Sierra Business Council, in partnership with Sierra Commons, is launching a free, in-person education program to create forest-based jobs and wood products businesses this April.

The Forestry Entrepreneurship Program is a tuition-free, five-week course led by experts in the region’s forest business opportunities, marketing and finances businesses, startups, and more.

Participants will explore how preparing our Sierra communities for forest resilience can also launch exciting new career pathways and emerging industries. The first cohort kicks off on April 30 at Sierra Commons headquarters in Nevada City.

“There is a huge business opportunity in our forested communities, and the nexus of entrepreneurship, job creation, and existing market needs such as forest thinning, defensible space, and small-diameter timber manufacturing can provide much-needed opportunities that have the co-benefits of wildfire mitigation and economic development,” says Kristin York, Vice President of Sierra Business Council.

Growing populations, a changing climate, and the threat of devastating wildfire are challenging economies throughout the Sierra Nevada and creating opportunities for high-demand industries like sustainable construction, land management, natural resources, outdoor recreation, and arts and culture.

Mountain communities who embrace this shifting landscape are discovering new possibilities while becoming better equipped to face the future. This course series is designed to provide participants with the tools and know-how needed to create a sustainable lifestyle.

The workshop series covers all aspects of launching or expanding a business and will be led by Robert Trent, the founder of Nevada City’s nonprofit business incubator Sierra Commons. Trent is an experienced consultant who has taught hundreds of entrepreneurs over the years.

“There are so many opportunities to start and grow high-demand businesses throughout the Sierra that it’s mind-boggling. This course is a perfect fit for people who have an entrepreneurial spirit and, at the same time, are deeply rooted in the safety and well-being of their community,” said Robert Trent, Executive Director at Sierra Commons.

Students will learn the basic foundations of good business – from finance, pricing, and cash flow to research, marketing, and sales and the complex world of government contracts and permits. In addition to weekly classes, students will expand their knowledge and access to resources with a weekly accountability group and one-to-one advising.

“Sierra Commons and Sierra Business Council have a pretty stellar understanding of what it takes to start and grow successful businesses. It’s not as simple as just learning how to operate an enterprise. It’s also about weaving a positive mindset and character-set into everything a business owner does,” said Trent.

Each participant is eligible for personalized technical assistance at no cost through the SBDC program.

The curriculum is designed to provide:

• Technical assistance to launch small businesses and entrepreneurial development focused on a broad range of forest and wood-based businesses

• Training and guidance for transforming businesses from individual ownership to cooperative businesses to support economic justice at business ownership levels

• Opportunities to showcase emerging business opportunities that have co-benefits of wildfire reduction and economic development, particularly at the nexus of wood product development and outdoor recreation in rural forested communities

• A nexus to existing markets and identified needs such as forest thinning and management, application of prescribed fire, small mass timber product manufacturing, small diameter timber utilization, biofuels manufacture, and logistics and support

Funding for this program was provided by a Good Jobs Challenge EDA-funded grant through the Foundation for California Community Colleges to conduct forestry and fire-mitigation training programs in the Sierra Nevada region of northeastern California.