TOWN HALL MEETING  Lower Deer Creek–Penn Valley Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project

The Lower Deer Creek–Penn Valley Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project is a FEMA-funded wildfire mitigation effort led by the Nevada County Office of Emergency Services to reduce wildfire risk and improve community safety in the Lower Deer Creek corridor. Through strategic vegetation management, the project will reduce hazardous fuels along roads, near critical water and sanitation infrastructure, and within the Deer Creek Canyon to help limit extreme fire behavior. Once completed, the project will improve evacuation routes for residents, enhance access for emergency responders, protect vital infrastructure, and support watershed health and long-term forest resilience. This work is grant-funded and provided at no cost to participating landowners; however, timely return of Right of Entry (ROE) forms is critical to the success of the project. Insufficient ROE participation could result in a loss of FEMA funding and would prevent vegetation management from moving forward into Phase Two, limiting the project’s ability to fully protect the community.

Key Talking Points

• The project is a FEMA-funded wildfire mitigation effort led by the Nevada County Office of Emergency Services.
• Its purpose is to reduce wildfire risk and improve public safety in the Lower Deer Creek and Penn Valley area.
• Work focuses on strategic vegetation management along roads, near critical water and sanitation infrastructure, and within the Deer Creek Canyon.
• The project is designed to:
  • Reduce extreme wildfire behavior
  • Improve evacuation routes for residents
  • Enhance access for emergency responders
  • Protect critical infrastructure
  • Support watershed health and long-term forest resilience
• All work is grant-funded and provided at no cost to participating landowners.
• Right of Entry (ROE) participation is essential for project success.
• A lack of sufficient ROE returns could:
  • Result in a loss of FEMA funding
  • Prevent vegetation management from advancing into Phase Two
• Broad landowner participation ensures the project can be implemented as designed and provides the greatest benefit to the entire community.