Due to weather conditions, the Lower Deer Creek – Penn Valley Town Hall Meeting, has been rescheduled for February 25 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The Nevada County Office of Emergency Services (OES) in partnership with The Nevada County Resource Conservation District (NCRCD) encourages landowners within the footprint of the Lower Deer Creek – Penn Valley Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project to participate in Phase 1 of the project. Residents can quickly determine whether their parcel is included in the project area by visiting the interactive map of the project area available at ReadyNevadaCounty.org/LowerDeerCreek.
The community is invited to learn more about the project at the upcoming Project Town Hall, being held on February, 25, 2026 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Penn Valley Fire Protection District Headquarters on Spenceville Road in Penn Valley.
The project centers on neighborhoods adjacent to the Lake Wildwood community, identified in the 2024 Evacuation Study as one of the five most evacuation limited communities in Nevada County. With narrow roads, dense vegetation, and high residential density, the area faces elevated risk during fastmoving wildfire events. Fuel reduction work will focus heavily on private parcels along Pleasant Valley Road, Mooney Flat Road, and Bitney Springs Road—primary arteries that thousands of residents rely on during an evacuation.
Phase 1 of the project consists of the biological, cultural, and wildlife surveys required for environmental compliance as well as the treatment design that will guide hazardous fuels reduction in Phase 2. The 1,011-acre initiative is funded by a FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program award secured by OES and comes at no cost to participating landowners.
Why Your Participation Is Essential
More than 520 parcels are included in the project area, and on-the-ground work cannot proceed without signed ROE forms from participating landowners during Phase 1. The ROE forms grant temporary access to private property to perform necessary botanical, wildlife, and cultural surveys. Landowners will be notified prior to access. Prior to the initiation of Phase 2 implementation landowners will be asked to sign a second ROE agreeing to hazardous vegetation removal activities.
How to Participate
Residents can quickly determine whether their parcel is included in the project area by visiting the interactive map of the project area available on the project website: ReadyNevadaCounty.org/LowerDeerCreek
If your property is included in this project, the next step is simple:
1. Download and print the Right of Entry form from the Project Page: ReadyNevadaCounty.org/LowerDeerCreek
2. Sign and return via email or mail to:
Email: nate.alcorn@ncrcd.org
Mail: Nevada County OES
ATTN: Brittany Beech 950 Maidu Ave. Nevada City, CA 95959
Lower Deer Creek–Penn Valley Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project Town Hall Meeting
What: The public is invited to learn more by attending the Lower Deer Creek – Penn Valley Town Hall Meeting.
When: Thursday, February 25 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Where: Penn Valley Fire Protection District Headquarters, 10513 Spenceville Rd, Penn Valley, CA 95946