A regional initiative fueled by Governor Gavin Newsom’s Community Economic Resiliency Fund seeks to create “thriving-wage opportunities” across the Redwood Coast including Del Norte County.

Redwood Region RISE (Resilience Inclusive Sustainable Economy) also encompasses Humboldt, Mendocino and Lake counties and tribal lands in the region. The initiative is in its infancy with its team including Cal Poly Humboldt’s California Center for Rural Policy, North Coast Opportunities (NCO) and the Arcata Economic Development Corporation (AEDC).

The Redwood Region is one of 13 regions receiving CERF dollars to develop a regional economic plan and identify projects that could further the state’s goals.

“The CERF initiative is a statewide initiative by Newsom and started two years ago. The end goal is to create jobs for this region that are in line with the carbon neutral goals in California,” CCRP Communications Associate Leoni Fohr told the Outpost on Monday. “We at Redwood Region RISE want to do it in a very equitable way where everyone who needs to have a seat at the table is included.”

The initiative’s team is still working on a governance structure and outreach plans, Fohr said. CCRP has reached out to District 2 Supervisor Valerie Starkey and Crescent City-Del Norte County Chamber of Commerce Director Cindy Vosburg and is still developing a contact list for Del Norte County, Fohr said.

Redwood Region RISE has also released a request for proposals for a local artist to create a logo.

The Community Economic Resilience Fund was created to help communities recover from the COVID-19 pandemic by helping local economies diversify and develop sustainable industries.

According to CCRP’s website, Redwood Region RISE’s budget is $5 million over 18 months. The AEDC is the project’s fiscal agent, while NCO is involved in community outreach and engagement.
CCRP is the project’s research arm and on June 29 will be part of a community meeting to update people on its research.

“We’re working on a listening campaign to get community expertise, get everybody on board and hear from all community members who are involved to see what opportunities and challenges they’re facing,” Fohr said.

The meeting will be held virtually from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. For more information, email Leoni.Fohr@humboldt.edu.

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