Frozen Federal Grants Put Local Business Development Applications On Hold

QUINCY — In a February 11 report to the Plumas County Board of Supervisors on behalf of the Indian Valley Innovation Hub, Clint Koble, a member of the organization’s board, reported that applications for a USDA Rural Business Development Grant are on hold as a result of the federal funding freeze. The Indian Valley Innovation Hub is a nonprofit organization focused on economic development. It was established in response to the recovery needs after the 2021 Dixie Fire, which severely impacted Plumas County, and has since expanded its operations throughout the entire county.

In an interview after the meeting, Mr Koble explained that federal development grants brought valuable support to Plumas as a disaster-affected county with one of California’s lowest per capita income levels. “We need a hand up,” as he put it. But now, he said, the help desk for the USDA grant program is shut down, and there has been no communication about application requirements, apparently because language about climate change and diversity is being removed. The freeze is “bad news,” said Mr Koble, because grant applications are due February 28, and there are few other options for funding.