The executive director of the Sonoma County Economic Development Collaborative said young, innovative minds are key to reducing the climate threat.
Sonoma County’s economic development leader Ethan Brown opened the Jan. 30 climate economic conference on the campus of Sonoma State University by discussing how preserving resources helps a community thrive.
“I have the responsibility to address what is likely on many of our minds as we gather in this ballroom,” said Brown, executive director of the Sonoma County Economic Development Collaborative. He was referring to students, faculty and administration dealing with the fallout since the university announced sweeping budget cuts last month.
“It’s impossible not to worry about the ripple effect these changes could have on the local and regional economy, particularly with regards to the faculty and a continued pipeline of talented workers entering our community as newly minted graduates,” Brown said.
He said this local workforce is “critical to our continued ability to maintain a vibrant economy, a sense of place and the type of innovation we will need to weather future challenges.”
“You are about to hear today about the implications and opportunities related to a changing climate. I can’t imagine how we manage implications and seize opportunities without a continued influx of new and energetic voices at the table,” Brown said.
The conference, titled “Moving forward: Strengthening our economy for the challenges of a changing climate,” included speakers discussing natural resources and fire resiliency.
SSU economics professor Merlin Hanauer was joined by United Policyholders Program Specialist Joel Laucher; Stratified Insights CEO Marlene Orozco who discussed green financing; and the county’s Office of Equity researcher Roxanne Ezzet.
Laucher addressed the biggest symptom of climate change in California — wildfire. He said his 45 years of experience in the insurance industry has shown him that wildfire is “impacting virtually everybody.”
Laucher also noted the business of insurance has become everyone’s business as the industry becomes more high tech in its data capture of each homeowners’ surroundings. Nowadays, insurance companies use aerial imagery to assign risk. They’re looking at slope, fuel and access when assessing property.
“A half a block can mean the difference whether you get a standard insurer or the FAIR Plan,” he said, referring to the state-sanctioned insurance plan of last resort.
Laucher said: “We’re going to have to look more broadly at how we protect development. We’re going to have to say, ‘You can’t build here’ and protect the natural resources for the public good.”
The panel’s moderator, Sonoma County 5th District Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, pointed out that climate change is a societal problem.
“Selfishness is driving many of our worst crises,” Hopkins said.
But, she later told the Business Journal: “In Sonoma County, we’ve taken some very unselfish collective action. This is particularly true with respect to natural resources.” She listed the sales tax to support agriculture and open space, resulting in new parks.
As the keynote speaker, professor Hanauer made the case for protecting resources through conservation efforts for the benefit of the local economy.
PDF: Conservation and Development presentation – Merlin Hanauer
The estimated value of Sonoma County’s ecosystem is worth at least $2.2 billion, according to Hanauer’s research.
He said some components of that value can be seen in simple things, such as the popularity of the Sonoma County Regional Parks vehicle entry pass. The annual membership provides access to the county’s 50 parks.
Sonoma County Agriculture Commissioner Andrew Smith said he has one.
“Even if you don’t use it, that $69 protects those resources,” Smith said.
Sonoma County Parks Director Bert Whitaker noted many people tell him it’s one of their best investments.
“This is a huge driver for quality of life. Since the pandemic, we are a regional destination. We see it from our interactions with people at the parks,” he said.
The parks department manages 27,000 annual members, a 10,000-passholder increase from 2015.
Whitaker said data on how attractive these parks are to visitors who spend money in the region will be featured in a six-month study that includes ZIP code information collected from park users.
According to the Economic Development Collaborative’s latest tourism 2022 report, visitor spending in Sonoma County topped $2.29 billion. The figure finished 2024, up $90 million.
“Access is everything in terms of natural beauty,” he said.
Susan Wood covers agriculture, law, cannabis, production, transportation as well as banking and finance. She can be reached at 530-545-8662 or [email protected]