Hell’s Half Acre (HHA) is a unique natural habitat just outside Grass Valley. No other place in Nevada County has its geology or resulting floral wonder. In spring, Hell’s Half Acre is usually ablaze with wildflowers, providing habitat for many bird species. 

Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) bought part of this property (including some designated as Open Space) to create an inspection site for a gas pipeline. In four days of work, they cut down all trees and large shrubs on the 14-acre site and removed most smaller plants. Planned additional work includes removing cut trees and shrubs with heavy equipment, removing stumps, and grading much or all of the site.

The current plan is to use much of their 14 acres for the inspection site, including buildings, equipment, safety buffer, and access roads. On some of the area not used for buildings, roads, and equipment, the plan is to remove soil, then gravel the area. This would destroy the remaining native plants and seeds.

We ask PG&E to pause work at HHA until they have talked with concerned local non-profit organizations and jointly worked out an effective mitigation plan, and, if possible, a restoration plan for those parts of the site not required to remain without vegetation permanently, ideally with both plans in writing. 

Help us save as much of the remaining native life on the PG&E site as possible. We can’t return HHA to its former state. But, with PG&E as a partner, we can save seeds, native soil (which contains seeds), and remaining native plants; and, if possible, restore some portions of the site for plants and wildlife. In addition, we hope to work with PG&E to protect as much as possible of the remaining undeveloped portions of the HHA site.

Only by acting now can we save as much of Hell’s Half Acre as possible! Please sign today!