The Nevada County Board of Supervisors plans to pass an ordinance this month that would ban open fires on private property in the South Yuba River Canyon. Supervisor Hank Weston says the board has been working with the Yuba River Public Safety Cohort, which is a multi-agency group that includes federal, state, and local agencies and departments, trying to come up with uniform guidelines throughout the area…

Listen to Hank Weston 1

The ordinance would ban open burning on private property within 13-hundred feet of the river, with some exceptions including cleared fire pits with residences on the property. Weston says the idea is to keep a major fire away from Grass Valley and Nevada City…

Listen to Hank Weston 2

Weston says about 175 letters have been mailed out to property owners explaining the ordinance. There’s also a meeting this evening to get public comment. The meeting is from 5 to 6:30pm at the Board of Supervisors Chambers at the Rood Center. The proposed urgency ordinance, which would be a two-year pilot program is expected to go before the board at their September 11 meeting.

–gf