The Plumas County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding Dec. 1 with the Plumas National Forest for construction of a multi-agency fire center at Nervino Airport in Beckwourth.

The Plumas National Forest applied for and will receive $2.2 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, commonly referred to as the stimulus package, to build the facility.

The MOU said the facility would “allow federal, county and private emergency response services to cooperatively serve Plumas County.”

It also indicated the project would provide barracks and operational facilities for the Beckwourth Hotshots; support for air operations during fire incident management; and an improved strategic location for storing Beckwourth Fire District engines.

Finally, the document explained the county hoped to expand the airport, and on-site fire protection services were required for that to move forward.

Plumas County Facility Services Director Joe Wilson told the board the project would also include a helitack base for the Forest Service and possibly a CareFlight station.

He added the airport would be annexed into the Beckwourth Fire District, and surrounding areas would get faster emergency response times.

“It’s one of those win, win, win projects for everyone,” he concluded.

Wilson pointed out the county would receive rent from the Forest Service, Beckwourth Fire and CareFlight. The price would be determined by a fair market value appraisal for airport land.

He also announced two out of three county airports would have a fire station on site.