A blighted property beside the Humboldt Coastal Nature Center is being purchased by the Friends of the Dunes and will add 6. 52 acres to the organization’s land trust. Executive Director Suzie Fortner said the organization has sought to own the property for about two decades. Last week, the California State Coastal Conservancy authorized a $431,500 grant for Friends of the Dunes to acquire it. The organization has a vision for boosting public access to the dunes by offering possible overnight stays on the property, and is planning for the restoration of land that has seen better days. “It has been such an eyesore for several years now,” said Fortner. She said when the property at 150 Stamps Lane was foreclosed on, the area gradually became a dumping ground. Visitors to the dunes would see the boarded-up buildings and trash before arriving at the center, which is a public access point to 2, 000 acres of dune habitat and trails. “That’s the first thing they’d see when they turn on to Stamp Lane, essentially a dump site,” she said. The trash has since been cleaned up by the bank. The property hosts some currently unusable structures, including a two-story home that’s been “stripped to the bones,” plus a garage, a shed, and a spread of concrete slabs. The trapezoid-shaped property was once part of the Stamps property, the landmark piece of land in Manila that was sold to the nonprofit in 2008 to establish the visitor center. 150 Stamps Lane has changed hands a few times, and only recently has the owner been willing to sell to the nonprofit. With funding in hand to purchase the property, Fortner said the organization is very excited to plan for exactly what it will be used for. The organization is exploring adding a low-cost campground or other accommodations on the site. (Manila is) “this gateway to accessing the dunes, and learning about the dunes. Yet, there’s nowhere really to stay out there,” said Fortner. The Friends of the Dunes also want to make access to the center easier by linking the area’s network of trails through the property. Particularly exciting for her is the site’s history of hosting an ecosystem of forested wetland, a habitat fairly rare in California due to development. Part of the property hosts rare hooker willow wetlands. Historic photos show a mixture of Sitka spruce and shore pine in the unique biome. While the trees were cut down, she said they could be restored. Fortner said restoring the site and improving public access to the center would offer a chance for people “to fall in love with these habitats.” The purchase process hasn’t yet started, but Fortner hopes it will be finished in early 2026 following an in-depth state appraisal. As for when the public can use it, it’s hard to say. “This grant from the State Coastal Conservancy, it’s really a first step in this process. It’s going to help us acquire the land and plan, but we have so, so much more work to do with it,” she said. The organization still needs funding to implement the plan to restore the property. She emphasized that the property is not open to the public. Sage Alexander can be reached at 707-441.
https://www.times-standard.com/2025/11/26/friends-of-the-dunes-set-to-buy-manila-eyesore-next-to-visitor-center/
Friends of the Dunes set to buy Manila ‘eyesore’ next to visitor center
