April 16, 2019 – CAL FIRE released the list of grant awards for Fire Prevention and Community Wildfire Prevention today.
Penn Valley Fire Protection District was awarded $57,537 for the 2020 Firewise update for the Lake Wildwood Association. The National Fire Protection Association’s Firewise program is a model for cohesive efforts to plan for emergencies and actively mitigate wildfire through vegetation management and hardening structures from ember intrusion. Lake Wildwood Association’s Firewise efforts reduce the ignition risk and subsequent carbon emissions, by managing hazardous vegetation, engaging residents to prepare their homes, and amending policies to improve ground conditions for fire fighters.
Nevada County was awarded $2,240,760 for the Ponderosa West Grass Valley Defense Zone project. The 1,802-acre Ponderosa West Grass Valley Defense Zone Project protects approximately 3,000 residences in the WUI communities of Lake Wildwood, Penn Valley, Rough and Ready and the City of Grass Valley, as well as the critical infrastructure for state commerce such as State Highway 20, Pacific Gas and Electric power and water infrastructure, and Nevada County facilities. The project lies between Rough and Ready Highway and McCourtney Road. The primary fuel type is brush and timber; secondary fuels are oak woodland with minimal grass and moderate brush component. Over 100 years of fuel buildup predominates the landscape.