In 2023, NCC partnered again with Aerial Information Systems, Inc. and the California Native Plant Society to update the 2012-2015 vegetation classification map. The mapping area covers approximately 86,000 acres of open space and adjacent urban and agricultural lands, including habitat located in the Central and Coastal Subregion NCCP/HCP. An updated map was necessary in order to address changes in vegetation composition due to widespread and multiple burns, urban expansion, and broadly occurring vegetation succession that has occurred over the past 10 years since the last update of the vegetation map was completed.
The first update, initiated in 2013, used the National Vegetation Classification Standard. Vegetation units were mapped to the alliance level, where possible, as depicted in the online version of A Manual of California Vegetation. The 2022-205 updated map used the same methodology and received a final overall accuracy of 85%.
The map layers (zip file) can be downloaded using the link below.
2022-25 Vegetation Map GDB File (zipped gdb)
*Note– Since this map is an update of the 2012-2015 vegetation map, the project retained the same mapping classification and mapping criteria used in the 2012 mapping endeavor. The two eras of attributes are included in the final “composite” database (2012 and 2022 conditions). The vegetation mapping attributes includes the vegetation type, cover density by strata, and other modifiers (disturbance, exotic, land use).
Mapping reports can be downloaded using the links below.
Vegetation Mapping Report 2025 (pdf)
Vegetation Mapping Accuracy Assessment Report 2025 (pdf)
The slides and video recoding of the final presentation led by CNPS can be viewed using the links below.