Editor:

We've seen and heard a lot about growth in Humboldt County, whether it's wind farms, fish farms or improvements to our colleges. There seems to be two sides: Bring it on! We need the local job opportunities, or: Not in my backyard; figure out another way. To those of you in the second group, there is no other way. I know this.

I have lived in Eureka for 27 years. I started an Apprenticeship Program with Operating Engineers Local 3 in 2018, because working in the local hotel/restaurant business was putting me in poverty. But even with my training as an Operating Engineer, I have had to travel over four hours one way, to work in Chico or further. I had to work weeks away from home and spend my money elsewhere, because we don't have local jobs. Many of our young people are in the same position. There isn't a career path for them here that will keep them local. They have to move away to support themselves or their families.

If the Nordic Aquafarms project gets built on the Samoa Peninsula ("Aquafarm's Full Draft Environmental Study released for Review," posted online Dec. 20), it will create 300 local jobs, with thousands more just to maintain the facility. This is something that will employ our workforce, so let's do it. We have the skilled and trained people to build and maintain that project right here, and the company plans to hire our local workforce, while doing everything to ensure the project is environmentally sound. Bring it on. 

Rachel Aguiar, Eureka