Richmond Rising partners report early gains on trees, solar and health programs; city opens annual contract-amendment window

Richmond Rising partners reported progress across neighborhood transportation, energy, greening and workforce programs at the Stakeholder Collaborative Committee’s regular meeting on June 4, 2025, where UC Berkeley researchers highlighted first-year indicators and city staff opened a one-time annual window for contract modifications.

The committee heard project-by-project status updates — including the Richmond Wellness Trail, an e-bike lending library, Resilient Homes installations, tree-planting and food access work — and cross-cutting items such as a new cohort of youth fellows and a paid solar-installation training (IBT 200). Jason Corburn, professor at the University of California, Berkeley, said the year-one progress report documents early outcomes across the portfolio: “Just based on the trees that were planted last year and the solar installations . . . the projects reduced over 568 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in the project area,” he said, and reported reductions in nitrogen oxides and PM2.5 from tree plantings and other activity.

The meeting also included a public comment expressing frustration over maintenance needs on completed amenities. Jim Becker, a community member, said he walked the Wellness Trail and was disappointed by weeds and lack of upkeep. “It was disappointing to see the wellness trail full of weeds and everything, because it’s such a beautiful space,” Becker said. Matthias Husterbrock, a City of Richmond staff member supporting partners, responded that staff have logged the concern with city service channels and urged residents to report locations through the city app or 2-1-1 so the city can document requests and build a case for funding maintenance.

Why it matters: Richmond Rising is a $35 million Transformative Climate Communities award managed by the City of Richmond and local partners to deliver climate, health and economic benefits in…