Trinity group offers suggestions to feds on spurring economic development, jobs

The U.S. Rural Development Department asked for input as to what rural areas need — and got an earful from Trinity County at a Jan. 27 forum.

A few of the ideas: Small business programs aimed at typical rural small businesses rather than lumping them in with those of up to 500 employees. Reimbursement for counties-of-origin that provide water to other areas. More grants and less of those loans that struggling businesses have difficulty qualifying for.

The comments flowed at the Economic Development Listening Session held at the Trinity Public Utilities District community room and led by Bryon Hadwick, project coordinator for the Northwest California Resource Conservation and Development Council. About 30 people attended, and their comments were summarized for a report to be sent to Glenda Humiston, appointed in September as California director for the Rural Development Department.

Humiston, the only state director to hold forums in every county, is to compile the results and send them on to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to help him develop a new plan to strengthen rural America. Statewide more than 800 people participated in the forums, Hadwick said, noting that Trinity County’s turnout was one of the largest.

Several Trinity residents pointed out that one obstacle to job creation in Trinity County is the fact that 75 percent of the county is U.S. Forest Service land. Although there are projects in the forest which could employ people, a study about 10 years ago by the Watershed Research and Training Center in Hayfork indicated that Trinity County is not getting its share of the work, said Lynn Jungwirth, the center’s executive director.

Trinity County contractors were getting less than 10 percent of the work, she said, and only 17 percent of timber sold went to a business in Trinity County. “So we have job leakage both ways.”

From the University of California Cooperative Extension in Trinity County, representative Carol Fall followed up, saying “The requirements for being a contractor with the federal government should be streamlined.”

 

 

 

 

 

”From the Trinity County Office of Education, Supt. Jim French said current laws are not friendly to biomass operations which can reduce forest fuels instead of having them burn in a wildfire. Jungwirth said the federal Department of Energy is not interested in the smaller scale biomass projects which would make sense here.

In another natural resources issue, Trinity County Sup. Howard Freeman suggested “equitable reimbursement” for water. “There’s no monetary pay-back to counties-of-origin,” he noted.

French said it is essential for the federal government to “reauthorize Secure Rural Schools,” referring to payments to counties with high percentages of federal lands hurt financially by reduced timber harvest.

On the topic of timber, a tree farmer and former owner of a logging company spoke up.

“I’d like to see the federal govern-ment put the forest back to work,” Clarence Rose said.Difficulties small businesses have in getting funding came up repeatedly.

For starters, the federal government could do a better job of letting local governments know about federal assistance and grants available, said Jim Jungwirth, who co-founded Jefferson State Forest Products in Hayfork.  “We don’t know what’s out there,” he said.

Fall, from the UC Cooperative Extension, noted that agricultural producers in the county were asked why they weren’t doing more, and they cited lack of start-up funding in addition to needing more marketing opportunities and training, and inadequate access to technology and infrastructure.

Lynn Jungwirth noted that programs to aid businesses are “set up to protect the lender,” geared more toward guaranteed loans than grants, and businesses here are struggling to pay down their debts.

Rose said it would be helpful to Trinity County if the Forest Service used small business preference in stewardship projects, and Jim Jungwirth followed up that the definition of small businesses for this purpose should not include those employing 500.

There was also some discussion of actions that can be taken locally.

“We need to market our cheap power,” Jim Jungwirth said.  “That’s how we’re going to bring businesses in.”

On the health care front, a director on the Mountain Communities Healthcare District Board, Jerry Cousins, noted that California has the lowest state reimbursements in the country, and Freeman said the process to get into programs meant to help rural health facilities should be streamlined, “so it doesn’t take two friggin’ years to get the designation.”

Residents also identified opportunities for “jobs of the future” and opportunities for economic growth.

County Sup. Judy Morris pointed to funding that has been approved for high-speed “broadband” Internet projects.“  That will be our easiest, quickest way for economic development,” she said.  “Broadband will bring to our area what electricity brought to rural America in the ‘30s and ‘40s.”

Schools Supt. French said doors will be opened for independent retail enterprises “once we get the big pipeline for broadband.”

Others mentioned biomass energy projects, niche forest products, alternative medicine, having an Internet service center, bringing back a saw-mill in Hayfork, vineyards and wine tasting, and ecotourism.