Natural Resources Sector
The North State's forests and watersheds encompass Northern Sierra and Cascade provinces providing ecosystem services vital to all Californians. Catastrophic wildfires are burning forests faster than they can be maintained, with 21st century seeing dramatic increases in fire severity and acres burned. Three national forests received priority federal funding for wildfire mitigation.
Trinity County Perspective
As one of California's most heavily forested counties and home to a significant portion of the Shasta-Trinity National Forest — one of only three national forests receiving priority federal wildfire mitigation funding — this region sits at the epicenter of both the crisis and the opportunity in the North State's natural resources sector. The regional data on catastrophic wildfire (averaging 53 million metric tons of CO2 emissions annually from 2017–2021) reflects a reality Trinity County residents know firsthand: fire seasons are longer, more destructive, and outpacing the capacity to treat landscapes.
The actionable upside is substantial. Regional strategies call for community-scale wood utilization facilities, biomass energy, and cross-laminated timber manufacturing — exactly the kind of family-wage industry a county of 15,600 needs. With chronic workforce shortages in the forest sector and many existing jobs not paying family-supporting wages, investments in NEPA/CEQA workforce training and restoration crews could directly address both Trinity County's employment gaps and its fire risk. The push for payments for ecosystem services — clean water, carbon storage, flood attenuation — positions upper-watershed counties like Trinity to be compensated for the value their landscapes already provide to downstream California, where 80% of water demand originates.
High Priority Actions
11State and federal agencies must work together with community and regional collaboratives to prioritize landscape needs and blend resources. Time is of the essence.
Utilize potential landscape control features like roads and ridgetops blended with forest conditions, ecological priorities, and fire potential to pre-plan for wildfire
Federal agencies lack personnel to complete timely analysis. Build with existing North State organizations and develop regional public-private partnerships.
Invest in community-scale wood utilization facilities (sawmills, CLT manufacturing, bioenergy) to create family-wage jobs
Support both in-woods and manufacturing jobs with training and work experience, responsive to marginalized workers
Invest in landscapes and community businesses using byproducts of restoration work. Services include habitat, clean air, flood attenuation, water flows, hydropower, carbon storage.
Expand upper watershed accounting and build coalitions between headwaters and downstream representatives
Expand on AB 2480 to make forest and watershed improvements eligible for same financing as other water infrastructure projects
Link to wildfire mitigation, forest health, salmon recovery, and water quality monitoring
Current population-based formulas privilege smaller watersheds near population centers at expense of vital North State watersheds
Reduce liabilities for private landowners, inform public, support research on prescribed and cultural fire, build diverse fire practitioner workforce
Challenges
8- Catastrophic wildfires burning forests faster than they can be maintained
- 21st century dramatic increase in fire severity and acres burned
- Chronic workforce shortages in natural resource sector
- Non-family-supporting wages in many forest sector jobs
- Boom and bust funding allocations
- Federal agencies lack personnel for timely environmental analysis
- Ecosystem services not funded at levels needed to sustain them
- Climate change, drought, reduced restoration, fire suppression increasing catastrophic wildfire
Opportunities
9- Forest sector activities are key growth area with ongoing investment expected
- Expansion of fire management and training centers
- Biomass energy and innovative wood products growth
- Renewable energy generation (biomass, solar, geothermal)
- Carbon capture and energy storage technologies
- Carbon mineralization in abundant ultramafic/mafic rocks
- Forest Resilience Bonds (Blue Forest model with Metropolitan Water District)
- High Road Training Partnership for Tribes and forest restoration
- Proposition 4 bonds for wildfire prevention and climate risks
All Recommendations
3Network small- and mid-scale producers for efficient marketing. Explore ADU partnerships and disaster rebuild. Create certification/brand for community-based regenerative products.
LLNL identified North State as critical for California's carbon economy. DOE funding exploratory well in Lassen County.
Utilize EPA Brownfields program to identify and remediate old industrial sites in central locations for redevelopment
Supporting Data
7All data points traced to source documents. Click a source badge to view the original report.