REGIONAL PROJECT PLANNING
The Regional Project Planning (RPP) complements the SLO County FireShed Report, SLO 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 priorities and, as a living process, is regularly updated with new data and community input
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 these documents.
- SLO County FireShed Report
- County General Plan
- CA Wildfire & Forest Resilience Action Plan
- 2026 Multi Local Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan
- 2019 Countywide CWPP
These documents emphasize broad stakeholder inclusion and transparent decision-making. These 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.
GOVERNANCE
PURPOSE
The San Luis Obispo County Community Fire Safe Council, Inc is a diverse collaborative group dedicated to creating a Fire Safe environment through education, partnerships, and action.
Members include city, county, state, federal, tribal, and private partners to share knowledge, align priorities, and focus resources on the most effective wildfire resilience strategies based on the county’s diverse landscape, microclimates, and assets at risk.
SLO Fire Safe Council Focus Groups are community level organization that mirror the make up of the County Fire Safe Council. The Focus Groups engage at the grass roots level to inform on local issues.
Feedback from meetings, workshops, and surveys is integrated into planning and action.
METHODOLOGY
PURPOSE
The San Luis Obispo County FireSafe 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 and local 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.
RPP - SUPPORTED PROJECT TYPES
Education and Outreach
Deliver workshops, materials, and events to inform the public about wildfire mitigation.
Engage community members to gather input and encourage participation.
Promote defensible space, home hardening, and evacuation readiness
Research
Collect and analyze data to improve wildfire behavior understanding.
Evaluate mitigation, restoration, and forest health practices.
Use imagery, field data, and demonstration projects to inform best practice
Planning
Develop project designs, permits, and implementation strategies aligned with the CWPP and FireShed.
Coordinate stakeholders and resources to deliver priority wildfire mitigation projects.
Prepare environmental compliance documentation and secure required agency approvals.
Vegetation Treatment
Trim, thin, and remove vegetation to reduce wildfire intensity in the WUI and along evacuation routes.
Eliminate ladder fuels and create defensible space.
Support forest and watershed health through thinning, prescribed fire, and restoration
Community Resilience
Install ember resistant vents, gutter guards, and noncombustible material.
Improve the 0 to 5 foot zone for structure protection
Evacuation Planning for Communities
Identify bottlenecks and optimize evacuation routes.
Support emergency services with scenario based planning tools.
Community Level Hazard & Risk Reduction
Implement fuel breaks and defensible space in shared areas.
Improve HOA and open space wildfire resilience.
Conduct inspections and treat evacuation corridors.
Parcel Level Risk Reduction and Assessment
Provide home specific defensible space improvements.
Conduct individual property wildfire risk assessments.
Increase resilience at the single parcel level
PORTFOLIO OF CURRENT PROJECTS
The SLO County FireShed portfolio includes current, funded projects across multiple jurisdictions. Projects span planning, outreach, fuel reduction, restoration, access improvements, and landscape resilience, showing partners working together to protect communities and ecosystems.
PROJECT CENTER
Project Center is a GIS viewer showcasing past projects we are proud to have supported. Explore project locations, funding, timelines, and treatment types across the county, highlighting real progress in wildfire mitigation and resilience.
PROPOSED PROJECT COMMITTEE
Projects are informed by SLO County FireShed, local land use policies and ordinances 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.