Shaped by a rich history of fire, the Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District (CSLRCD) spans over 450,000 acres of diverse landscapes, including coastal chaparral, oak woodlands, grasslands, and wetlands. For millennia, natural processes and Indigenous land stewardship ignited frequent low-intensity fires that enhanced biodiversity, improved the quality and abundance of forage, and helped suppress plant diseases and infestations.

Today, ecosystems and communities are experiencing the consequences of a century of fire exclusion. The combined impacts of climate change, urban expansion into wildlands, and the accumulation of dense, fire-prone vegetation have significantly increased the intensity and destructiveness of wildfires. According to CAL FIRE, 98% of the area within CSLRCD’s vicinity is classified as Moderate, High, or Very-High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, with the majority of residential and urban structures located either within or adjacent to wildland areas.

In response, the Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District (CSLRCD) is implementing vegetation management and ecological restoration projects aimed at protecting sensitive habitats, improving forest health, and fostering fire-adapted landscapes and communities.

 

CAL FIRE Forest Improvement on Non-Industrial Private Forest Landowners (NIPFL)

With funding provided by CAL FIRE, the Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District (CSLRCD) launched a new forest improvement project in 2024, in partnership with the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts (CARCD). Focused on privately owned woodlands throughout the district, the project aims to implement forest enhancement practices—such as tree pruning, thinning, and brush management—to promote long-term forest health, reduce wildfire risk, and support climate-resilient communities.

Demonstrating the project's potential, CSLRCD completed 24 acres of fuel reduction work in Huasna, CA—a high-risk wildfire area where residential units are intermixed amongst expansive oak woodlands. This successful effort sparked community interest in maintaining defensible spaces and underscored the urgent need for future wildfire resilience programs.

As a result of the success of this project and the needs of the community, CSLRCD continues to seek funding for forest health and wildfire resilience on private and public lands. 

 

 

Partners: California Association of Conservation Districts (CARCD)

Funders: CAL FIRE

RCD Contact: Rhealynn Ravarra, rravarra@coastalrcd.org