California
| Program | # of Grants | EDA Funds |
|---|---|---|
| Economic Adjustment Assistance | 5 | $2,970,000 |
| Public Works | 2 | $3,326,795 |
| Regional Innovation Program | 8 | $3,741,052 |
| Research and Evaluation | 1 | $159,225 |
| Technical Assistance | 1 | $158,971 |
| Trade Adjustment Assistance | 1 | $1,181,005 |
| Planning | 9 | $560,800 |
| Grand Total | 27 | $12,097,848 |
Yuba County, CA - Yuba County stretches from the fertile Sacramento River in the West to the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the East. Long dependent upon agriculture, the county suffers from chronic poverty and high unemployment and has struggled to diversify its economy or create high-skilled, high-wage jobs.
The Yuba County airport needed a taxiway to accommodate a growing local business and had limited resources to build it. Rice Aircraft Services, a veteran owned helicopter rebuilding and refurbishing business also needed access to the airport and a taxiway to get the helicopters near the control tower for testing. Yuba County, with assistance from the Yuba Sutter Economic Development District, applied to EDA for assistance to build a 3,500-foot taxiway to run parallel to the runway.
In September 2017, EDA invested $926,795 in Public Works funds to construct the taxiway. After EDA’s investment, Rice Aircraft has committed to creating 96 new jobs. In addition, the taxiway created new opportunities for other aviation related businesses in the area which are now planning expansions and which will create even more high skilled jobs. The region is near Beale Air Force Base and home to a significant number of veterans with aviation related skill sets. The creation of jobs specifically geared to skilled local veterans will become a catalyst for the region and the local economy.