Redwood Region RISE Awards $9 Million to Catalyze Economic Growth

Advancing Regional Economic Resilience

Redwood Region RISE (Resilient Inclusive Sustainable Economy) has selected 10 transformative projects to receive $9 million in funding through its Catalyst Awards program. These initiatives span Tribal Lands, Del Norte, Humboldt, Lake, and Mendocino Counties, targeting key economic sectors to create quality jobs and foster regional prosperity. 

Read the Updated Press Release

Explore RRRISE's Catalyst Awardees

Preliminary Catalyst Awardees Include

• 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 Performing Arts and Civic Center ($268,250) - Partnership for Performing Arts  - 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 Innovation and and Simulation Center ($650,000) - Lake County Economic Development Corporation  - Enhancing healthcare education and workforce development through simulation facilities.
• Middletown Rancheria Community RISE Project ($500,000) - Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California  - 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.
• Redwood Corridor SEEDS Network ($450,000) - North Coast Opportunities (NCO) - Creating community food hubs along Highway 101 to address food security and access.
• Tribal Energy Sovereignty Initiative ($795,316) - Pinoleville Solar Port & Renewable Energy Workforce Development - Pinoleville Pomo Nation with Red Hills Bioenergy Facility & Central Wood Processing Plant ($345,316) - 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.

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.

Next Steps

Preliminary Catalyst Awardees will undergo additional vetting during contracting before receiving funding. Implementation is expected to begin in May of 2025, with completion by September 2026.

Importantly, all projects identified through Redwood Region RISE's broader efforts—not just those receiving Catalyst funding—will be supported by our Sector Investment Coordinators, Economic Development Funding Working Group, and our Collaborative as a whole. RRRISE’s goal is to ensure every promising idea has the opportunity to grow and thrive.
 

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.