Butte County Planning Commission. September 22, 2016 Orientation to the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Strategy

Transcription

1 Butte County Planning Commission September 22, 2016 Orientation to the Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation (SALC) Strategy

2 SALC Strategy: $100,000 Grant Funded by CA Cap-and-Trade through the Climate Investments Program Goals: 1. Identify critically threatened agricultural lands 2. Achieve: GHG reductions Carbon sequestration Water conservation Water recharge 3. Develop a strategy to protect threatened lands and achieve the identified sustainability goals

3 Workplan 1. Criteria Identification Define and delineate agricultural lands with greatest probability of conversion Identify lands whose protection best meets SALC sustainability goals Identify lands already protected 2. Technical Advisory Committee Involvement 4 meetings Review technical approach and information Make recommendations 3. Draft Strategy Identify model practices to best achieve carbon, water goals Develop strategy to support conservation of farmlands with high potential to achieve goals AND high conversion potential 4. Consultant Work Online tool development, or refinement of final products

4 Step 1. Criteria Identification: Mapping 1. Identify agricultural lands with higher potential of being converted to non-agricultural uses 2. Identify agricultural lands that can best help meet sustainability goals: Carbon emissions reductions Carbon sequestration Water conservation Groundwater recharge 3. Identify lands already protected through conservation easements or other protections.

5 Evaluating Conversion Probability: Sample Criteria from the California Department of Conservation

6 Identifying Agricultural Lands that Can Help Meet Sustainability Goals Carbon Emissions Reductions Carbon Sequestration Water Conservation Groundwater Recharge For example, certain practices in rice cultivation can reduce carbon emissions. Other practices used on rangelands can sequester large amounts of carbon.

7 Identifying Lands Already Protected through Conservation Easements or Other Protections

8 Step 2: Technical Advisory Committee Involvement - 4 or more meetings Butte County Farm Bureau Butte County Cattlemen/Cattlewomen Natural Resources Conservation Service Local Agency Formation Commission Farm Advisor Local Land Trusts City and County Planning Staff Butte County Association of Governments USDA/Farm Service Conservation and environmental groups Representatives from the Board of Supervisors and local City Councils Butte County Resource Conservation District Water providers and irrigation districts Developer interests Butte County Williamson Act Advisory Committee representative Others

9 Step 3: Prepare Draft Strategy Integrate and analyze mapping information from Step 1 Identify sustainable practices for carbon emissions reductions, carbon sequestration, water conservation, and groundwater recharge; e.g.: Crop rotation, cover crops, soil enrichment, energy and water conservation Develop overall strategy to meet sustainability and farmland conservation goals Improve information available to the community about sources of funding for implementing best sustainability practices Review by TAC, Planning Commission, and public workshop with Board of Supervisors Bring strategy to Board of Supervisors for final consideration

10 Step 4: Consultant Work May include: Completing, refining, or producing a final document Developing an online tool Other key tasks

11 Sample Farming Practice: Rice Cultivation Protocol Protocol adopted by California Air Resources Board. Reduces methane emissions from flooded rice fields. Farmers can be compensated for providing these offsets in the Cap-and-Trade Program.

12 Sample Farming Practice: Rangeland Composting (e.g., Marin Carbon Project) Approved by American Carbon Registry as a carbon offset protocol, allowing ranchers to sell offset credits in voluntary markets. State of CA is looking at providing funding for a Healthy Soils Initiative and/or Carbon Farming/Soil Carbon Program. Rangeland composting is also approved by the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association (CAPCOA) as a mitigation measure for GHG emissions, allowing ranchers to sell offset credits for mitigations.

13 Sample Tool: COMET-Farm Online farming and ranching greenhouse gas calculator Estimates a carbon footprint for a farm or ranch Allows farmers and ranchers to evaluate options for reducing carbon emissions and sequestering carbon Potential to create a similar tool to meet specific opportunities in Butte County

14 Questions? Thank you! Project Manager: Claudia Stuart, AICP (530) Butte County SALC Webpage: nning/grants/aglandsconservation.as px