Forest Futures
1
Bus
8
State Agencies
24
Forest-to-Housing Presentations
Regional Circular Bioeconomy: What California State Representatives Learned about Forest-to-Housing Solutions
What if the trees we clear to protect Tahoe Truckee from wildfire could build more affordable housing, provide backup energy and reduce greenhouse emissions, and create a new economy for our region? We’ve been working on this regenerative system with our partners for nearly ten years. This summer, we showcased our collective progress to representatives from eight California state agencies including the Housing and Homelessness Agency, the Department of Conservation, and the Strategic Growth Council.
These state representatives have a shared vision to invest in and implement what they call regional circular bioeconomies. This explains how we kept a busload of 33 people engaged for ten hours, sometimes on rural back roads, and through 24 presentations. Well, a shared agenda and lots of snacks.
Find out where we went, who we spoke to, and why State leaders think the rest of California can learn from what’s working here.
Community foundations are often the first flexible dollars in and the most trusted partner at the table, and TTCF is a leading example of this in our state. The Forest Futures work shows how local philanthropy can de-risk projects, bring public partners in, and keep capital working for the region long after the first investment.
Laura Seaman
League of California Community Foundations
How a Two-Year Pilot Grew Into a Comprehensive Disaster Preparedness Network
The Tahoe Truckee COAD (Community Organizations Active in Disaster), housed at Connecting Point, began in 2022 as a TTCF-led pilot. Now, the COAD connects roughly 85 partner representatives, convenes them during incidents, and trains organizations and volunteers to respond to disasters before they strike. The COAD works across hazards: it helps coordinate natural disaster responses, loans batteries for medical equipment during outages, distributes air filters, and shores up resources for first responders. This two-year pilot is now a comprehensive network, and TTCF is proud to fund this work alongside our jurisdictional partners.
That kind of staying power takes people. Anne Rarick, the COAD’s first manager and the Community Collaborative’s 2023 Partner of the Year, built its foundation and the relationships between organizations. As she moves onto her next chapter, and TTCF is deeply grateful for her leadership and service. As the COAD begins its next chapter, we welcome Kaeleigh Reynolds, a Truckee resident for more than a decade, who will now lead our Tahoe Truckee COAD.
The Tahoe Truckee COAD is a great example of local government jurisdictions collaborating with community partners to prepare for, respond to, and recover from local emergencies. We continue to be grateful for this ongoing group effort.
Michael Romero
MPH, Placer County Deputy Director of Health and Human Services, Public Health Division
To learn more about our community impact and how you can partner with us to make a difference, contact TTCF Donor Services at donorservices@ttcf.net.