HOOPA — Caltrans and the Hoopa Valley Tribe Tuesday unveiled the $1 million Downtown Beautification Project in a ceremony along Route 96 in Hoopa. The project showcases the community’s rich cultural heritage and enhances local infrastructure with attractive new lighting fixtures, aesthetic hardscaping and decorative solar lighting.
The project is made possible by Governor Gavin Newsom’s Clean California initiative – a sweeping, $1.2 billion, multiyear clean-up effort led by Caltrans to remove trash, create thousands of jobs, and join with communities throughout the state to reclaim, transform and beautify public spaces.
"This ribbon cutting signifies not only the completion of a transformative project but also the spirit of collaboration that defines our community," said Caltrans District 1 Director Matt Brady. "We are immensely proud of the enhancements made to downtown Hoopa, which not only beautify our surroundings but also prioritize the safety and well-being of our residents and visitors."
The project combined efforts among Caltrans, the Hoopa Valley Tribe, Hoopa residents, local businesses, the County of Humboldt and Klamath-Trinity Non-Emergency Transportation.
Completed enhancements to this stretch of Route 96 include decorative solar lighting fixtures, hardscape islands and tribal art installations paying homage to the community’s rich history and cultural identity.
“These carefully constructed art pieces are a daily reminder of an inherent responsibility we have to care for our environment and for this place, where the trails return,” Hoopa Valley Tribe Acting Chairman, Everett Colegrove, Jr. said.
Clean California has funded 319 projects throughout the state to revitalize and beautify underserved communities, some of which are already complete and sources of pride. Projects are improving public spaces, tribal lands, parks, neighborhoods, transit centers, walking paths, streets, roadsides, recreation fields, community gathering spots and places of cultural importance or historical interest in communities where previous transportation projects often created community or cultural division.
Since launching Clean California in July 2021, Caltrans and its local partners have picked up more than 2.3 million cubic yards of litter – enough to fill about 700 Olympic-size swimming pools. This represents a substantial increase compared to the department’s previous trash collection efforts and can largely be attributed to Clean California. Caltrans has hosted more than 500 free dump days in communities throughout the state – resulting in the collection of 12,000-plus mattresses and nearly 50,000 tires. The initiative has drawn more than 10,000 community clean-up volunteers and created 15,000 jobs, including positions for individuals who were formerly incarcerated, on probation, or experiencing housing insecurity.
For more information about Clean California Community Days, visit CleanCA.com.
For local footage of Clean CA beautification projects in action click here, and for local footage of Clean CA Dump Day events click here.
Contact: Meriah Miracle
Caltrans staff and Hoopa Valley Tribe officials gather at a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Hoopa Downtown Beautification Project
Solar lighting along State Route 96 in downtown Hoopa
Tribal art installations line State Route 96 in downtown Hoopa