Opportunity Zones & Investment
There are 13 qualified Opportunity Zones in the district, including one in the Lewiston area (Trinity County) and one in Hayfork (Trinity County). Investment activity has been light but a major $25M modular construction project in Anderson utilized OZ funding.
Trinity County Perspective
Two of the district's 13 qualified Opportunity Zones sit within county borders — one in Lewiston and one in Hayfork — giving local leaders a concrete tax-incentive tool to attract outside capital. OZ benefits allow investors to defer capital gains for up to 10 years with reduced tax burden, but to date, investment activity across the entire four-county district has been light. The one notable success, a $25M modular construction facility in Anderson (Shasta County), proves the mechanism works but underscores that no OZ-funded project has yet landed in Trinity County.
The window is still open. OZ designations run for 10 years from 2018, leaving meaningful time to activate the Lewiston and Hayfork zones before they expire. The practical challenge is investor awareness — most capital gains holders don't know these zones exist, and the region's reputation as a high-regulation area compared to Oregon and Nevada makes outreach harder. For TCDC and county leadership, the actionable move is targeted promotion of these two zones to developers and investors already working in rural Northern California, using the Anderson project as a proof-of-concept model. Without deliberate effort, these designations will expire unused.
Challenges
3- Investment activity utilizing regional opportunity zones has been relatively light to date
- Perception as high regulation area compared to neighboring states (Oregon, Nevada)
- Capital gains investment requires investor awareness and education
Opportunities
4- Trinity County has two OZ locations (Lewiston, Hayfork)
- OZ tax benefits defer capital gains up to 10 years and reduce tax burden
- US-Offsite project demonstrates model for OZ utilization
- OZs designated for 10 years from 2018 — significant time remaining
All Recommendations
25-year evaluation target to facilitate at least one additional Opportunity Zone project within the District
Allow local economic developers to retain and attract businesses enticed by neighboring states