Logo courtesy of North Yuba Forest Partnership

NEVADA CITY, CA (MPG) - Nine organizations working to restore forests and reduce wildfire risk in the North Yuba River watershed have renewed an agreement to continue work across a 275,000-acre landscape.

The North Yuba Forest Partnership announced Aug. 1North Yuba Forest Partnership7 that its members renewed a memorandum of understanding outlining their continued cooperation on forest restoration, community protection and watershed health.

Since forming in 2019, the partnership has secured $150 million and completed treatments across more than 30,700 acres. Another 42,597 acres have been prepared for work during upcoming field seasons.

“Strong partnerships are the foundation of lasting forest resilience,” Tahoe National Forest Deputy Forest Supervisor Amber Waters said. “We thank all partners for the continued commitment in restoring the North Yuba, creating healthier forests and protecting communities.”

The partnership includes the U.S. Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, South Yuba River Citizens League, Camptonville Community Partnership, Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe, National Forest Foundation, Sierra County, Blue Forest and Yuba Water Agency.

The organizations coordinate planning, funding and forest restoration projects throughout the watershed. Treatments include reducing fuels, thinning dense forest areas and using prescribed fire.

Much of the work has focused on areas near communities considered at risk from wildfire, including Camptonville and Downieville. Future projects will include roadside fuel reduction, fuel breaks and restoration work in priority areas near the watershed's headwaters.

The partnership's long-term plan calls for treating the most critical areas first rather than attempting to address the entire watershed at once. Priorities include communities, emergency response and evacuation routes and areas where treatments could help slow the spread of wildfire.

The renewed memorandum does not mark the start of a new program. Instead, it extends the framework that the nine organizations have used to coordinate their work since the partnership formed.

The North Yuba River watershed stretches from New Bullards Bar Reservoir east to the Sierra Crest along Highway 49. It includes Camptonville, Downieville and Sierra City and provides water to downstream users while supporting forest habitat and recreation.

The partnership expects restoration across the full 275,000-acre landscape to take years to complete.

More information about the partnership and its projects is available at http://yubaforest.org.