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Nevada County presents updated Community Wildfire Protection Plan; council asked to sign countywide plan
Summary
Nevada County Office of Emergency Services presented its updated Community Wildfire Protection Plan, developed under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, and asked Grass Valley to consider formal endorsement and collaborative implementation of prioritized wildfire mitigation projects.
Alice Kipeltol, interim director of the Nevada County Office of Emergency Services, told the council the county's updated Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) reflects three years of stakeholder collaboration and a goal to prioritize implementable wildfire mitigation projects. "We are really excited to be bringing you essentially what is the culmination of 3 years worth of relationship building in the form of a community wildfire protection plan," Kipeltol said.
Kipeltol and project staff described the CWPP as a collaborative planning document developed under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA). "CWPPs are collaborative planning documents that essentially lay out a roadmap for mitigation by identifying and prioritizing risk on the landscape," Alessandra Zambrano, Nevada County WELfare coordinator, told the council, adding that CWPPs do not create mandates or environmental approvals.
Why it matters: the CWPP overlays high-value resources and assets (HVRAs) with hazard modeling to produce Project Priority Areas where mitigation work yields multiple benefits — protecting community lifelines, public health and natural resources. Officials said the plan is designed to be dynamic and linked to an upcoming land-management plan, an interactive GIS application and grant‑ready project lists (including projects aimed at the Community Wildfire Defense Grant program).
Presenters outlined immediate next steps: completion of the county land-management plan and the GIS application in June, continuing quarterly stakeholder collaboration, and use of the plan to coordinate multi‑agency project implementation. Officials said the county has already presented the CWPP to the Board of Supervisors and to Cal Fire and asked Grass Valley to consider signing or otherwise endorsing the plan so projects can move forward collaboratively.
Council members asked about update timelines and collaboration; presenters said the county intends annual action-plan check‑ins, a five‑year risk assessment update and a 10‑year plan refresh. No formal council signature or vote was recorded at the meeting; officials said they would follow up on endorsement and coordination steps.
