CTGR Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy
The Tribe is creating a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy to support a sustainable economy for current and future generations.
What is a CEDS?
A Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) is a regionally driven economic development planning process and document. It’s the playbook to create jobs, strengthen economies, and build resilience. The term is most used in the U.S. by the Economic Development Administration (EDA), which requires a CEDS to qualify for certain federal grants. The concept applies globally to any organization, including Tribes doing serious economic planning.
The Tribe’s CEDS will act as a long-range strategic planning document that articulates our economic vision, identifies priority mission and goals, assesses current economic conditions, and lays out a roadmap for achieving sustainable economic self-sufficiency.
The CTGR CEDS will focus on building a resilient, self-sufficient economy that further diversifies its revenue, supports sovereignty and creates additional jobs while preserving cultural heritage and protecting natural resources. This document will guide stakeholders into structured conversations about shared metrics of success.
In practice, this is the economic constitution for our sovereign nation as it synthesizes internal and external analysis into a single governing document that drives decision-making in economic development.
What can the Tribe expect from the CEDS process?
- Multi-Year Project
- Strategic Planning
- Inclusive Approach
- Tribal Member and community input/events
- Regular Updates (5-year plan)
Benefits of a CEDS
Access to Funding
This plan helps the Tribe win outside grants and other funding. Many funders, including the federal Economic Development Administration (EDA), require a plan like this before considering an application, so having one in place opens doors that would otherwise stay closed. It also lays out a clear approach for growing the Tribe’s income over time.
Keeping Knowledge Over Time
Leadership changes, but the Tribe’s goals carry on. This plan records where the Tribe has been and where it wants to go, giving current and future leaders a solid starting point instead of having to begin from scratch. It also helps protect the Tribe’s cultural heritage and supports careful care of its lands and resources.
Explaining the Tribe’s Investments
The plan explains why the Tribe owns the businesses and investments it does, so the reasoning behind those decisions is written down and easy to understand. It also offers an honest look at how well the Tribe is following through on its economic goals.
Planning for Future Generations
This plan is meant to last. It serves as a long-term guide that keeps the Tribe on track with its commitments well into the future. Its purpose is to protect our environment, preserve cultural heritage, grow Tribal income, and help the Tribe rely more on its own resources, all so that benefits and programs remain available for the generations to come.
Jobs and Workforce
The plan focuses on creating jobs and economic opportunities for Tribal Members. It also looks at how Tribal Members move into jobs, from training through employment, pointing out what is working well and where there is room to improve.
A schedule of CTGR-CEDS outreach and events shall be published in early 2027. In meantime, we welcome your input! Please feel free to contact us below. Hayu-masi!
Jan Looking Wolf Reibach
Economic and Lands Director
503-879-2394
Dane Herrin, MSDS, MBA
Economic Development Analyst
503-879-2202