Chalk Mountain Ranch urges county to halt Bridgeville Quarry operations over alleged permit violations

Lori Barnwell and Barrett Barnwall, representing Chalk Mountain Ranch, addressed the Humboldt County Planning Commission during public comment, alleging that operators at the nearby Bridgeville Quarry have worked on land without permission and without required permits.

Barnwell said the quarry, owned by Goat Rock Ranch LLC and operated by Mercer Frasier, has removed riparian buffers, undertaken unauthorized road work and stripped mandated erosion-control measures that have increased soil erosion and sediment-laden runoff. She told commissioners that those activities have led to state notices and fines, including a water board violation and a finding from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection related to a forest legacy easement.

Barrett Barnwall expanded on the ranch’s claims, saying the quarry has been accessing Chalk Mountain property without a conditional use permit covering the ranch’s APNs, and that quarry operations lack certifications required for industrial activities — including section 401 water‑quality approvals and lake-and-streambed alteration agreements. He said an incident in late 2024 and a separate weekend event in August 2025 removed “48 dump‑truck loads of dirt” from a Class I stream zone used by coho and steelhead, producing an estimated $150,000 in environmental damage and delaying the ranch’s timber harvest.

Chalk Mountain Ranch asked the county to issue a formal stop‑work notice to Mercer Frasier at the Virgil/Bridgeville Quarry, restrict access across private ranch roads until permits and operating guidelines are reviewed, and ensure that any operations meet state, county and coastal regulatory standards before access is restored. Barnwell said the ranch had been left legally and financially responsible for cleanup and that the county‑issued permits do not include Chalk Mountain’s parcels.

County staff did not respond substantively during the public comment period (staff noted it is not practice to reply during public comment). The commission did not take immediate action during the meeting but moved on to the consent calendar and scheduled the items that public speakers referenced for further consideration later in the agenda.

Next steps: Chalk Mountain Ranch asked the commission to investigate and to consider a stop‑work notice; the commission did not vote on enforcement at the meeting.