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Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation & Open Space District Integrated Approach to Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation. Land Conservation Mission. Diverse, multi-sector: agriculture, open space, biodiversity, water, recreation, local economy 84,000 acres to date
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Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation & Open Space DistrictIntegrated Approach to Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
Land Conservation Mission • Diverse, multi-sector: agriculture, open space, biodiversity, water, recreation, local economy • 84,000 acres to date • Significant influence on climate change mitigation & adaptation • Mitigation: • Sequestration via avoided conversion • GHGs: bikeways/alternative transport routes • GHGs: Reduction in ex-urban development (VMT/water use) • Adaptation: • Habitat connectivity, population resiliency, dispersal corridors • Protection of coastal ecosystems & riparian corridors
An Integrated Approach Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation • Planning and execution context: multi-objective/multiple benefits • Ecosystem services (climate, water, biodiversity, agriculture) • Viable human communities and ecosystems are not mutually exclusive • County-wide focus, watersheds/sub-regions = demonstration • Relies on high quality/high resolution, foundational data • Economies of scope and scale • Successful examples: North Coast Integrated Regional Water Management Plan (lots of work, lots of funding)
Context for Successful Integration • all nine cities and the County adopted the boldest community greenhouse gas reduction target in the nation – 25% below 1990 levels by 2015. • Regional Climate Protection Authority (RCPA) – unique in nation • Sonoma County Community Climate Action Plan, Climate Protection Campaign • District, Water Agency, Regional Parks, RCPA – collaborating on integrated watershed/land conservation framework • Very sophisticated NGOs and community foundation (PRBO, Sonoma Land Trust, Pepperwood, Laguna Foundation, Sonoma Ecology Center, NBCAI) • Part of the Bay Area (connections to academia, foundations, BAOSC) • Invested and knowledgeable community
Watershed Partnership/Ecosystem Services Initiative • County agencies, cities, NGOs, RCDs, landowners • Demonstration watersheds/test beds • Integration of multiple objectives: • Climate change mitigation and adaptation • Biodiversity protection/enhancement • Connectivity of urban streams/trails with watershed lands • Recreation • Agricultural viability (bio-char, bio-energy, C markets) • Integration of land use planning • Economic benefits (articulation, quantification, funding tools) • “green infrastructure”
Climate Change Mitigation & AdaptationWatershed Conservation & Enhancement • adaptation: • dispersal corridors • climatic and habitat diversity • flood attenuation • water supply reliability • resiliency: ecosystems and downstream communities • mitigation • sequestration via protection • sequestration via afforestation • forest management: avoidance of catastrophic wildfire
Foundational Data/Analyses • High resolution/quality • Supports multiple objectives • Ground-based LiDar • Fluvial-geomorphic analyses • Biomass • County-wide vegetation map • Biodiversity protection & enhancement • Climate change resiliency • County-wide assessment of sequestration potential • Monitoring and integration of new research • Integrate new criteria for land acquisition & stewardship based upon climate change vulnerability
enhanced connectionsin support of an integrated program • define and map relationship between climate change mitigation/adaptation and other land conservation activities – where are the connections the strongest? • outline opportunities for more efficiency, economies of scope and scale • connect past accomplishments with future strategies • define role of District in relation to partners
quantifyin support of an integrated program • evaluate the impact of program to date (GHGs, adaptation, ecosystem services, local economic development) • identify gaps in current program strategies • quantify economies of scope and scale derived from integration • modeling of climate benefits: acquisition & stewardship • demonstration projects & evaluation thereof (adaptive) • economic, regulatory, legislative evaluation: • nexus of land conservation with AB 32/SB 375 • novel funding strategies (Prop 218) • ecosystem services (carbon markets/offsets)
articulatein support of an integrated program • communicate the connection between land conservation and community objectives/benefits (climate change, water supply reliability, flood control, biodiversity, recreation, public health……) • Articulate the economic efficiencies associated with an integrated land conservation program – economies of scope and scale, bang for the buck