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Redwood Valley residents urge collaborative approach to AB 518 (hip camps), citing fire, traffic and enforcement concerns
Summary
Three Redwood Valley residents and MAC members asked Mendocino County to involve local communities while drafting an ordinance to implement AB 518 (Low Impact Camping Areas Act), raising fire safety, enforcement cost, trespass and traffic concerns and requesting the MAC review potential permit sites.
Three public commenters representing Redwood Valley urged the planning commission to increase local outreach and tailor any ordinance implementing Assembly Bill 518 — sometimes called the Low Impact Camping Areas Act or "hip camps" — to avoid unintended local impacts.
"Our community seeks to maintain a peaceful quality of life," Christine Boyd said, noting the Redwood Valley Municipal Advisory Council had not been included in staff outreach and asking that staff collaborate with residents before finalizing any ordinance. Boyd enumerated specific concerns: increased fire hazards, enforcement burdens and trespass risks on private easements.
Patricia Risso, a municipal advisory council member who spoke as a private citizen, told commissioners commercial cannabis development in recent years had already produced traffic, noise and environmental stresses, and warned broad allowance of hip camps by simple parcel zoning could repeat those impacts. She advocated limiting agri‑tourism to well‑infrastructure event sites such as wineries and keeping high‑impact uses confined to appropriate sites.
Redwood Valley resident Francis Owen urged strict local application of AB 518 provisions if the county moves to align with the state. Owen recommended the county conduct compliance reviews of existing hip camps, consider minimal or strategically placed permits with appropriate infrastructure, and have proposed permits reviewed by the Redwood Valley MAC.
Commissioners acknowledged the comments and noted staff will incorporate public input as the county develops any local ordinance and as the Local Coastal Program update and other planning work proceed. The commission did not take action on AB 518 implementation at this meeting.
