Board Kills RV-as-Housing Ordinance, Approves $8M in Wildfire Grants

Nevada County's Board of Supervisors unanimously rejected a first-in-California zoning ordinance that would have allowed permanent RV dwelling on rural parcels, capping a months-long debate that drew near-universal opposition from both sides of the housing fight. In the same marathon session, the Board locked in more than $8 million in wildfire resilience funding and a landmark Good Neighbor Agreement with Tahoe National Forest, and adopted the county's first Drought Resilience Plan.

• RV dwelling ordinance dies 5-0 after public hearing draws organized opposition from neighbors, fire-safety advocates, and even the project's original proponents
• $8M+ in wildfire grants secured, including a $7M National Forest Foundation award and $1.03M Sierra Nevada Conservancy grant for fuels reduction
• Fifth Good Neighbor Agreement with Tahoe National Forest approved, authorizing landscape-scale work on 200,000 acres through 2035
• Drought Resilience Plan adopted, identifying 7,000+ domestic wells at risk of going dry
• Child support program ranks No. 1 in California on four federal performance measures, collecting over $8M annually

The centerpiece of the July 28 meeting was the public hearing on a zoning amendment that would have allowed recreational vehicles as permanent additional dwelling units on developed rural parcels — a concept no other California county has attempted.