Date:
October 28, 2026 28
To: Board of Supervisors
Title
Increasing Agrotourism and Recreation Opportunities by Developing Options to Implement the Low-Impact Camping Areas Act (AB 518) (Districts: All)
End
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 bo...
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