Tribal Economic Development
Seven federally recognized tribal entities operate within the district. Many tribal groups have been active with economic and community development planning, and facilitation of commercial and residential development projects.
Trinity County Perspective
Seven federally recognized tribes operate across the North State district, with 29+ tribal and tribal groups total — many in the region's most remote and underserved communities. For a rural county like Trinity, where tribal nations have deep roots and active development initiatives, this represents one of the strongest existing partnership networks available. Tribal organizations are already facilitating commercial and residential development projects, making them natural collaborators for TCDC and county economic development efforts rather than passive beneficiaries.
The regional data highlights a persistent structural problem: contracting mechanisms favor large corporations that don't hire locally, pay poorly, and don't produce year-round jobs — a pattern Trinity County knows well. Tribal leaders have been identified as key partners for CEDS implementation, and their land stewardship practices and community development expertise offer proven models that align directly with Trinity's needs in wildfire resilience, workforce development, and small business growth. The highest-priority recommendations call for learning from tribal economic development successes and expanding land stewardship collaboration — both areas where Trinity County, with its vast public lands and fire-dependent landscape, stands to benefit more than most counties in the district. Building these partnerships now positions the county for green energy and entrepreneurship opportunities that are already emerging regionally.
High Priority Actions
2Learn about Tribal-specific economic development interests and successes
Learn from Tribal leaders on land stewardship practices to improve North State land management
Challenges
8- Ensuring equitable access for historically underserved populations
- Coordination across multiple tribal and non-tribal jurisdictions
- Severe underinvestment due to historical exploitation
- Contracting mechanisms favor large corporations over local/tribal entities
- Large corporations generally don't hire locally, pay poorly, don't produce year-round jobs
- Capacity and staffing to manage funding and implement projects
- Basic infrastructure needs (roads, water systems, water treatment, broadband)
- Remote locations with limited services
Opportunities
11- Many tribal groups already active in economic and community development planning
- Tribal organizations facilitating commercial and residential development projects
- KCDC and RREDCO identified as key economic development collaborators
- Green energy development
- Small business and entrepreneurship development
- Growth of stewardship economies
- Cultural fire and land management expertise
- Partnership models like City of Susanville and Susanville Indian Rancheria co-sponsoring economic development director
- High Road Training Partnership for Tribal forest restoration
- Tribal-led tourism activities
- Cultural burning practices gaining recognition
All Recommendations
2Tribal groups identified as key partners for CEDS implementation
Build on Tribal strengths in community development, social services, health and wellness across rural communities