Arcata's transformation began after California students were given the right to vote at campus addresses. In the '70s, student activists joined a huge fight over state plans to widen U.S. Highway 101 through town. When the dust settled, activists kept the expansion to only four lanes, and an environmental juggernaut was born. The shift came as the region's traditional timber economy went into free fall. Many locals blame environmentalists for the decline.
Activists blame overcutting by loggers.
In Arcata today, the big battles are over the counterculture. The town has miles of nude beaches, a piercing parlor and strong gay and New Age communities. The big story on the environment now is that it's driving the economy. Students often come here to Humboldt State University to escape urban sprawl in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Many never return.