REGIONAL PRIORITY PLANNING
COUNTY PLANNING DOCUMENTS
PURPOSE
Regional partners work together to identify, coordinate, prioritize, and advance wildfire and forest resilience projects that protect communities and natural resources. These efforts are guided by the County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) and the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (LHMP), which emphasize broad stakeholder inclusion and transparent decision-making. Both documents are living frameworks that are regularly updated to reflect new data, evolving conditions, and local input, ensuring projects remain effective, relevant, and community-driven.
The Regional Priority Plan (RPP) complements the County CWPP and other local plans by aligning priorities, strengthening collaboration, and focusing resources on effective wildfire resilience strategies. It refines broad countywide goals into actionable regional priorities and, as a living document, is regularly updated with new data and community input
GEOGRAPHY and GOVERNANCE
PURPOSE
San Luis Obispo County’s varied landscapes—from coast to inland forests—shape wildfire risks and resilience priorities. Implementation is guided by county and city governments, fire districts, state and federal agencies, and regional collaboratives, with strong participation from communities, California Native American tribal governments, cultural practitioners, and local partners to ensure plans reflect the region’s diversity.
The San Luis Obispo Fire Safe Council (SLOFSC) convenes partners across city, county, state, federal, tribal, and private lands to share knowledge, coordinate priorities, and align projects. By fostering collaboration among agencies, landowners, and communities, SLOFSC helps ensure resources are directed toward the most effective strategies for wildfire resilience across the region.
Key Partner Roles and Touchpoints
Governments – Guide planning, permitting, and policy.
Fire Districts & CAL FIRE – Lead risk assessments and project design.
State & Federal Agencies – Provide funding, expertise, and oversight.
Tribal Governments & Cultural Practitioners – Share ecological knowledge and cultural priorities.
Communities & Collaboratives – Identify needs and support outreach.
Landowners & Industry – Carry out treatments and provide resources.
Feedback is gathered through meetings, workshops, and surveys, then integrated into planning and implementation.
ASSESSMENT and METHODOLOGY
PURPOSE
The San Luis Obispo Fire Safe Council (SLOFSC) assesses landscape conditions by combining local data, scientific analysis, and community input to understand wildfire risks and opportunities for resilience. Projects are identified and prioritized based on fuel conditions, community vulnerability, ecological values, and alignment with California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force strategies. This process emphasizes a holistic approach to socio-ecological resilience, considering multiple pillars—such as fire risk reduction, ecosystem health, cultural values, and community safety—so that projects deliver broad and lasting benefits across the region.
Wildfire and forest resilience in San Luis Obispo County is built on multiple pillars, including community safety, ecosystem health, cultural values, and economic stability. These pillars provide a holistic framework for planning and decision-making. Depending on local conditions and project goals, the weight of each pillar may shift to ensure that strategies remain balanced, adaptive, and locally relevant.
Methodology
The decision framework for prioritization considers a project’s readiness to implement, the range of multiple benefits it provides, its alignment across jurisdictions, and the level of stakeholder support. By balancing these factors, projects are advanced that are feasible, collaborative, and deliver the greatest impact for wildfire resilience and community safety.
Landscape Portfolios of Projects – Preview
Coastal WUI – Fuels reduction and evacuation route clearing in communities like Pismo Beach and Los Osos.
Inland Forest & Watersheds – Thinning, prescribed fire, and restoration to improve forest health and water quality.
Community Protection Zones – Home hardening, inspections, and neighborhood-scale treatments in high-risk areas.
Evacuation & Access – Roadside vegetation management and infrastructure protection for safe evacuation.
Tribal & Cultural Projects – Cultural burning and stewardship led by California Native American tribes.
Agriculture & Rangelands – Grazing and fuel breaks to reduce wildfire spread while supporting local livelihoods.
Each project reflects local priorities, multiple benefits, clear implementers, and strong stakeholder support.
Short cards for a few example landscapes with boundaries, lead implementers, benefits, and readiness stage
Project development funding supports getting priority projects shovel-ready.s
RPP - GUIDENCE - SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY
The Regional Priority Plan (RPP) is organized around three key elements: Geography and Governance, Assessment and Methodology, and Portfolios of Projects. Together, these ensure that wildfire resilience actions in San Luis Obispo County are transparent, collaborative, and consistent with state and federal strategies.
Geography and Governance
The plan emphasizes all-lands coordination across city, county, state, federal, tribal, and private jurisdictions. Broad partnerships and collaborative governance guide decision-making, with active participation from agencies, tribal governments, community members, and cultural practitioners.
Assessment and Methodology
Projects are informed by Task Force regional profiles, resource kits, and local knowledge. This mix of science and community input supports a transparent, data-driven methodology that prioritizes actions based on risk, vulnerability, multiple benefits, and alignment with statewide strategies.
Portfolios of Projects
The RPP highlights portfolios that are geographically explicit, demonstrate multiple benefits, identify responsible implementers, and show clear stakeholder support and sequencing. These portfolios illustrate how diverse partners are working together to advance projects that protect communities, restore ecosystems, and strengthen resilience.
Iterative Updates
As a living document, the RPP is regularly updated to reflect new data, science, and community priorities, ensuring that investments remain targeted, equitable, and effective over time.