Sierra Business Council

EDUCATION OF THE PUBLIC ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY AND SECURING THE SOCIAL, NATURAL, AND FINANCIAL HEALTH OF THE SIERRA NEVADA REGION FOR THIS AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.

ECONCOMIC EMPOWERMENT: SIERRA BUSINESS COUNCILS SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER (SBDC) SERVES RURAL NORTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA WITH BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVEMENT SERVICES, INCLUDING IMPROVING ACCESS TO CAPITAL, LINKING TO JOB TRAINING SERVICES, AND COUNSELING BUSINESSES ON INCORPORATING SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL VALUES.IN 2021, THE SIERRA SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER SERVED 870 CLIENTS; PROVIDED 3,700 HOURS OF COUNSELING; CONDUCTED 54 WORKSHOPS ATTENEDED BY 1,481 INDIVIDUALS; PARTICIPATED IN 23 NEW BUSINESS STARTUPS; RETAINED OR CREATED 2,500 NEW JOBS; AND LEVERAGED $21,400,000 IN NEW CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN BUSINESSES IN THE REGION. THE SBDC PROVIDED DIRECT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO ASSIST BUSINESSES WITH ACCESSING CARES ACT, AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN, AND CALIFORNIA STATE COVID-19 RELIEF FUNDING. SBC, ALONG WITH PARTNERING LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL ENTITIES, ALSO INFUSED $12.48 MILLION IN LOANS, GRANTS, AND OTHER CAPITAL IN THE REGION AND CONTINUED ITS OWN LOCALLY SOURCED COMMUNITY CAPITAL FUND, THE RESILIENCE FUND, TO PROVIDE MICROLOANS TO SMALL BUSINESSES.SBC CONTINUED TO MANAGE A REVOLVING LOAN FUND AND EXPANDED ITS FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYER DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE FUND. SBC HOSTED THE GOLD COUNTRY BROADBAND CONSORTIUM, EXPANDING ACCESS TO BROADBAND SERVICES IN RURAL REGIONS THROUGH DIRECT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND LEVERAGING STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDING FOR REGIONAL PROJECTS. SBC ALSO CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT AND HOSTING OF THE REGIONAL GEOTOURISM WEB PLATFORM GARNERING MORE THAN 500,000 VIRTUAL VISITS TO THE REGION, SPOTLIGHTING MORE THAN 2,000 BUSINESSES AND DESTINATIONS; AND THE LAKE TAHOE WATER TRAIL, A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT TO BOOST VISITORSHIP AND SAFETY ALONG THE SHORES OF LAKE TAHOE.SBC HOSTED MORE THAN 50 WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS TO TRAIN BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY LEADERS IN ADDITION TO SHOWCASING SBCS/PARTNERS INVOLVEMENT AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS WITHIN THE SIERRA.

CLIMATE AND ENERGY: SIERRA BUSINESS COUNCILS ENERGY SERVICES PROJECTS WORK DIRECTLY WITH SIERRA BUSINESSES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, LINKING SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIES TO THRIVING COMMUNITIES THROUGH ENERGY EFFICIENCY RETROFITS, GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION INVENTORIES, ENERGY ACTION PLANS, AND CLIMATE ACTION PLANNING.IN 2021, SBC WORKED WITH NUMEROUS COMMUNITIES DEVELOPING GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORIES, ENERGY ACTION PLANS, CLIMATE ACTION PLANS, REGIONAL CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION STRATEGIES, AND INCORPORATING SIERRA NEVADA GOALS INTO STATE POLICIES RELATED TO CLIMATE, WATER, AND FIRE.SBC SIGNIFICANTLY RAMPED UP ITS CLIMATE ADAPTATION PROGRAMS DIRECTED AT MITIGATING THE RISK OF CLIMATIC EVENTS IN THE REGION BY RESEARCHING AND WRITING A REGIONAL CLIMATE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT IDENTIFYING CLIMATE RISK AT THE LOCAL AND REGIONAL LEVELS. SBC ALSO CONTINUED ITS WORK SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOREST BIOMASS BASED ENERGY, VALUE ADDED WOOD PRODUCTS, AND SCALABLE FOREST RESTORATION POLICY.SBC HOSTED THE SIERRA CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION PARTNERSHIP, A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT WITH THE GOVERNORS OFFICE OF PLANNING AND RESEARCH AND THE ALLIANCE OF REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR CLIMATE ADAPTATION, WITH MORE THAN 50 LOCAL PARTNERS FOCUSED ON PREPARING THE REGION FOR CLIMATE CHANGE. IN 2021, SBC ALSO LAUNCHED A LOCAL CLIMATE COLLABORATIVE IN THE NORTH LAKE TAHOE TRUCKEE REGION.

REGIONAL ADVOCACY: SIERRA BUSINESS COUNCIL ACTS AS A REGIONAL POLICY AND ANALYSIS VOICE FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA, FOCUSING ON NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT POLICY, FOREST MANAGEMENT AND WILDFIRE MITIGATION POLICY, BIOMASS, BIOENERGY, AND VALUE-ADDED WOOD PRODUCTS DEVELOPMENT, REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY, CLIMATE POLICY, AND BROADBAND DEPLOYMENT. SBC DEVELOPS RESEARCH AND MATERIALS TO HELP INFORM PUBLIC DEBATE AND ENGAGEMENT.IN 2021, SBC WORKED TO INCLUDE RURAL CLIMATE POLICY IN CALIFORNIA STATE PRIORITIES THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA STATE CONSERVANCIES, THE NATURAL RESOURCES AGENCY, CALIFORNIA AIR RESOURCES BOARD, AND THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION. SBC ACTED AS A COMMUNITY INFORMATION CENTER FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF STATE AND FEDERAL 30 X 30 INITIATIVES; PRODUCED A SERIES OF BIOMASS INFORMATIONAL VIDEOS; AND LED A NATURAL RESOURCES BASED WORKFORCE DEVLOPMENT PROGRAM. SBC PARTNERED WITH NUMEROUS ENTITIES AND COALTIONS TO ADVANCE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICY, INCLUDING THE CALIFORNIA STEWARDSHIP NETWORK, CALIFORNIA FORWARD, AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH MORE THAN 70 STATE AND REGIONAL BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS.SBC WORKED WITH LOCAL AND REGIONAL PARTNERS TO DEVELOP A STRATGEY TO EXPAND ACCESS TO HOUSING FOR LOW TO MEDIUM INCOME SIERRA RESIDENTS. EACH OF SIERRA BUSINESS COUNCILS PROGRAMMATIC FOCAL AREAS INCORPORATE AN EDUCATIONAL AND A LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT COMPONENT IN PURSUIT OF ITS EDUCATIONAL MISSION, AUGMENTED BY CONTINUED LEADERSHIP IN THE CALIFORNIA ECONOMIC SUMMIT, ALLIANCE OF REGIONAL COLLABORATIVES FOR CLIMATE ADAPTATION, CALIFORNIA STEWARDSHIP NETWORK, LARGE LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION NETWORK, STATE ENERGY EFFICIENCY COLLABORATIVE, LOCAL GOVERNMENT SUSTAINABLE ENERGY COALITION, RURAL SMART GROWTH TASK FORCE, CALIFORNIA DELIVERS, SIERRA CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION PARTNERSHIP, SIERRA WATERSHED IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM, CALIFORNIA BIOENERGY ASSOCIATION; AND ONGOING REGIONAL CONVENING.