Host: County of Nevada
Region: Northern California
Openings: 1
Project Focus: Affordable Housing, Climate Adaptation, Climate Mitigation, Disaster Response / Emergency Management, Ecosystem / Habitat Conservation, Energy Efficiency, Infrastructure Development, including Broadband, Public Health, Renewable Energy, Transportation / Mobility, Waste Management, Water Management
Skills Needed: Project Management, Research, Data Analysis, Technical Writing, Critical Thinking, Detail-Oriented

Service Needs & Plans

This fellow will specifically support the County of Nevada to further the newly established strategic priority of Climate Resilience.

The County is known to provide its residents with a great quality of life and is often a recommended tourist destination. Residents and visitors enjoy Nevada County’s historic foothill towns nestled amidst pristine rivers, picturesque forests and the rugged beauty of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Increased visitation has intensified climate related concerns, including overuse, risk of wildfire, and degradation of cherished outdoor spaces. Nevada County currently faces many climate-related impacts that directly impact our picturesque mountain setting such as wildfire, declining snowpack, drought, and tree mortality. Risks posed by extreme weather events disproportionately affect our rural population, especially seniors, people with disabilities, people with very low income, and other vulnerable populations. We also face serious challenges with access to low-income and workforce housing, and mobility in a rural area.
Recognizing the challenges and opportunities, the Nevada County Board of Supervisor adopted Climate Resiliency as a strategic objective, specifically, to Safeguard Nevada County’s economic durability, environmental integrity and public health and safety by preparing for, adapting to, and mitigating changing climate conditions in a way that reflects our rural quality of life in February 2023. This objective will be furthered by multi-disciplinary staff led by the offices of the County CEO and Clerk of the Board, along with leaders from community development agency, planning, economic development, information and general services, facilities, and recreation departments. As a new objective, there is not a dedicated full-time staff focused on climate resilience, and we are looking for a dynamic, dedicated Civic Spark fellow to enhance capacity, including coordinating and convening internal and external partners, researching models and best practices, and helping to draft Nevada County’s first climate action plan.

Project Description

Overarching goals and role of fellow: Nevada County Resilience Objective will maximize and further existing climate related priorities, strategies, and opportunities countywide. As opposed to being a new department, this objective will integrate, align with, and enhance existing resiliency projects. Nevada County’s Resilience Objective has identified five primary initiatives the Civic Spark Fellow will support with through stakeholder coordination, research, and planning:
1) Develop an internal climate strategic plan –This plan will identify policy and planning gaps, goals and metrics for climate resilience, and propose an implementation strategy and timeline on immediate actions and next steps. This plan, created with community input, will lay the foundation for the County’s goals and strategies to reduce Green House Gas emissions, create a framework for general plan elements as required by State Law, align with regular updates of safety elements, and define implementation strategies.
2) Plan and implement strategies to protect and harden critical infrastructure to reduce climate risk and/or creating new green infrastructure to mitigate risk – engaging with local government officials, partners and community groups to identify and further strategies, waste reduction (SB1383 compliance), supporting efforts to transition County fleet and transit to ZEV, and supporting countywide ZEV planning and infrastructure, work with Energy Action Plan community groups advance community hardening, supporting both homeowners with more efficient homes, and creating economic opportunities for local businesses and contractors; Continue to support the Broadband Working Group.
3) Enhance collaboration to increase community capacity and achieve climate goals – Coordinate and convene existing and newly identified partners and key stakeholders, including the Climate Transformation Alliance, the Energy Action Plan working groups for the County, Nevada City, and Grass Valley, Climate Action Now, Nevada Irrigation District, and others; coordinate Nevada County’s Second Annual Sustainability Summit; and support working group meetings, coordination of outreach events, educational activities and trainings, progress tracking, and other capacity-building activities with community partners, special districts, and other jurisdictions.
4) Further strategies to enhance carbon storage an sequestration, including promoting sustainable recreation aligned with Nevada County’s Recreation and Resilience Master Plan; Exploring biomass/biochar solutions – addressing what to do with our forest products is a regional question, and exploring these solutions and Nevada County’s involvement would be a part of this strategy; Exploring strategies to support local farmers and ranchers and promote local food production and beneficial cropland management
5) Identify opportunities to secure ongoing resources for Nevada County to further the Climate Resilience objectives.

Desired Outcomes:
The desired outcome is that Nevada County will further the five initiatives identified here, including having developed an internal roadmap to simultaneously align and coordinate existing efforts to address climate adaptation and mitigation now, securing funding and aligning community partners, and thus the foundation for a Climate Action Plan. Overall outcomes will include more resources coming into the county to address climate change with the goal of reducing risk to our community. When extreme weather events like recent wildfires occur in Nevada County, community members face increased health and safety and economic impacts. Once we implement the climate adaptation strategies listed above, we can mitigate this risk and provide immediate benefit, like managing health forests to help protect us from wildfire and providing economic opportunities. With this Climate Resiliency Objective, we will focus on ensuring Nevada County takes advantage of these opportunities to safeguard our community’s health and safety and promote our economic durability.

Desired Skills

The ideal candidate will have a willingness and capability to engage with community members, stakeholders, and public agency staff on a variety of climate and energy issues faced by rural mountain communities. This person will be a self-starter, prepared to dive in and take ownership over their work and balance multiple ongoing, multi-faceted projects. Comprehensive research and writing skills, both technical and narrative, are also important, as is a demonstrated ability to recognize the importance of the triple bottom line as the underpinning for the social, environmental, and economic vitality of Nevada County. Desirable technical skills include an understanding of climate planning and policy, especially in California, and familiarity with energy efficiency programs.

Organization & Community Highlights

Nevada County’s workplace culture supports a lifestyle that is based on a passion for the environment, recreation, and the close-knit small-town communities that characterize the region. Nevada County is an organization that welcomes diversity in all respects and fosters and encourages inclusion and belonging among staff as well as the larger county community. Nevada County will commit resources to build capacity and actively engage staff in creating a work culture that values and seeks diversity within its workforce (including, recruiting, hiring, onboarding, training and staff development, and retention). Nevada County will also value and where possible, actively support employee led projects that work towards inclusion and belonging. Nevada County fosters a fast-paced, open environment where staff are encouraged to take initiative, work across programs, and support each other’s projects.

Part of Nevada County’s work involves relationship building with community stakeholders, such as stakeholder meetings and coordination, presentations and educational activities, and development of informational content to support its departmental programs. Nevada County’s supervising staff are approachable and professional development-oriented and are available to help project staff with training and career goals.

Nevada County is renowned as an outdoor destination, and attracts mountain bikers, hikers, and lovers of winter sports to its rivers, lakes, all-inclusive trails, and epic Sierra Nevada terrain. And, along with adventure, the comforts of good food, drink, shopping, street festivals, arts, music, and entertainment are found in the delightful historic foothill and mountain towns of Grass Valley, Nevada City, and Truckee.

Nevada County is characterized by four seasons and can experience 100-degree (+) beach-worthy weather in the summer, crisp and colorful autumn tree foliage, and 30-50 degree, rainy/snowy days in the winter. Living in this highly variable environment requires a willingness to live with and manage the elements – i.e., lots of sunscreen and a warm winter jacket.

Nestled in the beauty of the Sierra Nevada Foothills, Nevada County captivates a diverse market of residents and tourists who seek to live or play in this charming and vibrant community. Abundant cultural and geographical advantages make Nevada County a year-round mecca for visual and performance arts, outdoor recreation, spiritual or wellness retreats and many well- attended festivals. Residents enjoy small town living, greeting each other on the street and doing business with a smile and a handshake. The friendly and welcoming attitude of Nevada County residents are why people want to settle and enjoy life here.

Remote or On-Site Placement

On-site