The story
Why this place, why now
Forest conditions in the Little Deer Creek watershed had drifted well past historical norms — too much fuel, too many small trees, too much closed canopy — increasing the likelihood of high-severity wildfire, mature canopy loss, soil erosion, and downstream water quality problems.
Sitting just southeast of Nevada City and Grass Valley, the area's proximity to homes, infrastructure, and a year-round trail network amplified the risk and the urgency.
Recognized as a fuels-reduction priority by the BLM, Bear Yuba Land Trust, the City of Nevada City, and the Nevada Irrigation District, the project drew an unusually broad coalition of public and private partners.
Building on planning and environmental compliance completed in 2022 under a separate Sierra Nevada Conservancy grant, YWI and its partners — including Sierra Streams Institute — treated 206 acres across federal and private land over two winter seasons, completing all field treatments in December 2025.
