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 diverse landscapes shape wildfire risk and resilience priorities. Implementation is led by county and city governments, fire districts, state and federal agencies, and regional collaboratives, with strong involvement from communities and tribal partners to reflect the region’s diversity.
The San Luis Obispo Fire Safe Council coordinates city, county, state, federal, tribal, and private partners to share knowledge, align priorities, and focus resources on the most effective wildfire resilience strategies.
Partner Roles
Governments: Planning, permitting, and policy
Fire Districts & CAL FIRE: Risk assessment and project design
State & Federal Agencies: Funding, expertise, and oversight
Tribal Partners: Ecological knowledge and cultural priorities
Communities & Collaboratives: Local needs and outreach
Landowners & Industry: On the ground implementation
Feedback from meetings, workshops, and surveys is integrated into planning and action.
ASSESSMENT and METHODOLOGY
PURPOSE
The San Luis Obispo Fire Safe Council assesses wildfire risk by combining local data, science, and community input to prioritize projects based on fuel conditions, community vulnerability, ecological values, and alignment with state resilience strategies. The approach is holistic, balancing fire risk reduction, ecosystem health, cultural values, and community safety to deliver lasting regional benefits.
Project prioritization considers readiness, multiple benefits, cross-jurisdiction alignment, and stakeholder support to advance feasible, high-impact projects.
Landscape Project Types
Coastal WUI: Fuels reduction and evacuation route clearing
Inland Forests & Watersheds: Thinning, prescribed fire, and restoration
Community Protection Zones: Home hardening and neighborhood treatments
Evacuation & Access: Roadside vegetation and infrastructure protection
Tribal & Cultural Projects: Tribal-led cultural burning and stewardship
Agriculture & Rangelands: Grazing and fuel breaks
Priority funding focuses on making these projects shovel-ready.
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.