Central Coast Lidar & Vegetation Mapping Project
Better data. Smarter decisions. Stronger landscapes.
Across Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and San Benito Counties, CSLRCD is leading a multi-year effort to create a comprehensive, easy-to-use picture of the region’s landscapes. In partnership with Tukman Geospatial, CNPS, and AIS, and many more supported by multiple funding sources, this project is building the foundation for better land management, wildfire planning, and conservation across more than 5 million acres.
This effort combines on-the-ground fieldwork with advanced mapping technology to deliver publicly available tools that support landowners, agencies, and communities throughout the Central Coast.
Why This Work Matters
The Central Coast is one of California’s most diverse and productive regions, home to working rangelands, world-class agriculture, rare habitats, and iconic landscapes like the Carrizo Plain and Big Sur coastline.
But these lands are facing increasing pressure. Wildfire risk, drought, climate change, invasive species, and development are all intensifying. At the same time, many communities lack clear, accessible information about the landscape to guide decisions.
This project addresses that gap by creating high-quality, easy-to-use maps and data that help answer a few critical questions:
- Where are the highest wildfire risks?
- What types of vegetation exist across the landscape?
- How is the land changing over time?
With better information, land managers can make more informed, proactive decisions to protect both people and natural resources.
Our Goals
Over the life of the project, we aim to:
- Map vegetation and habitats across Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and San Benito Counties, as well as other ecoregions, to better understand the region’s ecosystems.
- Develop detailed landscape data using lidar technology to capture topography, vegetation structure, and surface conditions.
- Create wildfire hazard and risk maps to support planning, prevention, and emergency response.
- Produce publicly accessible tools and datasets that can be used by landowners, agencies, and communities.
- Support long-term land management and restoration efforts by providing a reliable foundation of data.
Project Components
This effort brings together several coordinated pieces of work:
- Vegetation Mapping
Field crews are collecting detailed information about plant communities across the region. This data is used to create accurate maps showing what types of vegetation occur where. - Lidar Mapping
Airborne laser technology is used to create highly detailed 3D models of the landscape, capturing elevation, vegetation height, and structure. - Wildfire Mapping
Using lidar and vegetation data, the project is developing maps that show wildfire fuels, hazard, and risk, helping communities better prepare for and respond to fire. - Data Integration & Access
All datasets will be combined into user-friendly tools and made publicly available online, ensuring broad access to this information.
How the Work Happens
This project uses a phased approach that combines fieldwork, technology, and collaboration.
Work begins with collecting field data and assembling existing information about the landscape. This is paired with lidar data to build a detailed understanding of terrain and vegetation.
From there, mapping teams develop vegetation maps and wildfire datasets, refining them over time to improve accuracy. Local knowledge and stakeholder input help ensure the data reflects real-world conditions.
The final products are reviewed, tested, and shared publicly, providing tools that are both scientifically sound and practical for everyday use.
Sharing Tools and Building Partnerships
Engagement is a key part of this effort. The project includes:
- Public workshops and trainings to help people understand and use the data
- Online tools and interactive maps accessible to a wide range of users
- Collaboration with landowners, agencies, Tribes, and local partners
The goal is not just to create data, but to ensure it is useful, accessible, and widely applied.
Supporting Smarter Land Management
By bringing together advanced technology, field expertise, and regional collaboration, the Central Coast Lidar & Vegetation Mapping Project is creating a shared foundation for better decision-making.
These tools will support wildfire resilience, habitat conservation, sustainable agriculture, and climate adaptation, helping communities and landscapes across the Central Coast adapt to a changing future.
Funders: California Department of Fish and Wildlife; California State Coastal Conservancy; additional state and federal partners
RCD Partners: Coastal San Luis RCD, Upper Salinas–Las Tablas RCD, Monterey County RCD, San Benito County RCD
For more information, please click the links below:
The site provides access to fine-scale vegetation, topographic, wildland fuels and other mapping data for a growing number of California Counties.
https://pacificvegmap.org/
The link below is a story map that provides information about the data products, the methods to create them, and information on how to access the data for use in GIS software.
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