San Luis Obispo County, population 246,681 (2000), lies midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on California's Pacific Coast. There are two TDR programs in San Luis Obispo County at this time: a community-based program developed for the community of Cambria in the 1980s and a countywide program adopted in 1996. For procedural details about these two programs, please see Beyond Takings and Givings.
Cambria TDR Program - In 2003, Beyond Takings and Givings stated that the Cambria TDR program had purchased 85,000 square feet of floor area credits, representing the acquisition and preservation of 230 lots. In January 2005, Ray Belknap, Executive Director of the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County, reported that 250 lots had been purchased and saved. This has resulted in preservation of Fern Canyon, one of the best remaining habitats of the rare Cambria Pine.
Countywide Program - As of July 2001, a total of seven sending sites had been approved, with a combined land area of at least 8,300 acres. At the time Beyond Takings and Givings was published in 2003, conservation easements had not yet been recorded on most of these approved sending sites. In January 2005, Kami Griffin, Supervising Planner, reported that the County-wide program had succeeded in placing 5,464 acres under conservation easements at three sites.
- Bonnheim Ranch - This ranch was identified as a sending site in the General Plan and given final approval in 1998 due to significant historic, scenic and habitat resources. Easements now protect 4,000 acres here.
- Black Lake Canyon - This area was pre-approved in the TDC ordinance due to the presence of oak woodlands, chaparral and wetlands.
- Denny - This 52-acre lot contains a vineyard and freshwater ponds.
In January 2005, Griffin also reported that 14 receiving site applications had been approved, 12 receiving site applications were pending and one receiving area application had been denied.
