Alyson Hunter

As a Humboldt State University grad and recent retiree with over 28 years of experience in public sector land use, environmental, transportation, and Coastal planning in California, I’m excited to have the opportunity to share my experience with students in the Environmental Science & Management Department who are interested in pursuing careers in these diverse fields.

The best part about planning, whether in the private or public sector, is that every project is different: there will be large and small projects; projects with significant impacts that cannot always be adequately mitigated; projects that require cooperation between myriad agencies, public interest groups, Tribes, and consultants; projects that are extremely controversial within the town or region, etc. In California, the rules change fast, especially in terms of housing and environmental
regulation. I hope that my experience navigating the constantly evolving regulatory landscape in Coastal California planning will be beneficial to the students in this course.

On a personal note, I’m very excited to return to the Humboldt Bay area after seven years living and working on the Monterey Peninsula as Planning staff for the cities of Pacific Grove and Marina. While in Monterey, I was on the Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust Board of Directors, where we tried hard to educate consumers on the benefits of sustainably caught seafood, which, in turn, keeps the struggling commercial fishing industry alive. I hope to be involved in similar efforts here. I’ve also rejoined the Board of the Northcoast Regional Land Trust, where, not dissimilar to the Fisheries Trust, we work
to keep farming and ranching families on their lands through the implementation of conservation easements and other instruments. My general interest lies in finding balance between environmental sustainability and humans’ fundamental need to provide for themselves, their families, and their communities.