Elizabeth Betancourt

Elizabeth Betancourt is a farmer, a small business owner, and a rural advocate in Shasta County. Native to rural California, Elizabeth grew up in the San Joaquin Valley and spent most of her working life in Northern California’s forests, fields, and rivers. She studied science and resource management at the University of California, Davis, and continues to appreciate the holistic approach to resource management that foundation gave her. Her masters studies took her to Colorado State University, well-known for their forest and source-water management research. Elizabeth has worked for nearly twenty years in resources management and planning for all levels of government and the private sector. She understands the priorities of California’s north state, and is a bridge for a long-time conservative area, advocating for democratic values of equity and inclusion while putting the policy focus on pragmatic solutions to northeastern California’s issues.

Elizabeth has seen the challenges faced by rural communities dealing with a changing economy, mismanaged landscapes, global economic pressures, and rural infrastructure funding. Rather than answers coming from the outside, she believes that all of us in rural communities have the innovative capacity and drive to create the future we want for ourselves, together: we just need the opportunity – including regulatory space and policy incentives – to implement those ideas. This is why Elizabeth is running for the California State Assembly: we are all Californians. Rural California is an essential part of California’s past, and provides solutions for California’s future challenges. She has the experience and values necessary to increase opportunities for rural people and communities to thrive in beautiful northeastern California.