The proposed urgency ordinance will ban open fire on private property within ¼ mile on each side of the ordinary high mark of the river from the confluence of the South Yuba River with Kentucky Creek below Bridgeport to Lang’s Crossing from Memorial Day to the end of the declared fire season each year from 2018 through the end of 2019. The Urgency Ordinance will only be in effect for two fire seasons as a pilot program.

The purpose of the Urgency Ordinance is a precautionary measure to mitigate the hazard of human caused wildfire from being started in the South Yuba River Corridor that would have a devastating impact on the watershed, the surrounding community and the County as a whole.  The South Yuba River is designated as a State Wild and Scenic River that contains extraordinary scenic, recreational, fishery, and wildlife values of statewide significance in their free-flowing state that need to be preserved and protected. And with an estimated 800,000 people visiting the river each year, the hazards of a human-caused fire are prevalent that warrant the consideration of preventative actions.

The proposed urgency ordinance has been reviewed and recommended by the Yuba River Public Safety Cohort which is a is a multi-agency workgroup that includes Federal, State and local agencies and departments. The Cohort was established for the purpose of coordinating public safety and law enforcement efforts in the South Yuba River corridor. The workgroup includes District I Supervisor Heidi Hall, District IV Supervisor Hank Weston, Sheriff’s Office, County Executive Office, Nevada County Office of Emergency Services, Nevada County Public Works Department, California Highway Patrol, CalFIRE, Nevada County Consolidated Fire District, North San Juan Fire District, California Department of Parks and Recreation, Federal Bureau of Land Management, and various non-profit and community organizations.