The Office of Emergency Services and Fire Safe Council actively pursue grants which seek funds to assist low-income homeowners and those with Access and Functional Needs. Please also see below for additional resources.
CAL FIRE California Forest Improvement Program (CFIP): The purpose of the California Forest Improvement Program (CFIP) is to encourage private and public investment in, and improved management of, California forest lands and resources. Cost-share assistance is provided to private and public ownerships containing 20 to 5,000 acres of forest land. Cost-shared activities include: Pre-commercial thinning or release, pruning, follow-up (includes mechanical, herbicide and/or slash disposal follow-up, and more.
Fire Safe Council of Nevada County’s Access and Functional Needs Program (SNAP Program) which serves low-income and individuals with access and functional needs is currently accepting applications for their waiting list. Currently, no grant funds are available, however residents are encouraged to apply. When funds become available those on the list will be served first.
Fire Safe Council of Nevada County’s Chipping Program: Once you are done creating defensible
space around your home and roadway, the Fire Safe Council can help you process your green waste. Submit a request for assistance online, and the Fire Safe Council will help you chip your green waste for free. To ensure service to all applicants, service is limited to 4 hours, per customer, per application.
Fire Safe Council of Nevada County’s Defensible Space Advisory Program: Are you ready to create defensible space, but need some guidance to get started? One of the Fire Safe Council’s specially trained volunteer Defensible Space Advisors will meet you at your home to help you assess your wildfire risk and provide insights on how to make your home more resilient to wildfire. This service is free.
My Sierra Woods: Through local partnership, My Sierra Woods helps provide funding and support to qualified landowners to protect our beautiful forests and to restore conditions family forest lands throughout northern California.
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services’ Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP): NRCS has a unique cost-share program, known as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. EQIP provides financial incentives to farmers, ranchers and timberland owners that apply approved conservation practices on their properties. NRCS helps to defray the costs by 50-75%. Typical practices in Nevada County include forest thinning and pruning, conversion of brush fields to timber land or range and pasture, irrigation system efficiency improvements, improving livestock distribution through fencing, and wildlife habitat. Since 1997 NRCS has distributed $4.6 million to landowners in Nevada County.
USDA Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants in California: Also known as the Section 504 Home Repair program, this provides loans to very-low-income homeowners to repair, improve or modernize their homes or grants to elderly very-low-income homeowners to remove health and safety hazards.