California Green Business Network Sierra Chapter Coordinator & Climate Planning Technician
Sierra Business Council’s Small Business Development Center is thrilled to be spearheading the California Green Business Network’s Sierra Chapter!
The California Green Business Network (CAGBN) is a community of small to medium-sized businesses throughout the state that comply with environmental regulations in the areas of waste, energy, water, pollution prevention, and air quality. These businesses have undergone an extensive auditing process, implemented cost and resource-saving measures, and continue to use best practices even beyond certification.
Throughout California there is a very strong CAGBN presence, and we believe in the power of small measures adding up to impactful outcomes – which is why SBC has persistently pursued this endeavor. Now that the Sierra is emerging stronger out of the pandemic, we are finally able to offer the Truckee- North Lake Tahoe region a revamped Sierra Green Business program!
What does this mean for Truckee and North Lake Tahoe? As you can imagine, sustainability is already a core value of many local businesses, so it may be no surprise that we already have a very eager group of business owners who have started their audit process; from yoga studios, breweries, contractors, and even hotels! Our CAGBN team here at SBC will spend the remainder of the year working with our existing pool of businesses as well as recruiting new ones. In addition to technical assistance to become a certified Green Business, organizations will also have the opportunity to become clients of the Sierra SBDC, furthering access to vital resources. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but visitors and local residents can expect to see local shop windows adorned with the CAGBN member decal as early as June 2022.
Our goal with the Sierra Chapter is to help fund, motivate, and support local businesses in their “greening” efforts, as well as inspire everyone who walks into their storefronts or uses their services to be conscious of their own impact andaugment their individual actions to be more sustainable. The Sierra Region faces unique challenges and repercussions when it comes to climate change and the Sierra Chapter of the Green Business Network is yet another way SBC can contribute to bettering the local economy, environment, and community.
If you are a local Truckee/ North Lake Tahoe business owner, or know of one who would be interested in becoming a certified Green Business, please reach out to me at kford@sierrabusiness.org. I would love to connect!
Visitor Spending in the Sierra is making a comeback after 2020’s dismal drop in tourism, but the tourism industry may have to make some fundamental changes in order to build a sustainable recreation-based economy in a post-pandemic world.
…Of particular interest to SBC and our region is, of course, funding for wildfire and climate resilience programs.
California’s already lofty state budget surplus reached a new high of $97.5 billion, and the budget itself grew to a record $300 billion in spending as Governor Newsom released his administration’s revisions to its 2022-23 budget proposal on May 13. What impacts will these big numbers have on the Sierra Nevada? Will there be more funding and opportunity for state investment be coming our way?
