[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6372544,"mediaKeyId","2147553-b07518bcf5d9f976d23cc927154837ca","parentId",2147553,"title","Nevada County emergency services lays out 2025 wildfire roadmap, urges removal of excess biomass","audioSeconds",757,"startMs",443000,"endMs",1200000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2147553-b07518bcf5d9f976d23cc927154837ca&start=443&end=1200","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2147553-b07518bcf5d9f976d23cc927154837ca/thumbnail_443000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6372544/Nevada-County/California/Nevada-County-emergency-services-lays-out-2025-wildfire-roadmap-urges-removal-of-excess-biomass","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6372544-62036250c6528022e16e26983cc47ae5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771075070&Signature=ZHMJcAex6GUEkfp24Th6MiRu40ZFLnxSmmu8~qWV4R5sJkeZfijZs3wpyRchOhevTyBs5N-44s960Hhw1H~C2Z3pslUrE6V3c7U0kTkZjhejunLyfqfSjOWGBDZnU52ec41bjfz~6a0wIpTejtfuP-jAKaN3iqdGk9jyKI0hldo86e8dLDPmjcwCYcpeZdQNYfw~skqjBU9fC2yMxk4hhb1n6gN4RbF0xyT6~KqCcrx-FfkV3EnFBHojsJ~0m316pudAuQRIM~8EpPp~QLm0E2yoZZkIJOEHOIeZWpmaLS8KeMFvd4Zxwu7id2-lgbdIZTQJPCXLveUQwRoEulb7FQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Nevada County CA","date","2025-01-24T06:52:55Z","article","Nevada County’s Office of Emergency Services on Thursday presented a multi-pronged 2025 plan to prepare residents and reduce wildfire risk, emphasizing removal of excess biomass at the site and landscape scales and a pilot to turn removed material into biochar.

Interim Emergency Services Director Alex Keeble Tull told the Board of Supervisors that a “road map to resilience” will guide funding and projects countywide, allowing communities to access FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program and Community Wildfire Defense Grant dollars and to coordinate with federal land managers. “The best way to reduce wildfire risk is to remove excess biomass, Not rearrange, remove,” Keeble Tull said in his presentation.

Why it matters: County staff said more than 92% of Nevada County residents live in high fire hazard severity zones, so fuel-reduction and evacuation work will affect most residents and remain central to several ongoing grant applications and landscape projects.

What the plan contains: Keeble Tull outlined projects at three scales:
- Individual: defensible-space planning under a Bridal Phase 1 grant covering roughly 1,500 residents in the Woodpecker Ravine area, plus green‑waste drop‑offs and year‑round preparedness information and outreach.
- Community: a USFS-funded “critical evacuation route and hazardous vegetation removal” program that will accept proposals from Firewise communities, HOAs and road associations for priority treatment along private roads.
- Landscape: coordinated work on federal and state lands, including shaded fuel breaks and maintenance on the Ponderosa and Woodpecker project areas in partnership with Tahoe National Forest and through Good Neighbor Agreement arrangements.

Biomass options and costs: The presentation moved from planning to the economics of removing materials created by fuels-reduction work. Keeble Tull described three scaled options discussed with supervisors:
- Year‑round community green‑waste collection: an estimated $850,000 annually to collect roughly 23,100 tons of material per year (staff noted this would be about four times the current 2025 programming budget).
- Extending the county biomass pilot (La Barre Meadows): doubling the current pilot was estimated at about $660,000 annually and could process roughly 10,000 tons of material.
- Building a biomass energy facility: estimated lead time of more than five years and capital cost upward of $15,000,000; a facility of the size discussed would be expected to process about 30,000 tons per year and generate roughly 5 megawatts.

Keeble Tull stressed tradeoffs: hauling material long distances is expensive and produces emissions; local treatment or value‑added products (biochar) can reduce transport costs and produce a useful soil amendment. He described the La Barre Meadows pilot as combining an air‑curtain incinerator/carbonizer operation with local collection and on‑site processing to limit truck miles and produce biochar.

Community response and board direction: During discussion, supervisors asked about scaling, partnerships with fire districts, and air‑quality permitting for incinerators. Supervisors emphasized support for Firewise communities, expressed concern about the Air Quality Management District’s ability to defend broadcast and permitted burning, and pressed staff to pursue both grant funding and partnerships — including investigating a county‑level extension of the biomass pilot — while continuing to coordinate with cities exploring separate facilities.

What’s next: Staff said several projects and programs described in the presentation are already funded in part (e.g., specific defensible‑space grants and the La Barre pilot). Staff were asked to return with costed program options, funding recommendations and timelines; supervisors also asked that additional outreach materials explain the limits of county authority and the interaction with air‑quality rules and federal partners.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Nevada County Board of Supervisors 2025 Workshop Day 2","oneSentenceSummary","Nevada County’s Office of Emergency Services on Thursday presented a multi‑pronged 2025 plan to prepare residents and reduce wildfire risk, emphasizing removal of excess biomass at the site and landscape scales and a pilot to turn removed material into biochar.","taxTitle","Nevada County, California","taxId",20103,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6372535,"Local chiefs, LAFCO review consolidation plans as county seeks sustainable funding for fire services",465,4441000,4906000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2147553-b07518bcf5d9f976d23cc927154837ca&start=4441&end=4906","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2147553-b07518bcf5d9f976d23cc927154837ca/thumbnail_4441000.jpg","/articles/6372535/Nevada-County/California/Local-chiefs-LAFCO-review-consolidation-plans-as-county-seeks-sustainable-funding-for-fire-services","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6372535-d299e2324e7b701b2b5643f81ff0db0c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771075070&Signature=WFO5i3MsaE8JOWsx0HbbX1ijE1w0yEiOgJptrLYJtP0RVvd-V~tH0JDuVVw6hD2ntahe2T1p4a0ZaFTIdJIt9AezLGfaJObd7W435W9gVhRsDVwhQ~-KKMl~EZwKfk~d6vlU4b77QPgSss6vlY6C0JIM78LOyft9~zEVZxkrH6TuVBBOhxlnjf63eb3BID9Oy6V8AJsb8I2NYDoBpl6LTw7HCawE4cRQPtoWDlERvd4WWswYOjqdpRZEesLmSrxCzDzSMn7gPt~iRgYahkJXQQ3wXZHuDSx3o0Bne59nIPNQQfKr9vBHqtA3dwm5PQ7A3pLHxrMCilLLarHeFw92sA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Nevada County’s fire chiefs, district leaders and staff gave supervisors an update on an ad‑hoc consolidation effort aimed at reorganizing four local fire districts to increase operational staffing, reduce administrative duplication and stabilize troubled stations.

Chief Jason Robitaille of Consolidated Fire and other chiefs described the effort as a multiyear process that gained momentum after the Rough and Ready Fire Protection District filed for dissolution in 2023. County staff recalled that the board approved gap funding — a memorandum of understanding and a resolution to provide up to $1,000,000 — to keep station 59 in Rough and Ready open while districts explored long‑term solutions.

Why it matters: Chiefs argued consolidation could channel savings from shared administration toward “boots on the ground,” increasing crew sizes on engines; several supervisors said three‑person engine staffing is an operational priority for safety and effectiveness.

Funding limits and options: County finance staff and the auditor’s office briefed supervisors on structural funding constraints for special districts dating to Proposition 13 and later changes (e.g., AB 8 and state reallocations) that froze many district tax rates and narrowed local capacity to raise revenue. Staff summarized options but emphasized no single fix exists. Possible avenues discussed included:
- Local tax measures (special district assessments or parcel taxes), which require voter approval and are politically difficult; districts have faced repeated failed attempts in several counties before success.
- County general‑fund gap allocations or a change to county tax allocation factors, which would reallocate property tax revenue but were estimated to yield modest amounts (a staff estimate described ~$250,000 annually in an illustrative scenario) and could create ongoing county obligations.
- Pursuit of grants and other external sources as a partial bridge.

Process and next steps: LAFCO completed a municipal service review in late 2024, and the fire districts contracted for a cooperative services and financial analysis this year. Supervisors appointed an ad‑hoc committee with two supervisors as co‑chairs earlier; that committee continues to meet with district staff, LAFCO and consultants. County counsel and staff said the ad‑hoc intends to return to the board with an informational package before any board action and recommended voter‑input or public‑engagement steps before the board commits county general funds to long‑term support.

Supervisors asked staff to consider public polling or town halls before reallocating county general funds, and to examine case studies from other counties. Chiefs stressed the urgency of addressing staffing shortfalls and keeping small stations open while the governance and funding review continues.","Fire chiefs and county staff updated supervisors on an ad‑hoc effort to reorganize four special fire districts into a consolidated entity, saying consolidation could add staff to engines and save administrative costs but will require multiple funding strategies because property‑tax law limits growth in special‑district revenue.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6372539,"Public works outlines plan to add 50 miles a year for roadside vegetation and prioritize 200 miles of evacuation routes",781,2533000,3314000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2147553-b07518bcf5d9f976d23cc927154837ca&start=2533&end=3314","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2147553-b07518bcf5d9f976d23cc927154837ca/thumbnail_2533000.jpg","/articles/6372539/Nevada-County/California/Public-works-outlines-plan-to-add-50-miles-a-year-for-roadside-vegetation-and-prioritize-200-miles-of-evacuation-routes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6372539-07d2944b259998e6684c492afd86be3f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771075070&Signature=dsb8lJcd0OcGqXyddIe~QZsQxnW0n28VtVnjLSBXEASmYiXzASD-uzwJtyUzqSGGdpx3qQD2mamy9qOO85sLX3fSuhlQJmqymTpc9BH1FRFXo9rfRmBAtzy5ricb9qP9PNmAA9WFVoXwPyWi76hledG2e4uulkompDLd4bPXd4DNe6McuAbzya07BIaT1AeJU6RIqo8QVnNYmhSN0TFmKOYRuSFntJ-M4oTc0L~KGp~9tqgZTu2dxjMPtuo6IeGLUnBXKnGoEBhfiMPbpkFFLMbcO7RuCH~MfYijGau4ZzLds0ZIVR7po1R1yEQJVxAJExIijf-QIMIle~TRYR8hZQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Nevada County’s Department of Public Works told the Board of Supervisors it will pursue a stepped‑up roadside vegetation program that pairs county crews with contract labor and grant funding to treat priority evacuation routes identified in the county’s 2024 evacuation study.

Public Works Director David Garcia and Road Services Manager John Veasey said the county historically cleared about 20 miles of roadside vegetation per year. Veasey outlined seasonal constraints and staffing that limit additional work: roads maintenance is seasonal, crews often must prioritize storm response and snow removal on Donner Summit, and the department operates roughly five road crews and several seasonal employees.

“We have pretty much two to three months of focused veg clearing, with spot opportunities in the winter that we can really focus on this type of work,” Veasey said.

What staff proposed: Garcia said the department will align crews to prioritize routes identified in the evacuation study — about 200 miles of county‑maintained roads — and set a near‑term benchmark to complete roughly 25 road miles (about 50 lane miles) per year with county crews, and to add 50 lane miles per year using contracted labor starting in 2025.

Funding and grants: Staff emphasized success with grant funding since 2021, noting roughly 200 miles of grant‑funded vegetation projects completed and additional FEMA grants in the pipeline for more miles. Garcia and Veasey said contracting the spring herbicide spraying program, equipping crews, and improving transparency and online maps were also part of the action plan. Estimated costs and staffing impacts were discussed; staff said contracting could expand capacity while internal crews continue capital and emergency work.

Community engagement and private roads: Office of Emergency Services (OES) staff told supervisors the county will issue requests for proposals to Firewise communities, HOAs and road associations for projects along private roads, funded via a US Forest Service award for critical evacuation route work. OES emphasized workshops to help smaller groups and HOAs apply for limited grants.

Supervisors’ priorities: Several supervisors expressed support for the hybrid approach (crews + contractors), staff equipment upgrades and outreach to Firewise communities. Supervisors also raised maintenance concerns: several board members requested stronger maintenance plans so initial grant‑funded work does not lapse and return to hazardous conditions. OES staff and Public Works said maintenance expectations would be incorporated into future grant proposals and community project contracts where appropriate.

Next steps: The board verbally supported advancing a plan to add contract labor in 2025, continuing grant pursuit and improving public transparency about planned roadside vegetation work. Staff said final budget and program details will be discussed during the budget subcommittee process and after grant awards are finalized.","Nevada County Public Works and Road Services managers told supervisors they plan to raise annual roadside vegetation clearing capacity to about 25 road miles by crews and add 50 lane‑miles per year using contractors, focusing on 200 miles the county identified in a 2024 evacuation study for five high‑priority communities.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Nevada County emergency services lays out 2025 wildfire roadmap, urges removal of excess biomass

Local chiefs, LAFCO review consolidation plans as county seeks sustainable funding for fire services

Public works outlines plan to add 50 miles a year for roadside vegetation and prioritize 200 miles of evacuation routes