Convening the Sierra – Fall 2026
September 25, 2026
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Join SBC at these Upcoming Events Across the Region
Please join Sierra Business Council at an upcoming workshop designed to collect important community feedback on broadband access and digital equity in the Sierra Nevada on May 12 from 10 am to 2:30 pm.
By attending and sharing your experiences, you can help the Sierra Nevada get the resources we need to improve our access to high-speed internet and continue to thrive. State, federal, and local officials will be traveling to our backyard to hear from you and your neighbors on internet connectivity and digital equity needs. Your input will help determine how future federal dollars will be allocated to Sierra Nevada communities and address broadband access issues in rural California.
On behalf of El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, and Sierra Counties, our partners at the California Department of Technology (CDT) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) are hosting a workshop in the Sierra foothills to seek input for the development of the State Digital Equity Plan (SDEP) and the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Five-Year Action Plan.
This event will be held at:
Grass Valley Veterans Memorial Building
255 S Auburn Street
Grass Valley, CA 95945
May 12, 10:00 am to 2:30 pm
Doors will open at 9:30 for all attendees to help themselves to coffee and light refreshments before the meeting. Lunch will be provided to all attendees.
You and your community deserve the resources and skills necessary to fully participate in our digital world. The state needs your feedback on how broadband challenges affect the following impacted populations in the Sierra Nevada:
To ensure the unique needs of various community perspectives are addressed in the state-wide planning process, leaders who represent the following sectors are strongly encouraged to join:
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn more about the digital equity plan, provide feedback on how to make it more effective, and connect with others who are passionate about digital equity in California.
The agenda will include speakers from the state, Nevada County, and several opportunities for the public to engage via breakout sessions and small group discussions.
*If you need any accessibility accommodations in order to participate, please let us know in the registration.
Thank you to Nevada County for providing the venue, audio/visual equipment, and support staff!
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.