Ponderosa West Grass Valley Defense Zone
Woodpecker Ravine
South County Shaded Fuel Break
South Yuba Rim Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project
Truckee Ranger District Roadside Hazardous Fuel Reduction
Sierra Foothill Forest Climate Resilience Project
Defensible Space Assistance for Seniors & People Living with Disabilities
Roadside Vegetation Management
Winter Storm Hazardous Vegetation Cleanup
Firewise Community Grants
Critical Evacuation Route and Hazardous Vegetation Removal
Biomass Pilot Project
Lower Deer Creek-Penn Valley Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project
Yuba Ranger District Roadside Shaded Fuelbreak

Home
Departments
Departments M - R
Ready Nevada County
Projects
Ponderosa West Grass Valley Defense Zone

Ponderosa West Grass Valley Defense Zone

Nevada County Ponderosa West Grass Valley Defense Zone

Find out if your property is in the treatment area

Is your property within the Ponderosa Phase I Maintenance or Ponderosa Phase II Project area?

Are you interested in providing additional information to the project team?

Fill out the project survey: Ponderosa West Grass Valley Defense Zone Project Survey

Project Timeline

The Ponderosa West Grass Valley Defense Zone Project Phases

The Ponderosa West Grass Valley Defense Zone (Ponderosa Project) is a multi-phased, large-scale shaded fuel break. The shaded fuel break lies just west of Grass Valley and runs perpendicular to Highway 49/20. In total, the project will be approximately 5 miles in height starting below McCourtney Road and stretching up to Bitney Springs Road.

Phase I

Phase I of the project included treatment within a 1200 acre project area on privately owned parcels.

Phase I is funded by:

The State of California
CAL FIRE's Wildfire Prevention Grant Program

Phase I Maintenance

Phase I Maintenance will treat 728 acres within the original project footprint.

Phase I Maintenance is funded by:

USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region, Fire and Aviation Management via Congressionally Directed Spending.

Phase II

Phase II will treat 236 acres of private land. Phase II is funded by:

USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region, Fire and Aviation Management via Congressionally Directed Spending

Impact

The project lies immediately west of the historic City of Grass Valley, and will help protect 13,000+ residents and the ~6,000 residences within 1.5 miles of the project's boundaries.
The project includes McCourtney Road Transfer Station, Nevada County Animal Shelter, and within one mile of the project boundary are 7 churches, 12 bridges, 6 schools, 3 fire stations, 2 government buildings, and 4 emergency shelter sites including the Nevada County Fairgrounds.

Click the link to download the Ponderosa West Grass Valley Defense Zone Ponderosa Project Fact Sheet and Ponderosa Defense Zone Project Specific Analysis

Ponderosa Defense Zone | Project Specific Analysis

Download the Ponderosa West Grass Valley Defense Zone (Ponderosa Project) Maps

Ponderosa West Grass Valley Defense Zone Project Phase I | Map
Ponderosa West Grass Valley Defense Zone Project Phase II | Map

Roadmap to Resilience

The Ponderosa West Grass Valley Defense Zone is listed in the:

Nevada County Local Hazard Mitigation Plan
2024 CAL FIRE NEU Strategic Fire Plan
2016 Nevada County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)

Project Funders & Partners

Produced in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Funding provided in part by the Consolidated Appropriations Acts of 2022 and 2023 and the USDA Forest Service Cooperative Fire Program. Nevada County is an equal opportunity provider.