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Egress/Ingress Fire Safety Project
Project Description
The Nevada County Egress/Ingress Fire Safety Project will remove hazardous vegetation along 200 miles of County-maintained roads using both County road crews and contract forces. The purpose of the project is to reduce the vegetative fuels along major roads in the County to improve the safety of residents and visitors, and to increase the effectiveness and safety of firefighters and first responders. Reduced fuels will also lead to lower fire suppression costs and fewer greenhouse gas emissions that result from wildfires. In addition, breaks in fuel continuity will aid in reducing the overall rate of spread. Egress routes will be improved which will allow residents to evacuate more quickly and allow firefighters better ingress access to prevent structure fires. For a more detailed project description, including roads that will be treated, click here.
Frequently Asked Questions about the project are answered here.
Before and after photographs of a similar project that the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) completed are shown below.
Funding
Funding for this project is provided by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection as part of the California Climate Investments Program. The total project budget is $1.125M. $868k will be provided by the program grant.
Environmental Review
The Public Works Department has reviewed the project for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has identified the project as being Categorically Exempt under California Code of Regulations Sections 15301(c), Repair and maintenance of existing streets; 15301(h), Maintenance of existing landscaping and native growth; and 15304(i), Minor alterations to land. A Notice of Exemption approved by the Nevada County Board of Supervisors has been posted with the Nevada County Clerk’s Office and the State Clearinghouse.
Current Status
The project is scheduled to begin construction in mid to late April 2021 and is expected to be active through Spring 2022. Traffic control will be provided on all affected roads during construction. Regular updates will be provided on the Nevada County Department of Public Works project website, Facebook page, as well as on Nextdoor.com.
Schedule
Schedules for upcoming roads are posted once received from the Contractor and show approximately 14 - 30 days of the upcoming schedule. Schedules may vary and be postponed due to weather conditions including dry and extreme heat and wind conditions.
For an overview of the 5 year schedule of roads to be addressed under this program and a look at progress thus far, click on the link to our new Roadside Vegetation Map.
Roadside Veg Mgmt Tracker (arcgis.com)
July 20, 2021 - NOTICE OF PROJECT STATUS CHANGE
Effective immediately, our vendor has ceased vegetation management efforts and has placed the project onhold until further notice. The action is in response to a variety of factors including low humidity levels creating even greater fire danger threat. We anticipate the program to restart in late October to early November.
Contact Information
For more information about this project, please email Public.Works@co.nevada.ca.us or call (530) 265-1411.