Board adopts tourism advisory board bylaws after Hayfork cannabis tourism presentation

The Trinity County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 21 adopted bylaws for a newly created Tourism Development Advisory Board and moved to let that board proceed with work on a potential tourism investment district after a presentation from a cannabis tourism consultant.

The action came after the Hayfork Chamber of Commerce introduced Applegarth Strategies consultant Brian Applegarth, who described a multi-county “cannabis trail” marketing program and two planned cultural landmarks in Trinity County. Applegarth said the trail’s target audience includes nature-oriented travelers and cultural visitors who choose destinations for cannabis-related experiences. He described the program as a three-year cooperative marketing effort and said similar efforts have produced measurable increases in visitation in other counties.

The board’s discussion centered on how county tourism dollars should be used and how the advisory board would operate. County staff said the board previously authorized $30,000 to explore a tourism investment district and that the advisory board would be able to engage a consultant — such as Civitas, which has worked on similar projects elsewhere — to study and, if there is support, help set up an investment district. The board adopted bylaws with two changes: (1) clarifying the advisory board’s role in recommending allocation of any general fund dollars the board may assign to tourism development, and (2) specifying Rosenberg’s Rules of Order as the committee’s procedural framework.

Supervisor discussion touched on the size and timeline of the marketing cooperative, the level of local control over any investment district, and the need for broad representation from each supervisorial district. Several members said they wanted the advisory group to streamline review of grant or consulting agreements related to tourism so work could move without repeated full-board approvals. Public commenters from Hayfork and other parts of the county urged the board to support cannabis-related tourism as an economic opportunity while asking that local voices be included in planning.

The board voted unanimous approval of the bylaws after a brief amendment and second motion. Supervisors also confirmed the routine slate of board and commission appointments, including naming two supervisors to serve on the advisory board as required by the bylaws. The advisory board will make recommendations to the full board; any formal adoption of a tourism investment district would require further steps and, if applicable, action by the district’s members.

The Hayfork presentation and the advisory board discussion together established an immediate workplan: staff and the advisory board were directed to continue exploring the investment-district option, clarify membership and reporting lines, and, if appropriate, vet and scope consultant proposals. The board did not vote to create an investment district or to levy any new taxes at this meeting.

Applegarth’s presentation and the board’s decision follow similar initiatives elsewhere in Northern California, where organizers say cooperative trail marketing and “landmark” installations boost off-season visitation and spend. The two Trinity County cultural landmarks mentioned by Applegarth — at Cali Love in Weaverville and at Northern Delights — were described as interpretive art installations paired with signage and interactive content to tell the county’s cultivation and craft history.