Local news- Press Release
Nevada County California - Nevada County Board of Supervisors Accepts $950 000 CAL FIRE Grant to Support Wildfire Prevention 24 May 2022 ( news )
Nevada County , state California ( By Press Release office)
May 24,2022
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Nevada City , CA - The Nevada County Board of Supervisors formally accepted funds awarded by CAL FIRE at today’s Board of Supervisors meeting . CAL FIRE Nevada - Yuba - Placer Unit ( NEU ) announced last month that it had secured funding for a grant to mitigate the impacts of the damaging heavy storm event that began on December 27th , 2021 . The $950 , 000 from the California Climate Investments CAL FIRE Wildfire Prevention Grant Program will help with costs to the county attributed to the extensive storm clean up .
The primary goal of the grant is to provide financial support focusing on wildfire mitigation efforts along primary ingress and egress routes on County maintained roads . This also is contributing to green waste mitigation efforts on privately maintained properties and ingress/egress routes along private roads . “Our focus is to evacuate residents safely . We are doing all we can to take proactive measures to make that more effective , ” said North Division Chief , CAL FIRE Nevada - Yuba - Placer Unit Jim Mathias , who was on hand to answer questions during the presentation .
Due to the heavy snowfall , significant quantities of downed trees and broken treetops have been added to already heavy fuel loads that will become dry and available to burn this summer unless removed . These funds are part of an ongoing effort to make Nevada County more resilient to all natural disasters , including wildfire , and to plan for future needs .
“The winter storms added another level of urgency , but safe evacuation routes are and will continue to be a focus for us . We’re grateful to have the partnership from CAL FIRE on projects like this , ” says Board Chair Sue Hoek .
“This is a great example of the collaboration needed to clear fuels from key evacuation routes across the county before peak fire season . Everyone has a role to play , and working together yields the best results . Nevada County continues to be a strong partner in wildfire prevention , ” says CAL FIRE Unit Chief Brian Estes .
“None of us can do it alone , and the work never stops . We want to keep going and tackle it from all angles . From working on large public projects to supporting neighborhoods , Firewise Communities , and private residents , there is so much to do . With partners like CAL FIRE , we can , ” adds Nevada County Building Director Craig Griesbach .
This direct funding to Nevada County Public Works will further augment an existing grant program for the roadside treatment of hazardous vegetation along main evacuation routes and support shovel - ready projects .
Projects already awarded include:
1 . Remove public r/w storm debris from Rise Mine site - $98 , 059 . 50
2 . Remove remaining storm debris from County roadways - $300 , 000
3 . Assist County with Green Waste Drop Off Days - $21 , 611
Projects Allocated but not yet awarded include:
1 . Remove hazardous trees from County right of way - Allocated $395 , 780
2 . Forester - TBD - Allocated $91 , 500
“The work to create a more resilient Nevada County continues , but we are facing a situation where our needs threaten to outpace our resources . We look forward to continuing to look for new opportunities and are grateful to CAL FIRE for being a strong partner in this effort , ” said Nevada County CEO Alison Lehman .
See Jim Mathias North Division Chief , CAL FIRE NEU discuss $950 , 000 Grant for Wildfire Prevention .
Photo Credit: Mary Eldrige , C
AL FIRE Nevada - Yuba - Placer Unit ( NEU )
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