Progressive Source designed and managed an outreach and marketing campaign for the Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District (NSAQMD). We created the campaign to promote their wood stove change out grant program and to educate the community about the best practices for home heating. NSAQMD is a public agency with mandates from the California Air Resource Board (CARB) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to preserve air quality in Placer, Plumas, and Sierra counties located in California Sierra Nevada mountain range.

Because of the region’s unique geography, woodsmoke and other particulate matter becomes trapped in mountain valleys during cold weather. This means that despite being located in a rural and sparsely populated area, the region has some of the worst air quality in the nation. Because of this, the EPA has made funds available to pay for residents to replace their old wood burning heating devices. Residents were eligible for grants of up to $13,500 and were able to choose from pellet stoves, mini split electric heat pumps, and EPA certified woodstoves.

While NSAQMD had had good success changing out many wood stoves, the program had been going on for 7 years and there were many holdouts who still were using older devices. Progressive Source was hired to help reach these hold outs and to educate the community more generally about the hazards of woodsmoke and the best practices for burning wood for heat.