Nevada County Wildfire Prevention Gets $554,989 Boost from Measure T Grants

The Truckee Fire Protection District (TFPD) has announced the recipients of its fifth annual Measure T Community Wildfire Prevention Grants, with the board of directors unanimously approving $418,853.58 in funding, plus a contingency, for five projects. Awardees contributed an additional $136,136 in matching funds, bringing the total community investment to $554,989.60 toward reducing wildfire risk and enhancing forest health in Nevada County.

“Stepping up to match nearly 25% of the total investment signals something significant — our partners aren’t waiting for solutions to come to them; they’re co-investing in the future of this community,” said Dillon Sheedy, Registered Professional Forester for Truckee Fire.

Thirteen project ideas were requested, 11 applications were submitted, and the program received nearly $1.3 million in total funding requests — almost three times the allocated budget. A multi-agency review panel, including representatives from Truckee Fire, the Town of Truckee, Nevada County, Placer County RCD, and the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, scored each project according to established grant guidelines.

The five selected projects are:

- The Boulders HOA – The Boulders Deck Screening Project: Awarded $31,280 with a $14,715 match. This home-hardening project will install metal skirting underneath raised decks at the Boulders complex, reducing ember intrusion risk.

- Private Landowner – Buckhorn Ridge HOA Project Development: Awarded $15,960 with a $602 match. This planning grant will fund a consulting Registered Professional Forester to work with multiple landowners across 84 acres to develop a community-level fuel reduction project.

- Private Landowner – Ponderosa Palisades Fuel Reduction Project: Awarded $258,539.68 with a $51,528 match. The largest award this cycle will conduct forest fuels reduction across 60.8 acres of conifer stands on 16 private lots north of Silver Fir Drive.

- Private Landowner – Prosser Dam Road Fire Mitigation: Awarded $56,453.90 with a $12,671 match. This project will conduct fuel reduction work across 25 acres on Prosser Dam Road.

- Truckee Tahoe Radio – Community Conversations on Wildfire 2026/27: Awarded $56,620 with a $56,620 match. This bilingual public education project will deliver wildfire safety messaging via 101.5 FM KTKE in partnership with the “La Raza Club.”

“These five projects run the gamut from fire mitigation and forest thinning to strategic planning, home hardening and even a bilingual awareness campaign,” said Wildfire Prevention Manager Eric Horntvedt. “We have to use every means at our disposal to keep our community safe, and thankfully this grant money will allow us to do just that.”

Since launching in 2022, the Measure T Community Wildfire Prevention Grant Program has distributed more than $3.2 million across 21 community grants, with partners contributing nearly $800,000 in matching funds. Landowners, managers, and Truckee residents can apply again in Winter 2027.

Complete information is available at TruckeeFire.org.