Sierra Nevada Local First

Local First fosters increased support for people and businesses creating and maintaining sustainable local economies and thriving communities in the Sierra Nevada. The program is focused on what communities are for rather than what they are against.

Click here for a regional resource list of individuals, businesses, and business associations who are working to implement a Local First program near you - Coming soon.

The Local First program seeks to create local living economies throughout the Sierra Nevada. Following a model developed by BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) the Local First program works to ensure that economic power resides locally, sustaining healthy community life and environmental quality as well as long-term economic prosperity.

Individuals, business, and business associations are piloting Local First campaigns in five communities throughout the Sierra Nevada including Plumas County, Truckee and North Tahoe, Auburn, Western Nevada County (Grass Valley and Nevada City), and the Eastern Sierra. The purpose of these campaigns is to support the locally-owned independent businesses that sustain communities and give towns unique character. When enterprises are locally rooted, human-scale, and owned by local community members, there is a natural incentive for all concerned to take human and community needs and interests into account. When needs are met locally by locally owned enterprises, people have greater control over their lives, money is recycled in the community, jobs are more secure, economies are more stable, and there are the means and the incentives to protect the environment and to build the relationships of mutual trust and responsibility that are the foundation of community.

Objective and Results
Sierra Business Council’s programs consistently look for ways to strengthen the local economy and we continue to foster projects that help build communities, increase local self-reliance and increase economic resiliency.

Sierra Business Council introduced the concept of thinking locally on a regional scale and has always encouraged local ownership of these programs throughout the region. We foster this concept through our mission and will serve as a resource to committees at the regional level. Ultimately the implementation of a Local First program is best managed and nurtured at the local community level and we hope to empower and encourage this implementation through local individuals, businesses and business associations. Sierra Business Council is no longer offering a Local First Program Membership, however, there are many business owners already invested in the program. We encourage businesses interested in a Local First network to visit our Local First Directory or visit our Resource Site in order to identify committee leads and contacts.

If you are interested in more information, email Nikki Streegan and Vickie Taton.