$9-million To Fund Economic Development Projects Across Sierra
Sonora, CA — 40 projects approved by the Sierra Jobs First Governing Council will receive a share of $9 million in catalyst funding across a seven-county region.
They include planning for a local USDA meat processing facility, several biomass-related efforts, a Sierra Sourced initiative led by the Tuolumne County Chamber of Commerce, a local water apprenticeship program, and planning for a Sonora High Wildcat Ranch Regional Training Site.
The catalyst funding is from the state’s California Jobs First initiative.
Sierra Jobs First, a regional collaborative with a 21-member governing council, reports that the projects are in the pre-implementation phase and align with regional strategies to grow “climate-resilient, equitable jobs in Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Inyo, Mariposa, Mono and Tuolumne counties.
Alex Bloom, non-voting chair of the Sierra Jobs First Governing Council, says, “The overwhelming response to the Catalyst Request for proposals was truly inspiring, showcasing the innovation, determination, and dedication of our region in advancing an inclusive and climate-forward future. Recognizing the strength and diversity of the submitted projects, the Council reached a clear consensus to fund as many eligible initiatives as possible, ensuring broad regional impact and support for transformative solutions.”
Sierra Jobs First does not currently have a per-project breakdown of the exact dollars each will receive because the funding is getting confirmed in the contracting process as they work through the numbers with the different groups. Final-actuals on each project will be known when the contracting is completed.
Names of organizations that will receive a portion of the $9-milion, followed by the project names:
Columbia College – Regional Training Center Feasibility Project
Phoenix Biomass Energy, Inc. – Arnold Water & Power Biomass Plant (AWAP)
Tuolumne County, Administration Office – Tuolumne County Programmatic CEQA Development for Wildfire Fuel Management
Yosemite Clean Energy – Developing an Innovative Biomass and Timber Inventory and Predictive Growth and Yield Model for the Central Sierra Nevada Region to Foster Forest and Bioeconomy Development
Tuolumne County Chamber of Commerce – Sierra Sourced project
Mother Lode Job Training (MLJT) – Water and Wastewater Apprenticeship Program
Sonora Union High School District (SUHSD) and Mother Lode Job Training (MLJT) – Wildcat Ranch Regional Training Site
UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Central Sierra – Central Sierra USDA Meat Processing Facility Feasibility Study
Calaveras Chamber of Commerce and CalAsian Chamber of Commerce – Keep Sierra Green
Tuolumne County Arts Alliance – Creative Reuse Community Arts Center of Tuolumne County
Motherlode Bicycle Coalition – Sustainable Mobility Partnership Program
Blue Mountain Electric Company, Phoenix Biomass Energy – Blue Mountain Electric Company 3MW Biomass Renewable Energy Plant – Last Mile
Eastern Sierra Council of Governments (ESCOG) – Business Catalyst Program
California Alliance for Community Composting (CACC) – Central Sierra Regional Compost Systems Planning Project
Eastern Sierra Council of Governments (ESCOG) – Chipmunk Canyon Existing Conditions Analysis
Calaveras Healthy Impact Product Solutions (CHIPS), Chicken Ranch Rancheria Me-Wuk Indians of California – CHIPS Growth and Infrastructure Initiative
Alpine Biomass Collaborative – Eastern Sierra and Western Great Basin Tree Nursery Feasibility Study
Mammoth Lakes Trails & Public Access Foundation (MLTPA) – Eastern Sierra Regional Campground Improvements and Jobs Creation
Mammoth Lakes Trails & Public Access Foundation (MLTPA) – Eastern Sierra Regional Climate and Recreation Jobs Creation
Eastern Sierra Council of Governments (ESCOG) – Eastern Sierra Regional Collaborative (ESRC) Capacity Incubator
Mammoth Lakes Trails & Public Access Foundation (MLTPA) – Eastern Sierra Regional Trail System and Jobs Creation
City of Sutter Creek – Entrepreneur Center of the Sierras (ECS)
Beyond Limits Education – Hybrid EMS Training Program
Eastern Sierra Foundation – Investing in our Shared Future – A Vision to Strengthen Nonprofits and Grow Local Giving in the Eastern Sierra
Tuolumne County Community Development Department – Jamestown Specific Plan and Model Toolkit for Town Center Revitalization
Eastern Sierra Investment Group, LLC – Long Valley Ecovillage
Bishop Paiute Tribe – Nuumu Solid Waste Collection and Recycling Authority
Bishop Paiute Tribe – Nuumu Transit Authority Project
Amador Trail Stewardship – Pathways to Prosperity: A Regional Multimodal Safety and Recreation Initiative
Eastern Sierra Farm Fresh – Remaking the Eastern Sierra Food System
Central Sierra Economic Development District (CSEDD) – Sierra Founders Academy
Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) – Sierra Jobs First Industrial Arts Training Program: Strengthening Workforce and Higher Education Pathways for a Resilient Sierra Economy
Resilient Public Health Services – Sierra Region Community Health Worker/Promotor Program
Eastern Sierra Artists – Sierra Regional Arts Organization Collaborative Network
University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR) – Strategy to Action: Mobilizing Leaders, Data and Capacity for a Resilient Economy
The Blue Heron Project – The Blue Heron Project Feasibility and Development Project
Sierra Nevada Alliance – The Collaborative Sustainable Recreation Assessment
Sierra Nevada Alliance – The Collaborative Sustainable Recreation Assessment
Toiyabe Indian Health Project – TIHP Mobile Dental Clinic
Alpine, Inyo, & Mono Counties – Tri-County Recreation Economic Impact Study – Inyo, Mono & Alpine Counties
