Climate Action and Resiliency

Summary of objective implementation status

From 2021-2023, the County focused efforts on the procurement of a consultant and the preparation of the data synthesis/modeling effort that provides a baseline carbon inventory and sequestration potential study—including an analysis of climate smart practices which may be implemented on natural and working lands to increase carbon sequestration—that will help guide policy, program and project developments to achieve this objective. 

With the completion of the report, County of Sonoma Carbon Inventory and Sequestration Potential Study, October 2023 (Carbon Study), the emphasis on this objective has shifted to digesting the results of the study in terms of its policy implications.

Key milestone update

The report, County of Sonoma Carbon Inventory and Sequestration Potential Study, October 2023 was finalized and accepted by the Board on November 7, 2023. During this report period, Permit Sonoma Natural Resources has prepared Carbon Sequestration Study Resummary and Reanalysis Tables (15 April 2024) (Resummary and Reanalysis) and performed a detailed review of the report and its implications for General Plan policies. The first phase of the General Plan update process is commencing in September 2024 with an extensive public outreach process over the next 12 months. The implementation of this objective will then be tied to the General Plan update process going forward.

Coordination and partnership update

To date, this objective has required collaboration between County departments and Special Districts, including the Climate Action and Resiliency Division in the County Administrator’s Office, Ag + Open Space, Sonoma Water, and Permit Sonoma.  Based on the Resummary and Reanalysis of the Carbon Study several broad conclusions can be reached:

1. Natural systems (forest, shrubland, grassland) account for most existing carbon sequestration in the County (84-88%) with working lands (5.4-8.4%) and urban lands (primarily urban trees) (6.3%-7.6%) providing modest additional sequestration.
2. Between 2013 and 2022 there was a conversion of nearly 28,000 acres of natural lands that was not attributable to changes from fire and appeared to be conversion to developed land uses (2.7% of total natural land acreage).
3. Several land management and restoration activities have the ability to contribute to additional sequestration in the County’s natural and working lands. On natural lands, avoiding conversion of existing forest, shrub and grassland to cropland or development accounted for the majority of increased sequestration potential with healthy forest management activities, native grassland restoration, and riparian forest buffer replanting also being important. On working lands (rangeland, agricultural lands, pasture) native oak/silvopasture restoration, conversion of nonnative grassland to farm woodlots, windbreak shelterbelt establishment, cover cropping, and compost application/nutrient management also had modest sequestration improvements. Finally, urban forestry activities had a surprisingly large proportion (nearly 15%) of the increased sequestration from the various restoration and working lands management activities evaluated in the Carbon Study.

In terms of the policy implications of the results, the following is apparent:

1. Avoiding conversion of existing natural lands (forest, shrubland, grassland) is the most important policy action to maintain the carbon currently sequestered and to sequester future carbon into natural lands.
2. Urban forestry should be emphasized in carbon friendly land use and development policies.
3. Native grassland restoration on existing non-native grasslands has sequestration benefits as well as wildfire resiliency co-benefits.
4. Forest management activities, e.g., management to accelerate successional processes for forest to becoming mature and old growth forests, have sequestration benefits.
5. Management activities activities on working lands that focus on establishing woody dominated ecosystems (woodlots, windbreaks, shelterbelts, living fence rows, riparian buffers) have potential for non-trivial sequestration benefits.

Community, equity and climate update

An extensive public outreach process is commencing as part of the General Plan update over the next 12 months.

Funding narrative

The Climate Action and Resiliency Division received $500,000 from the Strategic Plan fund to complete the carbon sequestration study as well as an ongoing GHG inventory. Existing staff from the various County departments and special districts assisted in preparing this report and planning for next steps for implementing this objective