAIP, acting as one of the
first steps in organizing planning efforts for SLR adaptation for the 101 Corridor. Although the
main focus of the report is on the 101 Corridor, these findings are also relevant for regional sea
level rise coordination around Humboldt Bay.

The completed report for this project can be found at https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/hsuslri_student/