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District 1 Supervisor Darrin Short was absent. Among the items discussed at Tuesday’s Del Norte County Board of Supervisors meeting.

Tolowa Dunes SP Closure: Three county supervisors said they fielded calls and complaints regarding the temporary closure of parts of Tolowa Dunes State Park over the weekend.

The California State Parks North Coast Redwoods District authorized the closure of several access points and trails to allow the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation to observe the Lhuk Rite Ceremony. The annual ceremony celebrates the importance of salmon and its annual return to its river habitat.

On Tuesday, District 3 Supervisor Chris Howard said more than 2,000 acres between Kellogg Road and the Smith River mouth were closed on Saturday and Sunday. He connected the closure with Assembly Bill 2356, which was authored by San Bernardino assemblyman James Ramos and proposes the transfer of Tolowa Dunes State Park to the Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation.

According to Howard, people were concerned about the way they were notified about the closure as well as why the park was closed.

“I don’t think we’ve come to any conclusions, but we do know we need to communicate better,” Howard said. “And more importantly begin to coordinate, and I’m going to use that word very specifically, coordinate with our state agencies that are obligated by law to coordinate with us. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of that going on.”

Howard told his colleagues that they may want to remind state agencies such as California State Parks, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and the California Coastal Commission that they have an obligation to work with local governments.

Howard’s colleagues District 4 representative Joey Borges and District 5 Supervisor Dean Wilson said they also fielded calls from people concerned about the Tolowa Dunes State Park closure.

Wilson, whose district consists of portions of Redwood National and State Park, said the responsibility to coordinate with local government also applies to the federal government. Wilson accused state and federal agencies of ignoring the county while speaking with tribal governments and “other stakeholders” regarding their plans.

Doug LaMalfa Federal Tax Relief: Though Howard lamented at the need for the Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Relief Certainty Act, he and his colleagues thanked U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff and Congressman Jared Huffman for their support.

“It’s a sad state of affairs when we have to pass, or at least have Congress take up legislation that essentially allows tax relief for payments in helping you to rebuild after a natural disaster,” Howard said before he and his colleagues approved their support letter.

The letter states the Del Norte County Board of Supervisor appreciates the bill’s proposed extension through Jan. 1, 2027 of tax-deductible eligibility for those receiving wildfire settlement payments. Stating that as representatives of a county prone to tsunamis, wildfires, flooding and landslides, supervisors stated the bill proposes “exactly the kind of practical, immediate relief that helps our constituents focus on rebuilding their lives.”

They said they also appreciated that the bill, HR 5356, honors the late U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa, who represented the interior parts of Northern California until his death on Jan. 6, 2026.