###

Press release from North Edge Financing:

Redwood Region RISE (Resilient Inclusive Sustainable Economy) announces the preliminary selection of Catalyst Awardees who will receive a total of $8.1 million in funding to boost economic development throughout the Redwood Region. With North Edge Financing as Fiscal Agent and the California Center for Rural Policy (CCRP) at Cal Poly Humboldt as Regional Convener, this California Jobs First initiative will support pre-development projects that align RRRISE’s 10-year Regional Roadmap.

Transformative Funding for Regional Prosperity

“The Catalyst Fund represents critical investment in the future of Redwood Region’s rural economies,” says Susan Seaman, Program Director of North Edge. “These preliminary awards mark the beginning of projects that will leverage our key industry sectors and foster inclusive economic development and job growth for all Redwood Region residents.”

About the Catalyst Awards

The Catalyst Awards support high-impact projects at two key stages: early-stage “exploratory” initiatives and near implementation-ready “last-mile” efforts. These awards position promising projects to compete for future regional, state, private, and federal implementation funding, focusing on initiatives that advance the RRRISE Regional Roadmap‘s four key sectors: Arts, Culture, and Tourism; Health and Caregiving; Renewable and Resilient Energy; and Working Lands and Blue Economy.

With over 70% of the Catalyst funding directed to projects led by priority and disinvested communities, the selected awardees address critical regional challenges through sustainable food systems, renewable energy projects, affordable housing solutions, workforce training, cultural preservation, and forest management practices. Many projects specifically target priority communities to overcome persistent barriers to economic advancement in rural and Tribal areas.

Selected Catalyst Awardees

The preliminary list of Catalyst Awardees includes:

● BLBS GRID Workforce Training Tiny Home Construction ($331,702) - Building Lives By Building Structure Hoopa 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization (BLBS) - Combining affordable housing construction with renewable energy integration while training Native American youth.

● Career Pathways: Fire, Forest, Fish & Facilities ($1,127,936) - Trees Foundation - Creating sustainable wage opportunities in natural resource jobs across three counties.

● Del Norte Center for the Performing Arts & Civics - Partnership for Performing Arts ($268,250) - Cultural hub serving as performance venue, educational space, and emergency resource.

● Fire Lines & Fiber Bioregions: A Regional Wool Industry Cluster ($607,856) - Kaos Sheep Outfit - Developing sustainable fiber production and exploring a Regional Wool Industry Cluster.

● Lake County Healthcare Education and Simulator - Lake County Economic Development Corporation ($650,000) - Enhancing healthcare education and workforce development through simulation facilities.

● Middletown Rancheria Community RISE Project - Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California ($500,000) - Addressing Tribal community challenges through housing, climate resilience, and cultural preservation.

● North Coast Resilient Food Systems Initiative ($2,306,574) - Connecting Del Norte Meat Processing Facility - Hmong Association of Crescent City with North Coast Food System Network - North Coast Growers’ Association to strengthen regional food systems.

● Red Hills Bioenergy Facility & Central Wood Processing Plant - Scotts Valley Energy Corporation to advance renewable energy solutions and workforce training.

● Timber & Workforce Development Initiative ($1,959,897) - Three interconnected initiatives: Carving a Legacy: Tribal Traditions, Woodworking, and Workforce Development - Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe; Connecting Mass Timber to Regional Housing and Building Needs - Mad River Mass Timber; and Developing a Climate Forward Workforce and Innovation Pipeline - Forest WRX Alliance.

Community Leadership and Impact

“The California Center for Rural Policy is proud to support this process as the Regional Convener,” said Dawn Arledge, Executive Director of CCRP. “These projects reflect RRRISE’s 150+ organization’s collaborative vision of and commitment to help rural and Tribal communities access the resources they need to thrive.”

Next Steps

Preliminary Catalyst Awardees will undergo rigorous contracting and compliance measures before receiving funding. Implementation is expected to begin in May of 2025, with completion by September 2026. The Redwood Region RISE Collaborative and its four Sector

Investment Coordinators are committed to supporting these and the many other excellent economic development projects throughout the region.

The work of Redwood Region RISE is supported by the statewide initiative California Jobs First and has helped inform the newly released California Jobs First Economic Blueprint.

###

About Redwood Region RISE

Redwood Region RISE is a coalition of 150+ organizations across Tribal Lands, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino Counties implementing a 10-year Regional Roadmap to bring sustainable, quality jobs to our region while advancing environmental stewardship and social equity. RRRISE envisions the Redwood Region as a healing place where everyone belongs, with stable jobs, accessible healthcare, and a flourishing natural environment. Together, we work towards a future where anyone can thrive.