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Date: |
October 28, 2026 |
28 |
Title
Increasing Agrotourism and Recreation Opportunities by Developing Options to Implement the Low-Impact Camping Areas Act (AB 518) (Districts: All)
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Overview
San Diego County's agricultural and rural communities are an important part of the region's economy, identity, and natural landscape. Family farms, ranches, vineyards, and other agricultural businesses continue to face increasing economic pressures while balancing the need to preserve working lands and maintain agricultural production. Agritourism has become an important tool for many agricultural producers to diversify revenue, strengthen local economies, and provide residents and visitors with opportunities to experience the County's rural communities.
Assembly Bill (AB) 518, the Low-Impact Camping Areas Act, became effective on January 1, 2026, and establishes a framework that allows counties to authorize limited low-impact camping on qualifying private properties through the adoption of a local ordinance. The legislation does not require county participation but instead provides counties with the option to establish a local regulatory framework that includes permitting, registration, and enforcement while maintaining statewide minimum health and safety standards. Counties that choose to participate are required to establish a registry of authorized sites, create a complaint and enforcement program, and notify the California Department of Housing and Community Development of their decision to authorize low-impact camping.
San Diego County has already demonstrated demand for this type of recreational opportunity. More than 100 San Diego County landowners currently host camping on their properties through online platforms, with nearly 300 landowners having offered camping over the past decade. During the last 12 months alone, more than 13,500 campers visited properties throughout the County, generating an estimated $1 million in booking revenue and supporting approximately $5.4 million in additional spending at local businesses. These figures demonstrate that low-impact camping is already occurring within the County and present an opportunity to evaluate whether a locally administered framework established under AB 518 could better support agricultural landowners while ensuring appropriate public health, safety, and land use protections.
As a region with significant rural communities and a history of devastating wildfires, fire prevention and emergency preparedness must be central to any consideration of low-impact camping in San Diego County. AB 518 requires Low-Impact Camping Areas to comply with applicable state and local fire safety requirements. Other California counties that have authorized or considered similar low-impact camping policies have incorporated additional safeguards such as restrictions on open flames, requirements for fire extinguishing equipment, defensible space and vegetation management, emergency evacuation planning, all-weather emergency access, restrictions during Red Flag Warnings, and review or approval by local fire agencies.
Providing carefully regulated low-impact camping opportunities will support San Diego County's agricultural economy by creating supplemental income opportunities for working farms, ranches, and vineyards while expanding outdoor recreation opportunities and promoting agritourism.
Today's proposed action directs the Chief Administrative Officer to evaluate implementation of AB 518 and return to the Board with options regarding a potential County ordinance authorizing Low-Impact Camping Areas, including appropriate safety measures developed in coordination with County Fire and other responding public safety agencies.
Body
Recommendation by Supervisor Joel Anderson
1) Direct the Chief Administrative Officer to evaluate Assembly Bill 518, the Low-Impact Camping Areas Act, and return to the Board within 180 days with options for implementation that take into consideration the following:
a. mitigation of any potential fire concerns in coordination with County Fire
b. supplemental income opportunities for farmers, ranchers, and rural landowners;
c. expand affordable access to outdoor recreation for County residents and visitors;
d. evaluation of potential revenue impacts associated with implementation, including permit fees and Transient Occupancy Tax collections resulting from authorized low-impact camping activities;
e. reduce unauthorized, unmanaged camping on public and private lands; and
f. support the County's rural economic development and agritourism goals.
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Equity Impact Statement
San Diego County residents should have opportunities to experience and enjoy the County's diverse outdoor recreational resources while supporting local agricultural communities. Evaluating implementation of AB 518 will expand recreational opportunities and strengthen rural economies while ensuring public health, safety, and community compatibility remain central considerations during implementation.
Sustainability Impact Statement
Supporting the long-term viability of working agricultural lands contributes to the County's economic and environmental sustainability. Evaluating opportunities to diversify agricultural revenue through agritourism will help preserve rural landscapes, strengthen local businesses, and encourage responsible outdoor recreation while maintaining appropriate environmental, fire safety, and land use protections.
Fiscal Impact
There is no fiscal impact associated with these recommendations. Funds for the request to evaluate implementation of the Low-Impact Camping Areas Act and return to the Board are included in the Fiscal Year 2026-27 Operational Plan based on existing staff time in the impacted departments supported by various funding sources. There will be no change in net General Fund cost and no additional staff years. There may be fiscal impacts associated with future related recommendations which staff would return to the Board for consideration and approval.
Business Impact Statement
Low-impact camping has the potential to provide supplemental income for farms, ranches, vineyards, and other rural businesses while increasing visitor spending throughout San Diego County. Data provided by Hipcamp indicates that participating landowners in San Diego County earn approximately $7,500 annually on average, with most reporting that this revenue is reinvested into property maintenance, conservation efforts, wildfire mitigation, and payment of property taxes. During the past decade, camping activity facilitated through Hipcamp has generated more than $4 million in bookings within San Diego County, with approximately $3.2 million paid directly to local landowners
Advisory Board Statement
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Background
San Diego County contains significant agricultural, rural, and open-space lands that contribute to the region's economy, environmental stewardship, and recreational opportunities. Many agricultural operations have expressed interest in expanding agritourism activities as a means of diversifying income and supporting the continued viability of working lands.
Assembly Bill (AB) 518, the Low-Impact Camping Areas Act, became effective January 1, 2026. The legislation creates a statewide framework allowing counties to authorize limited low-impact camping on private property through local ordinance. Participation is entirely voluntary. The Act expressly states that counties are not required to authorize low-impact camping and instead establishes minimum requirements for counties that elect to participate.
Under AB 518, qualifying Low-Impact Camping Areas are excluded from regulation under the Special Occupancy Parks Act only if they are located within a county that has adopted an authorizing ordinance. The legislation requires participating counties to establish a registry of authorized sites, create a complaint program, maintain administrative and enforcement authority, and notify the California Department of Housing and Community Development of the County's decision to authorize low-impact camping.
The legislation also establishes statewide minimum operating standards, including limits on the number of campsites and recreational vehicles, minimum parcel size, setback requirements, duration of occupancy, sanitation standards, operator availability, tax compliance, and compliance with applicable state and local fire safety requirements. Counties retain authority to administer permitting, zoning, registration, and enforcement consistent with state law. These approaches demonstrate that implementation of low-impact camping can be tailored to local wildfire conditions and emergency response capabilities.
San Diego County's diverse geography and wildfire risk make early coordination with the County Fire and other responding fire agencies particularly important. As part of the County's evaluation, staff should consider appropriate fire prevention and emergency preparedness measures for Low-Impact Camping Areas. These may include restrictions on open flames and fire features, additional requirements during Red Flag Warnings, and compliance with existing defensible space and vegetation management standards. Staff should also evaluate appropriate fire suppression equipment, setbacks from structures and vegetation, and evacuation planning.
Several California counties, including San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and San Benito, have already adopted policies addressing low-impact camping or similar agritourism activities. Additional counties, including Mendocino, Ventura, Nevada, Tuolumne, and Calaveras, have considered or are currently evaluating implementation of AB 518. This growing statewide interest provides San Diego County with an opportunity to evaluate existing implementation models and identify best practices that reflect the unique needs of the County's rural communities.
Other California counties have also adopted several of the aforementioned provisions to lower risk and increase fire preparedness and mitigation. For example, San Benito County limits the size of recreational fires and requires approved fire extinguishing equipment; Nevada County requires a fuel-modification buffer and safe evacuation plan; and San Luis Obispo County requires all-weather access to participating properties. Other counties developing low-impact camping policies have considered additional measures such as prohibiting campfires during Red Flag Warnings, requiring fire agency review before operations begin, establishing vegetation clearance standards, and requiring emergency planning and on-site water availability.
My office has received considerable constituent interest in evaluating implementation of AB 518 as an opportunity to support agritourism, rural economic development, and outdoor recreation while maintaining appropriate public health and safety protections. Adoption of the Low-Impact Camping Areas Act could provide agricultural and rural landowners with an additional source of income, bring more visitors to the County’s backcountry and support local businesses. Today’s action provides an opportunity to explore how San Diego County can realize these benefits and strengthen the long-term viability of working lands.
Linkage To The County Of San Diego Strategic Plan
Today's proposed actions support the Equity (Economic Opportunity), Sustainability (Economy), and Community (Partnership) Strategic Initiatives in the County of San Diego's Strategic Plan by evaluating opportunities to strengthen rural businesses, preserve working agricultural lands, expand outdoor recreation opportunities, and promote responsible economic development while maintaining appropriate public health and safety protections.
Respectfully submitted,
Joel Anderson
Supervisor, Second District
Attachment(s)
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