Humboldt County opens applications for planning commission and boards

The County of Humboldt posted on Jan. 12 that it is accepting applications for the Humboldt County Planning Commission and several other county boards and commissions, with a submission deadline of Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026 at 5 p.m. The Board of Supervisors is expected to consider appointments during its Jan. 27, 2026 meeting.

The Planning Commission plays a central role in land-use decisions that affect housing, timberlands, coastal access, and agricultural and cannabis permitting across the North Coast. Appointments to the commission and attendant boards will influence how the county balances development, environmental protections, and economic livelihoods in communities from Fortuna to Trinidad and the more remote inland valleys.

Applicants are asked to follow the application instructions and submit materials by the Jan. 20 deadline. The county’s notice includes where to send completed applications and additional guidance; application materials and submission information are available online at humalertca.gov/m/newsflash. Prospective applicants and community members who want to observe the Board of Supervisors’ appointment deliberations should note the Jan. 27 meeting date on the county calendar.

Board and commission vacancies offer a local avenue for residents to bring diverse perspectives to land-use policy. For Humboldt that often means bridging coastal conservation priorities, tribal cultural resource concerns, working forests and fisheries, housing affordability challenges, and the evolving cannabis regulatory landscape. The composition of advisory bodies can affect permitting timelines, conditions placed on projects, and how the county implements regional goals such as climate resilience and wildfire risk reduction.

For community groups, neighborhood leaders, tribal representatives, small business owners and property owners, the current application window is an opportunity to shape decisions made at the Supervisor’s dais. Representation from rural precincts, youth, people who work in forestry and fishing, and Indigenous communities has repeatedly been highlighted as crucial to equitable outcomes across Humboldt’s varied geography.

What happens next is straightforward: submit an application by 5 p.m. on Jan. 20 and monitor the Board of Supervisors’ Jan. 27 meeting for appointments. For those weighing whether to apply or to follow the selections, the coming week will determine who helps set land-use priorities that touch daily life across the county—from housing and roads to redwood country stewardship and coastal access.