Kent and Sally Gurley moved to Arcata from Boulder, Colo., earlier this year because Boulder had become too urban and too expensive. They brought their dye and fabric manufacturing business with them. The mental environment was also important to the Gurleys. They wanted to locate where their values would be appreciated. It was clear that the only kind of growth the community was interested in supporting right now was environmentally conscious industry.
Businesses move here because of the open land, lack of traffic and the small town feel.
But each additional enterprise takes Humboldt a step away from the rural heritage entrepreneurs are attracted by. But Kimbrell also said some change is inevitable as the rest of the state gets crowded. We have to accept that the growth in California's population will impact us. Maybe it won't be as much as in other parts of the state, but we cannot expect we're not going to be affected. The Gurleys serve as a reminder of the dangers of overdevelopment.