Conserving land to fight climate change
Land conservation is an important tool in addressing climate change, as agricultural lands and natural systems sequester carbon and have substantially lower rates of GHG emissions than urban areas. Land conservation also helps to avoid vehicle emissions by reducing sprawl, while ensuring multiple community benefits such as agricultural viability, greenbelts, scenic viewsheds, recreational areas and biological diversity.
Ag + Open Space – in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, the Regional Climate Protection Authority and the Center for Climate Protection – is the local lead for the Climate Action Through Conservation (CATC) initiative. The CATC initiative is funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and is documenting the role of intact working lands and natural areas in achieving Sonoma County’s and California’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions reduction goals. In addition to developing data regarding the climate benefits of conservation, the CATC initiative will result in policies and funding strategies which may be used by local decision makers and communities.
