Western Nevada County Community Defense Project - Deer Creek

Western Nevada County Community Defense Project - Deer Creek

The Sierra Nevada Conservancy (SNC) would provide $500,000 to the Fire Safe Council of Nevada County for the Western Nevada County (Community Defense Project - Deer Creek (project). The purpose of the project is to improve forest health and resilience to climate and future drought, reduce the wildfire fuel hazard, and complete a strategic network of treatments across public and private ownerships to utilize for protection of the watershed during wildfires. The Deer Creek Watershed was ranked as the top priority for wildfire hazard reduction in the Nevada County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (updated 2016). The goal of the project is to complete remaining portions of the Western Nevada County Community Defense Project in the Deer Creek Watershed. Approx. two thirds of the strategically placed network of treatments, wider than a single fuel break, have already been completed. This project would help complete the network by treating 239 acres of Tahoe National Forest lands, which are prescribed to be treated by hand-cut/hand pile for burning. Hand thinning utilizes crews with chainsaws or handsaws that cut understory trees less than 12 inches in diameter and brush (greater than 12 inches in height) in order to accomplish fuels reduction, stand improvement and/or wildlife habitat/plant community enhancement objectives. Cut trees would be piled using manual labor. After piles are cured they would be burned to ensure a clean, hot burn with minimal smoke impacts to surrounding communities.

Nevada City

Nevada