Ponderosa West Grass Valley Defense Zone Project is one of 35 priority projects recommended by CAL FIRE to Governor Newsom and the highest priority hazardous fuel reduction project in the Nevada County Community Wildfire Prevention Plan. In case of a fire, a defense zone allows firefighters to safely anchor firelines and defend structures. Due to the scarcity of fuels, fire intensity drops and even a transition from a crown fire to a less destructive ground fire is possible. Some 3,000 residents in the area will benefit from the shaded fuel break.
I worked closely with the Nevada County Fire Safe Council, a local non-profit organization dedicated to making Nevada County safer from destructive wildfire through fire safety projects and education, to develop outreach materials to educate the community about the project and its impact on their neighborhood and sensitive native plant species in the area.
