Convening the Sierra – Fall 2026
September 25, 2026
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Join SBC at these Upcoming Events Across the Region
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 14, 2023
MEDIA CONTACT
Jill Sanford, Communications Director, jsanford@sierrabusiness.org, 530.582.4800 ext. 106
For more information about CERF program priorities and next steps, please contact CERF@sierrabusiness.org
Bishop – Sierra Business Council, a Sierra-based nonprofit organization headquartered in Truckee, received the contract for the Eastern Sierra region Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) on Feb. 28th. The State of California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) issued this contract in collaboration with the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR), and the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).
This long-awaited contract follows the October 2022 announcement that Sierra Business Council was selected as the official convener and fiscal agent for the Eastern Sierra region, which includes Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Mariposa, Alpine, Inyo, and Mono counties.
CERF is a new state initiative designed to support innovative plans and strategies to diversify local economies and develop sustainable industries that create good-paying, broadly-accessible jobs for all Californians. Sierra Business Council’s goal for the Eastern Sierra CERF Region is to develop a regional economic recovery plan and prioritized investment schedule that will generate sustainable high-road jobs. More about how this will be executed can be found on the organization’s website and in its initial press release.
Sierra Business Council’s first priority under contract will be to form the region’s High Road Transition Collaborative (HRTC) and its 5 subcommittees. The organization will have 60 days from the start of the contract to review applications and confirm appointees to the Council and subcommittees. To learn more about the HRTC and apply, please visit sierrabusiness.org/cerf.
Sierra Business Council (SBC) catalyzes innovative approaches to increase community vitality, economic prosperity, environmental quality, and social fairness in the Sierra Nevada. More information on SBC’s impact can be found at www.sierrabusiness.org.
Join SBC at these Upcoming Events Across the Region
Two SNEW services that are often requested by Sierra Nevada public agencies are energy benchmarking (sometimes including AB 802 reporting for buildings
California’s 2026-27 legislative session wrapped up September 1 after a turbulent final week of negotiations over wildfire policy, funding, and the state budget. While a last-minute proposal on wildfire liability ultimately stalled, the Legislature did restore and increase funding for climate resilience through Proposition 4 and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF)—a meaningful outcome for Sierra communities amid a challenging state budget year.
The final plan includes $329.5 million for wildfire and forest resilience through Prop 4 and $118 million for wildfire prevention through GGRF. While these investments are an improvement over the June budget, wildfire resilience funding remains near historic lows, with no clear plan for sustained investment in future years.
Read more about the final budget, Prop 4 and GGRF allocations, and what’s next for wildfire and climate resilience in the Sierra.