Nevada City – Nevada County has received national recognition for its coordinated approach that addresses increased visitation and resulting impacts to public safety, trash, traffic and quality of life at the increasingly popular South Yuba River.
The National Association of Counties (NACO) honored the County this week at the annual NACO Conference with “best in category – parks and recreation” for its approach to visitor safety and outdoor recreation management in rural counties – one of just 18 awards given across the country in all sectors. Nevada County is now recognized as a leader among about 3,000 counties nationwide.
The South Yuba River attracts more than 800,000 visitors a year who are drawn to its stunning beauty. But the crowds have led to a host of concerns, including visitors who are lost or injured in river canyons, excessive litter in once-untouched places and illegal parking that makes roads dangerous to navigate.
The award recognizes the County and contributions made by the South Yuba River Public Safety Cohort, a multi-agency working group of federal, state, local and community stakeholders that coordinate public safety responses and communications. Successes include adopting a burn ban in the region, adding emergency call boxes, developing public safety campaigns and increasing support for volunteers who pick up trash, report problems and educate the public on safety. The group has helped to catalyze recreation as a Board of Supervisors objective in recent years, resulting in the Outdoor Visitor Safety Fund – which provided up to $850,000 for projects that address these types of issues countywide – and the development of the county’s first ever Recreation & Resiliency Master Plan.
“It is remarkable what we can accomplish when we work together at all levels of government and with local representation,” said Supervisor Heidi Hall, who accepted the award July 15 at the NACO conference in Tampa, Fla. “Outdoor recreation and tourism are economic drivers of this county and improving the visitor experience and safety at our recreation sites benefits us all.”
This is the second award the County has received for its recreation strategy. Last fall, the California State Association of Counties acknowledged the County with their 2023 Challenge Award for this model program.