San Jose City Council
May 2, 2023

TO: HONORABLE MAYOR FROM: Kerrie Romanow

AND CITY COUNCIL

SUBJECT: SEE BELOW DATE: April 10, 2023

Approved Date
4/17/2023

SUBJECT: CLIMATE SMART SAN JOSE NATURAL AND WORKING LANDS

ELEMENT

RECOMMENDATION

Accept the Natural and Working Lands Element and direct staff to incorporate into the Climate Smart San José plan.

SUMMARY AND OUTCOME

The Climate Smart San José (Climate Smart) plan identifies Natural and Working Lands (NWL) as a topic for future consideration that could be incorporated into updates of the Climate Smart plan. NWL include forests, rangelands, wetlands, farms, and urban green spaces. In the Envision San José 2040 General Plan (General Plan), NWL is defined as lands with Agriculture, Open Hillside, or Open Space, Parklands, and Habitat land use designations. Both the preservation and restoration of NWL can reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by helping to reduce transportation-related GHG emissions associated with urban sprawl and by directly removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (known as carbon sequestration). The preservation and restoration of NWL can also provide many co-benefits, such as flood control, improved recreational opportunities, and support for local agricultural businesses. However, as most NWL in San José are not owned or controlled by the City of San José (City), realizing the potential benefits of NWL for climate action in San José requires the involvement and support of many stakeholders, including landowners, other local agencies, and community-based organizations.

After several years of community and stakeholder engagement and technical study in coordination with the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority (Open Space Authority), Environmental Services Department staff developed a new NWL Element for incorporation into the Climate Smart plan. The NWL Element includes goals, strategies, milestones, and supportive City actions for preserving and managing NWL to increase carbon sequestration on these lands, without restricting the infill development required by the General Plan to provide sufficient housing and jobs in San José and without, therefore changing the foundational components of Climate Smart. Climate Smart data and modeling is built upon the assumption the General Plan COUNCIL AGENDA: 5/2/23
FILE: 23-625
ITEM: 6.4

HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
April 10, 2023
Subject: Climate Smart San José Natural and Working Lands Element

is implemented and serves as a touchstone for all climate actions building to carbon neutrality.

Given that the General Plan and Climate Smart are inextricably intertwined, if changes are made to the General Plan key development strategy then Climate Smart modeling will need to be revamped and strategies reimagined to meet carbon neutrality goals.

With the achievement of the goals in the NWL Element, NWL in San José could sequester an additional 62,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year by 2030, which is approximately one percent of communitywide GHG emissions in 2019, the year of the latest communitywide GHG inventory, and an additional five million metric tons of carbon dioxide in total by 2050, which is approximately three percent of the total GHG emissions reductions called for in the Climate Smart plan. These goals can be achieved via the following four key strategies, which would typically be led by local stakeholders working with City guidance and support: (1) preserve existing NWL and designate some lands not suitable for development as new NWL; (2) expand the use of regenerative agriculture techniques on agricultural lands; (3) restore and enhance oak woodlands, riparian corridors, and other native ecosystems in NWL; and (4) increase access to urban green space and trees. City Council approval of the proposed NWL Element would allow staff to add these strategies and metrics to the Climate Smart plan during the upcoming plan update and, while not making any changes to the City’s General Plan, would formalize the City’s support for the NWL measures identified in the proposed NWL Element. The proposed Climate Smart NWL Element would be the first NWL GHG reduction plan in California adopted at the local level.

BACKGROUND

The most recent and comprehensive climate science analysis from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change1 continues to conclude that the global community must do more and faster to reduce GHG emissions or risk missing the window to prevent global temperature increases beyond thresholds that could result in significant and irreversible negative impacts. The impacts of climate change already directly affect the quality of life of all residents in San José, and disadvantaged residents bear a disproportionate burden.

In February 2018, City Council approved the Climate Smart plan, which includes milestones to significantly reduce GHG emissions by 2050 in alignment with the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement goals to prevent global temperatures from rising by more than two degrees Celsius (or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). Climate Smart focuses on three targeted climate action areas - mobility, energy, and water – and the associated quality of life co-benefits. In 2019, the City declared a “climate emergency.” In November 2021, City Council adopted a resolution to work towards communitywide carbon neutrality by 2030 and in June 2022 approved the Pathway to Carbon Neutrality by 2030 to further focus staff’s efforts and accelerate work towards this new goal.

1 https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/

HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
April 10, 2023
Subject: Climate Smart San José Natural and Working Lands Element

One of the topics identified by the Climate Smart plan for further study was to assess how the protection and enhancement of San José’s Designated NWL – defined as the Agriculture, Open Hillside, and Open Space, Parklands, and Habitat land use designations in the General Plan - can help the City meet its GHG reduction targets while allowing for the continued development of new housing in infill locations and also providing a suite of environmental and community benefits. The City and the Open Space Authority partnered on this work to identify mutually agreeable NWL strategies and metrics for incorporation into the Climate Smart plan. The City created a Project Management Team, comprised of staff from City departments and the Open Space Authority, and a Technical Advisory Committee, comprised of subject matter experts from universities, nonprofit organizations, and regional and state agencies, to provide input on the NWL Element and align it with City, regional, and statewide goals and initiatives. After releasing a technical report in September 2021, staff vetted a draft NWL Element with stakeholders, finalized the proposed NWL Element (see Attachment – Natural and Working Lands Element), and shared it with stakeholders and on the City website in November 2022.

This work aligns with efforts at the state level to address NWL in the context of climate change.

In 2020, Governor Newsom issued a sweeping executive order establishing a new “30 by 30” goal. This executive order directs state agencies to protect 30 percent of California’s NWL and waters by 2030 for biodiversity, public access, and climate resilience. This bold target is complemented by the State’s “Natural and Working Lands Climate Smart Strategy” that focuses on GHG reduction via NWL. Additionally, as part of California’s Climate Change Scoping Plan 2022 update, the California Air Resource Board included a new modeling process which estimated the potential impact of multiple scenarios containing different suites of NWL-focused actions. Finally, California Assembly Bill 1757 (C. Garcia and R. Rivas), signed into law in September 2022, will make California the first state in the nation to set quantitative goals for natural carbon sequestration. The proposed Climate Smart NWL Element would be the first NWL GHG reduction plan in California adopted at the local level.

ANALYSIS

NWL Element Development Process

The City, in coordination with the Open Space Authority, developed the NWL Element in two stages: first, a technical analysis leading to a Technical Report; second, community and stakeholder engagement leading to the final, proposed NWL Element. These stages, informed by a substantial amount of technical, stakeholder, and community input, are detailed further below.

In the first stage of work, from 2019 to 2021, the City and Open Space Authority completed a technical analysis with input from a Project Management Team and a Technical Advisory Committee. The Project Management Team was composed of 20 staff from the project consultant team, Open Space Authority, and the City’s Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs, the departments of Environmental Services, Parks, Recreation, and

HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
April 10, 2023
Subject: Climate Smart San José Natural and Working Lands Element

Neighborhood Services, Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement, and Transportation. The Technical Advisory Committee was composed of 30 subject matter experts from external organizations including research faculty from Santa Clara University, data scientists from the Nature Conservancy and the California Department of Conservation, and digital mapping and modeling specialists. The Technical Advisory Committee included representatives from the University of California Cooperative Extension and the County of Santa Clara Department of Planning and Development, both of which work closely with landowners in the City and surrounding region. The analysis included:
• Identification and mapping of NWL in the City and surrounding region; • Identification of land use and land management strategies that could best support carbon sequestration on local NWL;
• Comparison of seven land use policy scenarios in terms of total communitywide GHG emissions, carbon sequestration potential, City revenue, and other measures of community and ecological health; and,
• Calculation of the carbon sequestration potential of each land management strategy.

The technical analysis was summarized in a Technical Report, which is available on the City’s NWL website. It found that the land use and land management strategies studied can reduce communitywide GHG emissions, sequester carbon, and provide co-benefits such as reduced air pollution, groundwater recharge, and reduced risk of fire damage.

In the second stage of work, from 2021 to 2022, using the information from the Technical Report as a foundation, the Project Management Team created a draft NWL Element with input from the Technical Advisory Committee, community stakeholders, and public meetings. Staff shared the draft NWL Element with stakeholders in two rounds of online public meetings - one in January 2022 and one in March 2022. Invitations were sent directly to representatives of local and regional agriculture-related organizations, land managers, community-based organizations, tribal groups, and environmental and conservation groups. Invitations to the March meetings were also sent to representatives of neighborhood associations, district leadership groups, business associations, and real estate development companies. Agriculture and land management groups invited included the University of California Cooperative Extension, the County of Santa Clara Division of Agriculture, the Guadalupe-Coyote Resource Conservation District, and the Loma Prieta Resource Conservation District, all of which work closely with landowners in the City's sphere of influence. In addition, an invitation to the March public meeting was sent to list of agricultural landowners in Santa Clara County by the local University of California Cooperative Extension, at the recommendation of County of Santa Clara staff that the University of California Cooperative Extension has the closest relationship with the agricultural community surrounding San José. Information for joining all of these meetings was also shared publicly on the City website and in social media posts by the Environmental Services Department.

Structure and Impact of the Proposed NWL Element

The proposed NWL Element includes goals, strategies, milestones, and supportive City actions for preserving NWL and increasing carbon sequestration on these lands while aligning with the General Plan. It focuses on four key indicators, described below and shown in Image 1:

HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
April 10, 2023
Subject: Climate Smart San José Natural and Working Lands Element

Overview of NWL Indicators and Associated Metrics, Equity Considerations, and Progress Milestones:

1. NWL Preservation and Expansion – preserving NWL currently existing in San José and designating additional lands that are not suitable for development as NWL;

2. Regenerative Agriculture – using alternative land management practices, such as mulching and applying compost, that have proven to reduce carbon emissions, increase carbon sequestration potential, and support other environmental benefits;

3. NWL Restoration and Enhancement – restoring native ecosystems including grasslands, oak woodlands, wetlands, and waterways; and

4. Urban Greening – increasing access to urban green space (i.e., parkland) and supporting the City’s existing efforts to increase the number of trees in San José.

Image 1. Overview of NWL Indicators and Associated Metrics, Equity Considerations, and Progress Milestones

HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
April 10, 2023
Subject: Climate Smart San José Natural and Working Lands Element

In the most recent 2019 communitywide GHG inventory, existing forests and trees in San José were found to sequester about 65,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year – just over one percent of total communitywide GHG emissions. The analysis in the proposed NWL Element shows that the NWL strategies identified could sequester an additional 62,400 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year by 2030 (approximately one percent of communitywide GHG emissions in 2019), and an additional five million metric tons of carbon dioxide in total by 2050 (approximately three percent of the total GHG emissions reductions called for in the Climate Smart plan). These strategies can contribute to achieving the City’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2030 while also providing valuable co-benefits such as fire and flood mitigation, habitat protection, and groundwater recharge.

In alignment with the Climate Smart plan, the proposed NWL Element is designed to complement and build upon already-existing City plans: the General Plan, the Community Forest Management Plan, the Green Stormwater Infrastructure Plan, and the ActivateSJ Strategic Plan.

Together, these plans present a path towards a thriving future San José with walkable and transit- rich climate-smart communities providing residents with comfortable homes, local jobs, access to nature, and protection from environmental hazards such as flooding and heat.

Racial Equity Impact Analysis

The proposed NWL Element includes a section focused on racial equity, including five specific equity goals, pairs equity considerations with each NWL indicator, and identifies City supporting actions that are aligned with the equity goals. The NWL Element recognizes that a legacy of discrimination and systemic injustices have resulted in a lack of access to NWL for some Californians, especially California Native American tribes and communities of color. This lack of access has caused inequities, including an increased exposure to environmental pollution and the impacts of climate change, limited access to nature, reduced opportunities to farm and manage land, and loss of sacred lands and the ability to steward them. It highlights that NWL action, when implemented thoughtfully, has the potential to expand access to opportunity, produce better public health outcomes, and reverse historic patterns of disinvestment and exclusionary practices like redlining. It also recognizes that numerous efforts are already underway in San José to bring the benefits of NWL to communities that have long lacked these investments and resources. The equity components of the NWL Element were developed in collaboration with local community-based organizations.

Role of the City and Next Steps

The proposed NWL Element, similar to the Climate Smart plan, provides a framework for collaborative action with the wider community in which the City plays a central role as convener and supporter. As with climate action more broadly, supporting carbon sequestration on NWL is not something the City can achieve alone and will require the involvement of many stakeholders and supporters. Collaborative action to preserve and restore NWL in San José is already in motion, as evidenced both by the proposed NWL Element itself as well as the preservation of much of Coyote Valley’s existing NWL. Both of these important milestones are the result of years of coordinated effort by both City staff and external stakeholders.

HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
April 10, 2023
Subject: Climate Smart San José Natural and Working Lands Element

If approved by City Council, the goals, strategies, milestones, and supportive City actions in the proposed NWL Element will be incorporated into the Climate Smart plan during the upcoming plan update and, as with the other Climate Smart plan goals, the City would support the advancement of goals associated with the NWL Element. Adopting this proposed NWL Element further expands San José’s climate leadership as the first city in California with an adopted NWL strategy.

Climate Smart San José Analysis

The proposed NWL Element supports the goals of Climate Smart San José. Its strategies to protect and restore NWL are expected to:
• Reduce net GHG emissions by increasing carbon sequestration; • Increase the density of new development; and
• Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled.

In addition, it aligns with Climate Smart’s inclusive approach by setting equity goals for NWLs.

EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP

Staff will provide progress updates to the Transportation and Environment Committee and City Council as part of the semi-annual Climate Smart San José updates.

COST SUMMARY/IMPLICATIONS

Approval of the NWL Element will not result in any immediate City funding needs. As indicated in the NWL Element, it is aligned with the General Plan and staff will typically play a supportive role to further NWL Element goals. Staff can seek grants or present budget proposals, subject to the appropriation of funds, as needed for any future NWL initiatives aligned with City priorities.

COORDINATION

This memorandum has been coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office, the City Manager’s Budget Office, City Manager’s Office of Economic Development and Cultural Affairs, and the departments of Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services; Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement; and Transportation.

PUBLIC OUTREACH

This memorandum will be posted on the City’s Council Agenda website for the May 2, 2023 City Council meeting.

HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
April 10, 2023
Subject: Climate Smart San José Natural and Working Lands Element

Representatives of local, regional, and state nonprofit organizations and government agencies contributed input as part of the Technical Advisory Committee. A full list of represented organizations is provided on page three of the proposed NWL Element (Attachment). Staff shared the draft NWL Element with stakeholders in two rounds of online public meetings - one in January 2022 and one in March 2022. Invitations were sent directly to representatives of local and regional agriculture-related organizations, land managers, community-based organizations, tribal groups, and environmental and conservation groups. Invitations to the March meeting were also sent to representatives of neighborhood associations, district leadership groups, business associations, and real estate development companies, and to an email list of agricultural landowners in Santa Clara County by the local University of California Cooperative Extension, at the recommendation of County of Santa Clara staff that the University of California Cooperative Extension has the closest relationship with the agricultural community surrounding San José. Information for joining all of these meetings was also shared publicly on the City website and in social media posts by the Environmental Services Department.

COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION AND INPUT

No commission recommendation or input is associated with this action.

CEQA

Exempt, File No. PP17-001, Statutory Exemption for feasibility and planning studies with no commitment to future actions. This Natural Working Lands Element defines the areas already designated in the Envision San José 2040 General Plan as Open Space, Parklands, and Habitat, Agriculture, and Open Hillside and identifies strategies to meet the City of San José’s Climate Smart Goals, but there is no commitment to future actions or approvals of projects.

PUBLIC SUBSIDY REPORTING

This item does not include a public subsidy as defined in section 53083 or 53083.1 of the California Government Code or the City’s Open Government Resolution.

/s/

KERRIE ROMANOW
Director, Environmental Services

For questions, please contact Julie Benabente, Deputy Director, Climate Smart San José, at [email protected] or (408) 975-2537.

Attachment - Natural and Working Lands Element
ClimateSmart
SanJosé

LIVING
BETTER

TODAY FOR

TOMORROW
ThiseffortwasmadepossiblebytheCityofSanJosé,EnvironmentalServicesDepartmentwith agenerousfundingmatchfromtheSantaClaraValleyOpenSpaceAuthority.

KEY
DOT:DepartmentofTransportation
ESD:EnvironmentalServicesDepartment
OED:OfficeofEconomicDevelopment
PBCE: Planning,BuildingandCodeEnforcement
3 ProjectLeads
City of San José, Environmental
Services Department
JulieBenabente
DeputyDirector
CarolBoland
SupervisingEnvironmentalServices
Specialist
KenDavies
DeputyDirector(ret)
Santa Clara Valley Open Space
Authority
MattFreeman
AssistantGeneralManager
JakeSmith
ConservationGISCoordinator
TechnicalContributors
Bay Area Open Space Council
California Air Resources Board
California Department of Conservation
Carbon Cycle Institute
Conservation Lands Network
California Strategic Growth Council
Greenbelt Alliance
Greenwaste
Governor’s Office of Planning and Research
Joint Venture Silicon Valley
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
The Nature Conservancy
Peninsula Open Space Trust
San Francisco Estuary Institute
Santa Clara County, Office of Sustainability
and Office of Planning
Santa Clara University, Department of
Environmental Studies and Science
Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency
Stanford University
University of California, Cooperative Extension
UC Berkeley Center for Law, Energy and
Environment
UC Davis Information Center for the
Environment
Valley Water
CityStaffContributors
MichaelBrilliot, PBCE
NicolleBurnham - PRNS
NoraCibrian, ESD
NicholasFrey, DOT
RussellHansen, DOT
KevinIce , OED
YaelKisel, ESD
AgustinCuelloLeon, DOT
EmilyLipoma, OED
RajaniNair, ESD
JasonNettleton, ESD
TiffanyNgo , ESD
EdwardSchreiner, PBCE
AviYotam, PRNS
ConsultantTeam
Cascadia Partners
AlexSteinberger
ManagingPartner
SachiArakawa
SeniorAssociate
JuliaMichel
SeniorAssociate
AyanoHealy
SeniorAssociate
LydiaNess
Associate
Acknowledgements
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
Image: Coyote Valley (Credit: Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority) Appendices

Getting it Done

Introduction

What Does 2050 Look Like?

Our Natural and Working Lands

Executive Summary

Advancing Equity

Executive
Summary
00 EXECUTIVESUMMARY
SanJosé’sNaturaland
WorkingLands(NWLs)are
linkeddirectlytothehealthof
ourclimateandcommunities.

Theselandscapesarescenic
placesforrelaxationand
recreation,andessentialto
thehealthofwildlifehabitats
andecosystems.Inaddition,
theselandsplayacriticalrole
incapturingandstoring(also
describedas‘sequestering’)
carbondioxide(C O₂),one
ofthemostimpactful
greenhousegases(GHG)that
contributetoclimatechange
andclimatehazardsaffecting
SanJosé.

Understanding Our
Challenge
WithintheCityofSanJosé‘s
(City)planningboundary,
oftenreferredtoasitssphere
ofinfluence(SOI),therearea
widevarietyofNWLs,including
forests,rangelands,wetlands,
farmsandurbangreenspaces.

Despitebeinghometomore
thanonemillioninhabitants,
over55%oftheCity’sSOIis
comprisedofNWLs,which
equatestoabout99,000acres.

Theselandsexistnotonlyin
theplacesyouwouldexpect
likeSanJosé’swell-loved
hillsidesandproductive
farmland,butalsothroughout
theurbanenvironmentinthe
formofpublicparks,trailsand
waterways.

Thefindingsinthisdocument
showthatSanJosé’sNWLs
havethepotentialtomakean
importantcontributiontothe
City’sGHGreductionplanand
SanJosé’spledgetocarbon
neutralityby2030aswellas
thestateofCalifornia’spledge
toconserve30percentofthe
state’slandandwatersby
2030,whileprovidingahost
ofadditionalbene fitstoSan
7 Coyote Valley (Credit: Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority) Healthy Landscapes
to Combat Climate
Change
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
NaturalandWorkingLandsprovidesocial,
economic,andenvironmentalbenefits.

José’speople,economy,and
habitats.

TheabilityforNWLsto
sequestercarbonandprovide
otherbenefitsintothefuture
willdependonthechoices
madetoday.Policydecisions
thatsupporttheprotection,
expansion,andrestoration
ofNWLsareessentialto
unlockingallofthesubstantial
benefitsthatNWLshaveto
offer.

Our Natural and Working
Lands
ClimateSmartSanJosé
(ClimateSmart),theCity’s
climateactionplan,de fines
NWLsasareasdesignatedin
theEnvisionSanJosé2040
GeneralPlan(GeneralPlan)
asOpenSpace,Parklands,
andHabitat,Agriculture,and
OpenHillside,referredtohere
as‘City-designatedNWLs’.The
Stateusesamoreexpansive
definitionofNWLsdeveloped
bytheCaliforniaAirResources
Board(CARB),whichincludes
forests,woodlands,grasslands,
shrublands,wetlands,river
andstream-adjacent(riparian)
areas,rangelands,farmlands,
coastalareas,andurban
greenspaces.

City-designatedNWLs
encompassamixoflandtypes
identifiedintheState’sNWL
definition.Forexample,the
City-designateddefinition
ofAgriculturelandsincludes
farmlandsandrangelands.This
ElementdefinesSanJosé’s
NWLsbasedonGeneralPlan
designationsratherthanusing
thebroaderstatede finition.

NWL Benefits
Carbonsequestrationisthe
long-termstorage,removal,
orcaptureofC O₂fromthe
atmospherethatslowsor
reversesatmosphericC O₂
pollutiontomitigateorreverse
climatechange1.Healthy
NWLscansequestercarbon
andprovidesigni ficant
opportunitiestoreduceGHG
emissions.

NWLslikefarmlands,forests,
grasslands,andwetlandsare
consideredresilientcarbon
sinks-meaningtheycanstore
carbonforlongperiodsof
timesothatitisnotreleased
intotheatmosphere.Certain
practices,suchasregenerative
agricultureforcroplandsand
nativehabitatrestorationfor
grasslands,canhelpthese
landssequesterevenmore
carbon.

AssumingtheCityandits
partnerstakeswift,but
achievableactiontorestoreand
manageNWLs,aconservative
estimateofthecarbonstorage
growthpotentialofSanJosé’s
designatedNWLsis5million
metrictonsofC O₂equivalents
(CO₂e)by2050 2.

Inadditiontoimprovingtheir
abilitytosequestercarbon
fromtheatmosphere,the
enhancementofNWLs
providesavarietyofco-bene fits
includingincreasedeconomic
output,improvedfloodcontrol,
increasedhabitatpreservation,
andimprovedpublichealth
outcomes.

Agriculture
OpenHillside
OpenSpace,
Parklands,and
Habitat
8CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
TheNWLElementusestheSanJoséGeneralPlan
definitionsofNWLstoensurethatrecommendations
foundinthisElementcanbeintegratedinto
theGeneralPlanduringfutureupdates.

Carbonstored
insurfacelitter Carbonstored
indeadwood
Carbonstored
inplantleaves,
branches,and
trunks
Carbonstored
insoil Carbonstored
inroots
NWLs remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and sequester it in soil and vegetation. Carbon is stored in plant leaves, branches, stems, trunks, and roots, in the soil, and in organic materials on the ground like dead leaves and wood. 6
Where is
Carbon
Sequestered
in NWLs?
Preservingundevelopedareas
asNWLsalsohelpsprevent
suburbansprawl,whichinSan
Josécouldhelpavoid21,120
metrictonsofdriving-related
CO₂ebeingreleasedintothe
atmosphereannually3.Thisis
theequivalentoftakingover
4,500passengervehiclesoff
theroadeachyear 4.

Preserving and Enhancing
NWLs
SanJosé’sNWLsarevulnerable
toloss.Since2001,SanJosé
haslosttheequivalentof45
footballfields5orroughly1,200
acresofNWLseachyearto
urbandevelopment.Without
thoughtfullandusepolicyand
NWL-focusedinvestments,
moreofSanJosé’scritical
habitat,naturalareas,and
agriculturalassetscould
disappear.

Strategiestopreserveand
enhanceNWLsinthis
documentfocusontwo
distinctareas:landusepolicy
andlandmanagement.

Landusepolicystrategies
includepotentialchangesto
theGeneralPlanandzoning
regulationstoencourage
infilldevelopmentand
disincentivizegreenfield
development.Land
managementstrategies
includeregenerative
agriculturepractices,native
habitatrestoration,andurban
greening.

Advancing Equity
NWLscanhaveadirect
andmeaningfulimpacton
socialandenvironmental
equity.NWLaction,when
implementedthoughtfully,has
thepotentialtoexpandaccess
toopportunity,improvehealth
outcomes,andreversehistoric
patternsofdisinvestment.

InordertoensurethatNWL
investmentsaredistributedin
anequitablemanner,theCity
anditspartnersmustevaluate
theiractionsbasedontheir
potentialtobene fithistorically
marginalizedcommunities.

Definingthesecommunities
willbeacrucial firststep
towardimplementingthe
actionslaidoutinthiselement.
9CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
See
Section 3.1
A Vision for 2050
IftheCityacceleratesaction
today,thereismuchthatcan
beachievedby2050,and
beyond.Settingrealisticgoals
isanimportant firststepto
realizingmeaningfulprogress
forNWLpreservationand
enhancement.

Thesegoalsinclude
increasingthelandareaof
City-designatedNWLsinthe
GeneralPlan,reducingfuture
developmentpressureon
existingNWLsthroughpro-
infillpolicies,andapplying
arangeofregenerativeand
restorativepracticestothese
landstoincreasetheirabilityto
sequestercarbon.

TheCityanditspartners
havesetachievableprogress
milestonesandwillcontinue
tomonitortheirprogressas
therecommendationsinthis
documentareimplemented.

Getting It Done
Tomeetthe2050goalssetby
theParisClimateAgreement
(ParisAgreement)andthe
City’scarbonneutralitygoals,
boldactionmustbetaken.

TheCitywillneedthesupport
ofconservationorganizations,
non-profitpartners,private
landowners,advocacy
groups,publicpartners,and
funderstoimplementthe
recommendationsofthe
NWLElement.

Climate Smart San José
Oneofthetopicsidenti fiedby
ClimateSmartforfurtherstudy
wastoassesshowSanJosé’s
NWLscanprovidefurther
benefitsrelatedtocarbon
sequestrationandavoided
vehiclemilestraveled(VMT).

ThisNWLElementprovides
thatassessmentofNWL
benefits,alongwithstrategies
toprotectandenhanceNWLs
aswellasgoalsandmetrics
fortrackingprogress.These
strategies,goals,andmetrics
willbeintegratedintothe
ClimateSmartplanwhenitis
nextupdated.
10 Rangelands overlooking San José (Credit: Shutterstock) CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
11 NWLs will help us meet our climate goals.

Key Findings
Restoring and enhancing NWLs can help protect our
communities from the effects of climate change.

NWL restoration and enhancement is a generational investment.

How we grow matters.

Today,SanJosé’sNWLsareanessentialreservoirforcarbon.Throughpartnershipsto preserveandbettermanagethem,theycanreducecarbondioxideintheatmosphereby roughly5MillionMTofC O₂ebetweennowand2050-roughly5%ofthereductionneeded tomeetSanJos é’sParisAgreementtarget.

ManagingandrestoringNWLscanbufferourcommunitiesfromcatastrophicwil dfires, flooding,droughtandheatislandsbyprovidingspacefor firemanagementactivities, capturingfloodwaters,groundwaterrechargeandshadingourcities.

TherearemanywaystoenhanceandrestoreSanJosé’sNWLs.ThoughsomeNWLstrategies needsignificanttimetoreachtheirfullpotential,onceestablished,theywillprovidebene fits formanyyearsintothefuture.

Howandwherewegrowmattersbecausepoliciesthatencouragegrowthinin fillareasnot onlyhelplowerpercapitaGHGemissionsbutalsoreducepressureonSanJosé’sNWLs, allowingtheselandstosequestermorecarbon.

ThisNWLElementisbasedonananalysisofprojected
growthpatternsinSanJoséand11landmanagement
strategiesthatledtothefollowingkey findings
NWLs should benefit all communities.

SettingequitygoalsforNWLscanhelpusensurethatallmembersofourcommunities canenjoytheirbene fits.

CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT

CLIMATESMARTSanJosé|APEOPLE-CENTEREDPLANFORALOW-CARBONCITY Introduction

1.2 UnderstandingOurChallenge– Page xx

1.3 OurApproach– Page xx
CurrentContext– Page xx
KeyFindings– Page xx
APathForward– Page xx
01 13
Introduction01

1.1 UnderstandingOurChallenge– Page 13

1.2 OurApproach– Page 15

1.3 CurrentContext– Page 16

1.4 APathForward– Page 21
SECTION1.1
13 Uvas Canyon (Credit: Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority) CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
SupportingClimateSmartSanJosé’svision
toreducegreenhousegasemissions
Understanding Our
Challenge
ClimateSmartrecognizes
thatmanycities–including
SanJosé–arepledgingto
honorandupholdtheParis
Agreement.SanJosétakesits
commitmenttoreduceGHG
emissionsseriouslyandhas
gonebeyondParisAgreement
goalsbyadoptingthegoal
ofcarbonneutralityby2030.

Giventheurgencyofclimate
changeandpotentialscale
ofclimatechange’simpacts,
theCityrecognizesthatit
willneedtoconsiderbold
measurestocounteract
itsGHGemissions,thekey
contributorstoclimate
change.

NWLpreservationand
stewardshiparetwo
importantwaysthattheCity
canmeetitsGHGreduction
targets.ThisNWLElement
ofClimateSmartidenti fies
strategiesforNWLpreservation
andenhancementfor
integrationintotheClimate
Smartplan.
14CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
Baseline California AB32 (EO-S-3-05 and EO-B-30-15)Paris-compliant 2°C pathway Transition to a
renewable energy
future

1.1 Densify our city to
accommodate our
future neighbors

2.1 Provide affordable,
efficient homes for
our families

2.2 Create clean,
personalized
mobility choices

2.3 Provide
high-quality,
accessible public
transit
infrastructure

2.4 Create local jobs
in our city to
reduce VMT

3.1 Improve our
commercial
building stock

3.2 Make commercial
goods movement
clean and efficient

3.3 1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
2028
2030
2032
2034
2036
2038
2040
2042
2044
2046
2048
2050

10.0 8.0

6.0 4.0

2.0 0.0

CITYWIDE EMISSIONS
Millions of carbon dioxide equivalent peryear (MtC02=2e/yr)

1.1 2.4

2.3 2.2

2.1 3.3

3.2 3.1
Meeting Paris Requirements
NWL
NWL
Natural and Working
Lands Element contri-
bution to meeting the
Paris Agreement
(~5.0 Million MT CO₂e
over 30 years)
ClimateSmart GHGReduction Strategies
ClimateSmartincludes8
strategiesthatareintended
tosettheCityonatrajectory
tomeetthegoalssetbythe
ParisClimateAgreement.

Asthechartaboveshows,
nosinglestrategywillallow
theCitytomeetitsgoalsby
2050.Withtheadditionofa
ninthgroupofNWL-focused
strategies,theCitynowhas
amorediverseportfolioof
optionstohelpreachthese
ambitiousgoals.

Sources of Annual Sequestration in 2050 (MT CO₂e)
Urban Greening

3.1%
Regenerative
Agriculture

6.6%
Restoration &
Enhancement

90.3%
15 SECTION1.2
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
Collaborative
Meetingambitiousclimatechangegoalsrequirescooperationandcollaborationtosucceed.

Thisprojectbroughttogetheradiversegroupofstakeholdersfromthepublic,private,and non-profitsectorsalongwithresearchersandexpertsinenvironmentalresourcemanagement andclimatescience.TheCityandtheSantaClaraValleyOpenSpaceAuthority(OSA)ledthe creationoftheNWLElement,supportedbyaProjectManagementTeamandaTechnical AdvisoryCommittee.

Data-driven
Tofullyassessthebene fitsofNWLsandthestrategiesthatmightpreserveandenhancethem, weneedanevaluationprocessdrivenbydata.The findingsinthisreportaredata-driven, basedontheresultsofamodelingprocessthatevaluatedthebene fitsofNWLsinSanJosé andstrategiesforpreservingandenhancingthem. The Natural and Working Lands Element Technical Reportprovidesanin-depthaccountofthecarbonsequestrationandlandusepolicy modelinganalyses.

Our Approach
Collaborationtowardacommongoal
TheworkinthisreportwasoverseenbyaProjectManagementTeamandTechnicalAdvisory Committee,withinputfrompublicstakeholders.SeetheAcknowledgmentsonpage3forfull listoftechnicalcontributors.
20staffmembersfromCitydepartmentsandtheOpenSpaceAuthority madeupthe ProjectManagementTeam.CitydepartmentsrepresentedincludetheEnvironmentalServices Department,theDepartmentofTransportation,theOfficeofEconomicDevelopment,andthe DepartmentofPlanning,Building,andCodeEnforcement.
30subjectmatterexperts madeuptheTechnicalAdvisoryCommitteeandhelpedguidethe researchandtechnicalanalysis,includingresearchfacultyfromSantaClaraUniversity,data scientistsfromtheNatureConservancyandtheCaliforniaDepartmentofConservation,and digitalmappingandmodelingspecialists.

Stakeholdersfromthepublicandregionalagencies wereinvitedtoweighinduringthe processinaseriesofsixstakeholderfeedbacksessionswhichinformedthefinalNWLElement.

OurTeam
16 SECTION1.3
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
NWLsaregainingattention
fromcities,counties,nonpro fit
organizations,andtheStateof
California.Astheirpro filerises,
conservationandrestorationof
NWLsisincreasinglyseenasa
keystrategyformitigatingand
adaptingtoclimatechange.

Current Context
orderestablishinganew“30
by30”goal.Thisexecutive
orderdirectsstateagencies
toprotect30%ofCalifornia’s
NWLsandwatersby2030for
biodiversity,publicaccess,and
climateresilience.7Thisbold
targetiscomplementedbythe
State’s“NaturalandWorking
LandsClimateSmartStrategy”
thatfocusesonGHGreduction
Statewide Climate Action:

The 30 by 30 Executive
Order and CARB’s NWL
Modeling and Scenarios
Process
Muchisbeingdoneatthe
stateleveltoaddressNWLsin
thecontextofclimatechange.

In2020,GovernorNewsom
issuedasweepingexecutive
NWLactionscompleted,underway,oron
thehorizon
Coyote Valley (Credit: Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority) 17CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
viaNWLs.Additionally,as
partofCalifornia’sClimate
ChangeScopingPlan2022
update,CARBisundertaking
amodelingprocesswhich,
formultiplescenarios,will
estimatethepotentialimpact
ofasuiteofNWLactions
associatedwitheachscenario.

Muchliketheworklaidoutin
thisreportfortheCityandits
SOI,CARB’sscenariomodeling
isexpectedtoincludebaseline
andbusiness-as-usual
scenariosandalternative
scenariosthatexplorethe
impactsofdifferentpolicies. 8
Getting Silicon Valley
On Track: Regional NWL
Coordination
Muchisbeingdoneatthe
regionalleveltopreserve
andrestoreNWLs.Withthe
passageofMeasureT,funding
fortheOpenSpaceAuthority’s
conservationeffortshasbeen
extendedindefinitely.9Atthe
sametime,theCityofSan
José,SantaClaraCounty,
andtheSantaClaraValley
TransportationAuthority(VTA)
haveallvotedtodeclarea
climateemergencyinSilicon
Valley,amajorsteptoward
aligningregionalpriorities
aroundclimatechange.

Acting Locally: San José’s
NWL Commitment
Atthecitywidescale,San
Josécontinuestomake
headwayonNWLrestoration
andconservation.Withthe
adoptionoftheClimateSmart
planandtheSanJoséCarbon
Neutralby2030Resolution,
theCityhasmadeastrong
commitmenttodealing
withclimatechange.This
commitmentisevidentinthe
City’slandmarkClimateSmart
plan,whichidenti fiedNWL
planningasapotentialGHG
mitigationmeasureandtopic
forfutureconsideration. 10
Morerecently,theCityhas
actedonitscommitment
toNWLconservationby
successfullyredesignating
NorthernCoyoteValleyto
AgricultureandOpenSpace
useswithintheGeneral
Plan,providingamodelfor
rethinkingplansforurban
expansionandinstead
encouragingdensertransit-
orienteddevelopment.

Formoreinformationon
CoyoteValley,seetheSpotlight
onCoyoteValleysectionon
page53.

Alviso Marina County Park (Credit: Niranjan Vaidya). This image also appears on the cover.

18 PLANNAME SUMMARY

RELATIONTONWL

CONSERVATION,

ENHANCEMENT,OR

STEWARDSHIP

COORDINATING

ORGANIZATION
StateGeneral
PlanGuidelines
(Lastupdated
2017)
Thesestateguidelinesforthe
preparationandcontentofgeneral
plansforallcitiesandcountiesin
Californiaareperiodicallyrevisedby
theCaliforniaGovernor’sOf ficeof
PlanningandResearch(OPR).

Therecommendationsfromthese
guidelinesincludethedirectionto
addressclimatechangeinaGeneral
PlanorClimateActionPlan.This
NWLElementwillbepartofthe
latter.

California
Governor’sOffice
ofPlanningand
Research
Naturaland
WorkingLands
ClimateSmart
Strategy
(2022)
Thisstrategyidenti fiesland
managementactionsthathelp
protectclimate-vulnerable
communities,achievecarbon
neutrality,improvepublichealth
andsafety,andexpandeconomic
opportunity.

Thestrategydescribeshowtoplan
andimplementnature-based
solutionsandNWLconservationand
restorationstrategies.

CaliforniaNatural
ResourcesAgency
Pathwaysto
30x30California:

Accelerating
Conservation
ofCalifornia’s
Nature(2021)
ThisstrategydescribeshowtheState
willreachExecutiveOrderN-82-20’s
goalofconserving30%ofstatelands
andcoastalwatersby2030.

Thisstrategyoutlinesobjectives,
strategies,andtoolstocatalyze
conservationofthestate’smost
criticallyimportantNWLs.

CaliforniaNatural
ResourcesAgency
California2030
NWLClimate
Change
Implementation
Plan(Draft
Released2019)
ThisplansetsCaliforniaonan
ambitiouspathforwardforusing
forests,farmland,ranchland,
grasslands,wetlands,andurban
landtomitigateclimatechange
whileenhancingtheirresilienceto
worseningclimatechangeimpacts.

Theplanaimstocoordinateallstate
NWLprogramsunderaunited
approachthatwillmovethese
organizationstowardtheirgoalof
maintainingaresilientcarbonsink
andimprovedairandwaterquality,
waterquantity,wildlifehabitat,
recreation,andotherbene fits.

CaliforniaNatural
ResourcesAgency,
Department
ofFoodand
Agriculture,
Environmental
ProtectionAgency,
CARB,andStrategic
GrowthCouncil
ActivateSJ
StrategicPlan
(2019)
Thisplanseekstomaintain,improve,
andexpandParks,Recreation,and
NeighborhoodServices(PRNS)
facilities,programsandservices.

ItguideshowPRNScaresforand
developsadiverseparksystemand
recreationprogramsandservicesfor
allinSanJosé.

Thisplanprioritizesthe
maintenanceandpreservation
ofthecity’soutdoorspaces.It
willhelpcultivateaparksystem
thatpreservesnature,supports
wildlife,andenhancescommunity
well-being.

CityofSanJosé
ClimateSmart
SanJosé
(2018)
ClimateSmartSanJoséisSan
José’sclimateactionplan.Itlaysout
strategiestohelptheCitymeetthe
goalsoftheParisClimateAgreement.

TheClimateSmartplanidenti fies
NWLsasatopicforfuture
considerationandanalysis.

CityofSanJosé
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
Current Planning Efforts
Someexistingcity,county,state,andregionallanduseandplanningpoliciesalreadyconsider theroleofNWLsforclimateadaptationandmitigation.Thefollowingtablesummarizessome ofthecurrentplanningeffortsintheSanJoséareathatincludedirectionforNWLconservation, enhancement,orstewardship.Coordinatedplanningeffortsandinter-organizationalcollaboration supportNWLactionsbybuildingonorganizationalstrengths,assuringthatadiversityof communityneedsarebeingmet,andaddressingissuesataregionallevel.

Table 1: Current Planning Efforts
19 PLANNAME SUMMARY

RELATIONTONWL

CONSERVATION,

ENHANCEMENT,OR

STEWARDSHIP

COORDINATING

ORGANIZATION
Community
Forest
Management
Plan(2022)
Thisplanestablishesstandardsand
practicestohelpcreateandmaintain
athrivingcommunityforest.TheCity
isexpectedtocompleteadraftplan
byOctober2022.

Theplanaimstoincreasethemany
communityandenvironmental
benefitsofurbantrees,suchastrees
incityparks,bymaintainingand
increasingtheCity’streecanopy
cover.

CityofSanJosé
Dewatered
Biosolids
Management
Strategy
(2021)
Thestrategylaysoutactionsfor
managingandbene ficiallyreusing
thebiosolidstheSanJosé-Santa
ClaraRegionalWastewaterFacility
willproduceuponcompletionofthe
DigestedSludgeDewateringFacility.

Theplanseeksto findwaysto
manageandbene ficiallyreuse
dewateredbiosolidsinawaythat
maximizesenvironmentalbene fits
andminimizesnegativeimpacts.

Biosolidsarebeingconsideredfor
applicationoncertainNWLsto
enhancesoilandpromoteplant
growth.

CityofSanJosé
EnvisionSan
José2040
GeneralPlan
(2011,last
updated2021)
TheCityofSanJosé’sGeneralPlan
isitslongtermvisionforgrowth.

Itgovernslanduse,urbanform,
transportation,andhousing.

Thelanduseandtransportation
policiesintheGeneralPlan
directlyandindirectlyimpact
SanJosé’sNWLs.Italsoincludes
policyguidancerelatedtonatural
resources,openspace,sensitive
species,andriparianareas.

CityofSanJosé
Greenhouse
GasReduction
Strategy
(2020)
ThisstrategybuildsontheCity’s
EnvisionSanJosé2040GeneralPlan
tomeettheState'slongtermtarget
ofcarbonneutralityby2045.

Thisstrategyidenti fiespolicies,
plans,andprogramsthatwill
contributetoGHGreductions,
andservesasaGHGreduction
plantostreamlineGHGemissions
analysisforCaliforniaEnvironmental
QualityActcomplianceforfuture
developmentandplans.

CityofSanJosé
Green
Stormwater
Infrastructure
(GSI)Plan(2019)
Thisplanisaguideforreducing
theadversewaterquality,flooding,
andurbanheatimpacts of
urbanizationby usinggreen
stormwaterinfrastructurelikerain
gardensandgreenroofs.

TheGSIPlanincludesgoalsto
protectbeneficialusesofwaterways
withinSanJosé,includingtheBay,
andtoretro fitpublicright-of-ways
withgreenstormwater
infrastructure.

CityofSanJosé
RiparianCorridor
Protectionand
Bird-safeDesign
CouncilPolicy
Thispolicyprovidesguidanceforhow
riparianprojectsshouldbedesigned
toprotectandpreservethecity’s
ripariancorridors.

Thispolicyincreasesprotections
forlandsalongcreeksandstreams
inthecity,promotingNWL
preservation.

CityofSanJosé
Transportation
AnalysisPolicy
Thispolicyisdesignedtosupport
SanJosé’sclimatecommitmentsto
reduceGHGemissionsbymeasuring
andmonitoringtheamountofVMT
generatedbynewdevelopment
projects.

Whilethispolicydoesnotdirectly
referenceNWLs,itimplements
astatestatute,SB743,thatis
intendedtodiscouragegreen field
developmentandthusencourages
theconservationofexistingopen
space.

CityofSanJosé
PlanBayArea
2050
(2021)
PlanBayArea2050isthelong-
rangeplanforhousing,economic
development,transportation,and
environmentalresilienceforthenine-
countySanFranciscoBayArea.

Theplanincludespreservationof
openspaceandagriculturallands
asastrategyforreducingGHG
emissionsandsupportingfocused
growth.

Metropolitan
Transportation
Commissionand
theAssociation
ofBayArea
Governments
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
20 PLANNAME SUMMARY

RELATIONTONWL

CONSERVATION,

ENHANCEMENT,OR

STEWARDSHIP

COORDINATING

ORGANIZATION
SantaClara
County
Community
ClimateAction
Plan
(2021)
Thisplanisacomprehensive
roadmapthatoutlinesactionsfor
theCountyandpartnerstoreduce
GHGemissions.Itisintendedto
complementotherlocalstrategies
toallowforef ficientcountywide
collaboration.

Throughthedevelopmentofthis
plan,theCountyiscurrentlooking
toidentifyandengagewithexisting
localandregionalclimateefforts-
includingSanJosé’sNWLstrategies.

Since2018,theCountyhasbeen
implementingmultiplestrategies
relatedtothoseinthisElement.

SantaClara
CountyOfficeof
Sustainability
SantaClara
Valley
AgriculturePlan
(2018)
Thisplanisaregionaleffortto
conserveSantaClaraValley’sfarm-
andranchlandtosupportclimate
changemitigationandeconomic
development.

Theplanoutlinesopportunitiesto
helpconserveremainingworking
farmsandranchesintheSanta
ClaraValley.Thisincludesfarmland
andranchesintheCityofSanJosé.

SantaClaraCounty
andtheSantaClara
ValleyOpenSpace
Authority
SantaClara
ValleyHabitat
Plan
(2012)
TheSantaClaraValleyHabitatPlan
providesaframeworkforpromoting
theprotectionandrecoveryofnatural
resourceswhilestreamliningthe
permittingprocessfordevelopment,
infrastructure,andmaintenance.

Theplancontainspoliciesrelated
toopenspaceandhabitat
conservation,includingpoliciesthat
restrictdevelopmentinriparian
areas.

SantaClaraValley
HabitatAgency
CoyoteValley
Conservation
AreasMaster
Plan
(Under
Development)
TheCoyoteValleyConservation
AreasMasterPlaniscurrentlybeing
developedtoinformrestoration
ofCoyoteValleywhileincluding
communityengagementand
educationandstewardship
opportunitiesintheplanningprocess.

Thisplanwillcreatearoadmap
foraresilientnetworkofNWLsin
CoyoteValley,onethatcansustain
biodiversityinachangingclimate
whilealsocarefullymanaging/
restoringwaterresourcesand
providingopportunitiesforqualityof
lifebenefits,includingpublicaccess
andagriculture.

SantaClaraValley
OpenSpace
Authority
SantaClara
CountyRegional
Conservation
Investment
Strategy
(2020)
Thisstrategywasdevelopedtoguide
voluntaryconservationandhabitat
enhancementactionsforasuiteof
speciesandnaturalcommunities.

Thisstrategyprovidesinformation
aboutconservationactivities
neededtoreducepressuresand
stressorsonthespeciesincluded
andidentifiesregionalconservation
priorities.

SantaClaraValley
OpenSpace
Authority
SantaClara
Valley
Greenprint
(2016)
Thisdetailedlandandresource
conservationvisionwillguidethe
OpenSpaceAuthority’sworkoverthe
next30years.

Thisplanidenti fiesnearly122,000
acresofNWLsforconservation
andprovidesstrategiesforopen
spaceacquisitionandstewardship,
forconnectingurbanresidentsto
nature.

SantaClaraValley
OpenSpace
Authority
California
ClimateChange
ScopingPlan
(2017)
ThisplandescribeshowCalifornia
canreachits2030climatetarget.

Thenextupdateofthisplanwillbe
publishedin2022.

Theplanincludesstrategiesfor
supportingagricultureandNWL
conservationandenhancement.

TheStateof
Californiaand
theCaliforniaAir
ResourcesBoard
OneWaterPlan
(2021)
Thisplanintegratesthewater
supply,floodprotection,andstream
stewardshipmissionsofValleyWater
atthewatershedscale.

Thisplanhasobjectivestoprotect
andmaintainwaterresources
andprotect,enhance,andsustain
naturalecosystemsincluding
riparianhabitats.

ValleyWater
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
21CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
Focusingourattentionandeffortson
thefivefollowingareaswillmoveus
towardourgoals
SECTION1.4
A Path Forward
Regenerative Agriculture
NWL Preservation and Expansion
Urban Greening
NWL Restoration and Enhancement
9<
<;:

Shiftingawayfromconventionalagriculturalpracticestoamoreholistic approachformanagingfarmandgrazinglands.Regenerativeagriculture practiceshave,amongotherbene fits,proventobothbuilduporganicsoil carbonandreduceC O₂emissions.

SprawldevelopmentisthenumberonecontributortoNWLconversions inSanJosé.Introducingnewpoliciesandregulationsthatencourage developmentincentral,walkableandtransit-orientedareascanhelprelieve thepressurestoconvertNWLsforurbandevelopment.

Parks,trees,greenstormwaterinfrastructure,andurbanlandscapingare valuableurbanamenitiesthat notonlyimprovethequalityoflifeofSan Joséresidentsbutalsoplayan importantroleinsequesteringcarbon.

UrbanizationandindustrialfarminghaveseverelydegradedNWLsover theyears.SeveralstrategiesexisttorestoreNWLstoahealthierstateand enhancetheirabilitytostoreandsequestercarbonoutoftheatmosphere.

Carbon Tracking & Management
Accountabilityiseverything-weneedtotrackourNWLeffortstoensure weareinpositiontoachieveourprogressmilestonesandmeetourclimate goals.
23CLIMATESMARTSanJosé|APEOPLE-CENTEREDPLANFORALOW-CARBONCITY Our Natural
and Working
Lands

2.1 OurNaturalandWorkingLands– Page 23

2.2 Co-Bene fits– Page 25

2.3 PreservationandEnhancement– Page 27

2.4 GenerationalInvestments– Page 41
02 23
The NWLs of San José’s Coyote Valley are home to agriculture and high-value native ecosystems, and provide outdoor recreation opportunities for residents and visitors.

NWLscanbede finedas
everythingfromopenhillsides
andfarmlandstourbanparks
andtrails.

TheCityde finesNWLsas
thoseareasdesignatedin
theGeneralPlanasOpen
Space,Parklands,andHabitat,
Agriculture,andOpenHillside,
referredtohereas‘City-
designatedNWLs’.

Our Natural and
Working Lands
WhatareNaturalandWorkingLands?
WithintheseCity-designated
NWLsexistmultiplenatural
andagriculturallandcover
typesincludingwoodlands,
grasslands,shrublands,
wetlands,riparianareas,
rangelands,agriculturallands,
andurbanparks.

Forexample,landdesignated
asOpenHillsidemight
includeamixofwoodlands,
grasslands,shrublandsand
othernativevegetation.

Despite being home
to more than one
million people, over
55% of San José’s
sphere of influence
is made up of
City-designated
NWLs.

Coyote Valley (Credit: Derek Neumann via Bay Area Ridge Trail: https://ridgetrail.org/coyote-valley-bay-nature/) SECTION2.1
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
24 San José’s Land Cover Types

1.Salineand
freshwaterwetlands
accountfor3%of
SanJosé’sSOI.

UrbanLandCover NaturalandAgricultureCover

4.DespiteSanJosé’s
urbansetting, agricultural
landsareprevalentnear
theCity’ssouthernedge,
accountingfor3%ofSan
José’sSOI.
1 3
4 City-designatedNWLsprimarily
encompassnaturalhabitats
andagriculturallandsthatexist
outsideofurbanizedareas.

3.Oakwoodlandsarethe
mostprevalentnatural
habitatsurroundingthe
City-accountingforclose
to20%ofSanJosé’sSOI.

2.Grasslandsoftenseen
coveringSanJosé’s
hillsidesaccountfor13%of
SanJosé’sSOI.
2 Map sources:

Department of Water
Resources (DWR), Farmland
Mapping and Monitoring
Program (FMMP), San José
tree canopy study, Santa
Clara Valley Habitat Agency
(SCVHA), California Aquatic
Resource Inventory (CARI)
City-designatedNWLsare
alsowoventhroughout
theurbanenvironment.

Openspaces,
neighborhoodparks,and
trailsareanimportantpart
ofSanJosé’sNWLpro file.

CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
Credit: Wikiloc
Credit: Visit Silicon Valley
Credit: Open Space Authority
Credit: UC ANR
Credit: SJ Parks Foundation
Credit: Open Space Authority
Developed
Landscaping
LightVegetation
DenseVegetation
TreeCanopy
Vacant
Grasslands
OakWoodlands
NativeVegetation
Chaparral&Northern
CoastalScrub
ConiferWoodland
Agriculture
Riparian
Estuarine&Marine
Palustrine&Riverine
Water
Coyote Valley is home to
some of the last remaining
farmlands in the San José
area, making it a significant
agricultural resource for the
region. The North end of the
Valley also serves as a critical
wildlife corridor for the safe
passage of animals.

Alum Rock Park / Sierra Vista
Open Space Preserve, located
east of San José’s Berryessa,
Alum Rock and Evergreen
neighborhoods, are natural
areas that provide residents
with access to recreational
activities as well as help reduce
the risk of downstream flooding.

Baylands Wildlife Refuge
provides a host of critical
ecosystem services, including
flood control and protection
against storm surges, and
serves as a critical stop for
migrating and nesting birds.

Co-benefits are the positive benefits related to GHG reduction strategies. Studies are increasingly showing that implementing climate policies targeting GHG reductions can also lead to additional benefits including cost savings, improved community health, cleaner air, native habitat preservation, supporting biodiversity, and an overall healthier ecosystem.11 PreservingandenhancingthehealthofNWLscanplayasigni ficantroleinnotonlyhelping theCitymeetitsGHGreductiontargetsbutalsoprovidingasuiteofpositiveenvironmental, community,and financialbenefitsthatarecommonlyknownasco-bene fits.ClimateSmart SanJoséreferstoco-bene fitsinitsconceptoftheGoodLife,whichhighlightsthequalityoflife benefitsofsustainabilitymeasuressuchaswalkableneighborhoodsandincreasedaccesstopublic transportationoptionsandoutdoorspacesthatmakeSanJoséabetterplacetolive.

Photo Credits: Santa Clara
Valley Open Space Authority
Co-Benefits
SECTION2.2
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
ThehealthofourNaturalandWorking
Landsisdirectlylinkedtothehealthofour
climateandcommunities
25 CoreBenefit
Co-Benefit
Co-Benefit
Co-Benefit
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
What are a few example co-benefits of preserving and
enhancing San José’s Natural and Working Lands?
EnhancingandpreservingNWLswouldallow
themtostoreanadditional 5 Million MT12of
CO₂eby2050.Thisisequivalenttothecarbon
storedin 27,600 railcars worth of coal13.But
carbonstorageisonlyoneofmanybenefitsof
investinginNWLs.

EnhancingNWLstosequestermore
carbonwouldrestorenearly 9,000
Acres14ofthreatenedandendangered
specieshabitat-anarearoughlythesize
of 9 San José International Airports.

AsSanJoségrows,preservinggreenfieldsites
asNWLscouldprevent 264 Acre-Feet of
groundwaterrechargepotentialfrombeing
lost15.Thisequatesto 86 Million Gallons of
waterstorageintheSantaClaraValleyaquifer.

See
Section 3.1
Expandingoururbanparkland,especially
inhistoricallymarginalizedcommunities,
wouldcreatemoretree-shadedareas,
whichcanbe 20-45°F coolerduringpeak
heateventsthanunshadedareas.
26 Conversion and Loss
ThehistoricecologyofSan
Joséisrichwithbiodiversity
includingoaksavannahs,
baylandwetlands,andnative
grasslands.WithinSanJosé’s
SOI,muchofthisoriginalland
coverhasbeendegradedor
displacedduetourbangrowth.

DespitethelossofNWLsover
time,largeswathsofnatural
landscapesandvaluable
farmlandstillremainoutside
oftheCity’surbanizedareas.

Adoptingstrategiesthatcan
helpmanagetheCity’sfuture
growthiskeytopreventthe
lossoflandswiththepotential
tosequestercarbonfromthe
atmosphere.

Preservation and
Enhancement
SECTION2.3
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
ThefutureofNWLsinSanJoséwilldepend
onhowwemanagenaturalandagricultural
resourcesaswellasurbangrowth
27 Since2001,wehavelost1,200acresofNWLswithinSan
José’ssphereofinfluence-- thatequatestoabout45
footballfieldsofNWLslosteachyear.

Oak savannah in Coyote Valley, circa 1896. Close to 90% of historical Oak Savannah habitats that existed within San José’s city limits have been converted to urban and agricultural uses.

Two photos of the same area taken
in 1935 and 2005 illustrating the
degradation of riparian habitats
that once existed along this now
channelized portion of the Lower
Guadalupe River.

Credit: History San José
Credit: UC Santa Cruz
Credit: NAIP
28 toextendinvestmentsin
infrastructuresuchaspublic
transportation,roads,sewer,
andwaterlinestotheseareas
canfurtherdecreasetheir
attractivenessassitesforurban
development.

Land Management
Landmanagementrefers
toarangeofactionsthat
canrestoreorenhance
NWLs.Thelatterpartofthis
sectionpresentsavariety
ofregenerativeagriculture,
restoration,andurban
greeningpracticesthatcan
helpmaximizetheabilityof
SanJosé’sNWLstosequester
carbonfromtheatmosphere.

Thelanduseandland
managementpoliciesthat
havebeeninplaceforthe
past20yearshavenot
beensufficienttostem
theconversion,loss,and
degradationofSanJosé’s
NWLs.Ifpreservingand
enhancingNWLsisapriority
fortheCity,newpoliciesthat
willmakebetteruseofthe
landshouldbeexplored.

Land Use Planning
Onitsface,planningfor
urbandevelopmentmay
seemtohavelittletodowith
thepreservationofnatural
andagriculturallandscapes.

However,landuseplanningis
ofcriticalimportancedueto
itsdirectandindirectimpacts
onthehealthandcontinued
existenceofNWLs.

Direct Impacts of Land Use
Planning
Landuseplanningpolicies
thatdirectlyimpactNWLs
includeregulationsthat
limitdevelopmentincertain
locations,conservation
easements,andtaxabatement
programsliketheWilliamson
Act.16
Indirect Impacts of Land
Use Planning
Landusepolicycanoften
indirectlyimpactNWLsby
incentivizingorregulatingthe
locationanddensityofurban
growth.Forexample,policies
thatsuccessfullyenablegreater
densitiesinexistingdeveloped
areascanreducedevelopment
pressureonlargegreen field
sites.Similarly,choosingnot
LandUsePlanning
LandManagement
Rural /
Natural
Urban
Greenspace
Developed
Areas
Planned
Growth Areas
GeneralPlan,Zoning,Pro-InfillPolicies
Conservation
UrbanGreening
Restoration
RegenerativeAgriculture
Wheredoland
useand
management
strategies
touchdown?
Land management includes practices like regenerative agriculture, restoration, and urban greening. These practices apply to certain urban and rural settings. Land use planning has broader direct and indirect impacts on the long-term availability of land where such practices can be applied.

CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
Minimizing NWL Loss, Maximizing Carbon
Sequestration
29 EnvisionSanJoséPlannedGrowthAreas
UrbanGrowthBoundary(Greenline)
City-DesignatedNWLs
Morehousing
andjobgrowth
heremeans... lessdriving,
energy,and
wateruse
morenatural
andworkinglands
hereand...
moreopportunitiesfor
removingcarbonfrom
theatmosphere
UrbanizedLand
Planned Growth Areas
LandUsePolicy-DirectingGrowthtoProtectNWLs
City-Designated NWLs
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
By2040,SanJosé’spopulation
isprojectedtoexceed1.3
million.Asthecitygrows,we
willneedtobuildhousing,
attractjobs,andprovide
amenitieslikeschoolsand
parks.EnsuringthatNWLs
remainapartofSanJosé’s
futureastheCityevolvesto
accommodatenewresidents
willrequirethoughtfullanduse
policy.

The General Plan
OneofthewaystheCity
regulateslanduseisthrough
theEnvisionSanJosé2040
GeneralPlan.Animportant
componentofSanJosé’s
GeneralPlanisthecallfor
focusedandintegratedgrowth.

ThisacknowledgesthatSan
José’spopulationwillincrease
considerablyby2040,andthat
themostsustainablewayof
accommodatingthatgrowth
istofocusnewhousingand
workforcedevelopmentin
targetedareasoftheCity.

Theseplannedgrowthareas,
showninredinthemap
below,callforhigher-density,
mixed-use,andtransit-
orienteddevelopment(TOD),
makingtheseneighborhoods
economicallydiverse,walkable,
andsustainable.

Byfindingwaystoencourage
growthinplannedgrowth
areas,theCity’sclimategoals
aresupportedintwoways.

First,compactgrowthtends
toproducelessdriving,lower
energyuse,andmoreef ficient
useofscarcewaterresources.

Second,byaccommodating
growthinalready-developed
“infill”areas,development
pressureislessenedon
undevelopedopenspace
“greenfield”areaslargely
composedofNWLs,makingit
easiertopreserve,expand,and
enhancethem.

Anotherimportantregulatory
toolincludedintheGeneral
PlanistheUrbanGrowth
Boundary(UGB),sometimes
calledtheGreenline.This
boundary,showninthemap
below,isintendedtomanage
whereurbandevelopmentis
plannedtooccurwithinthe
City’sSOI.Asthemapshows,
thevastmajorityofSanJosé’s
highvalueNWLsexistoutside
theGreenline.Continuingto
minimizetheexpansionofthe
Greenlineiskeytopreserving
thesecriticallandsand
meetingourcarbonreduction
goals.

From Plan to Policy
GeneralPlansarepolicy
documentsthatevolve
overtime.Aspartofthe
Land Use Strategies for NWL Preservation
88%ofSan
José’sCity-
Designated
NWLsare
outsideofthe
Greenline.
30CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
recently-completedfour-year
GeneralPlanupdateprocess,
theCityhasadoptedseveral
newpoliciesthatwilldirectly
andindirectlypreserveNWLs.

Theseincludethedesignation
ofNorthernCoyoteValleyas
AgricultureandOpenSpace,
Parklands,andHabitatandthe
shiftofover35,000jobsfrom
CoyoteValley.

Thesepolicychangeshave
thepotentialtomitigateGHG
emissions,providehousingfor
newresidents,andencourage
thepreservationofNWLsinSan
José.Tomeasuretheimpactsof
theseandotherpolicies,aseries
oflandusepolicyscenarioswere
createdfortheNWLElementto
seehowtheCitymightlookin
2040ifactionsaretakentoday.

Policy Scenarios
Scenariosallowustoask“what
if”andestimatetheimpacts
thatvariousplansorpolicies
mighthaveonourcitiesand
regions.FortheNWLElement,
scenarioswereusedtotest
howlanduseanddevelopment
policiesexistinginorproposed
fortheCity’sGeneralPlanmight
impactwhereandhowNWL
strategiescanbedeployed.

Fourpolicyscenarioswere
developedtoestimatethe
abilityoflandusepoliciesto
avoidGHGemissionsand
increasecarbonsequestration
potentialonNWLs.Each
scenariorepresentslanduse
changeacrosstheentireSan
JoséSOIunderasetoffuture
policyconditionsintheyear
2040.

Toassesstheimpactofpolicies,
scenariosweremeasured
againstabaselinescenario
representingexistingGeneral
Planpolicies.Scenarioswere
builtusingUrbanFootprint,a
sketchplanningtoolusedby
jurisdictionsacrossCaliforniato
modelpolicyimpactsinlong
rangeplanningprocesses.Each
policyscenarioissummarized
below:

Scenario1:Greenfield
Conservation
The“GreenfieldConservation”
scenariotestedtheimpactof
conservingNorthernCoyote
Valley,atthesouthernedgeof
SanJosé.Untilrecently,much
ofNorthernCoyoteValleywas
designatedaslandforafuture
industrialandbusinesspark
whichwasenvisionedtohost
asmanyas35,000jobs.Instead
ofassumingthefullbuildout
ofthisarea,thisscenarioshifted
35,000jobsprojectedforthat
areatothedowntowncore.

Scenario2:ReducingParking
Requirements
The“ReducingParking
Requirements”scenario
testedtheimpactofreducing
parkingrequirementscity-
widewhileeliminatingparking
requirementsinhigh-quality
transitareas.Highparking
requirementsareamajor
barriertohousingproduction
becauseparkingisexpensive
tobuildandcanmakedenser
housingtypesinfeasible.

Scenario3:EnablingTransit-
OrientedDevelopment(TOD)
The“EnablingTOD”scenario
testedtheimpactofexpanding
thehousingtypesallowedin
high-qualitytransitareas.It
assumedincreasedallowable
densitiesinRegionaland
LocalTransitUrbanVillages
asdefinedbytheGeneral
Plan,aswellasreduced
parkingrequirements-akey
componenttoenablingthose
densities.

Thisscenarioalsotestedthe
impactofallowingarangeof
middlehousingtypessuchas
plexes,cottageclusters,and
stackedflatsinneighborhoods
closetohighqualitytransit.

Scenario4:EnablingIn fill
inNeighborhoods
The“EnablingIn fillin
Neighborhoods”scenario
focusedonexpandingthe
rangeofhousingtypesin
neighborhoodscitywide.It
testedthepotentialformore
densehousingtypesnear
transit,asintheprevious
scenario,aswellasthe
impactofallowingduplexes,
triplexesandquadplexesin
mostofSanJosé’sresidential
neighborhoods.

Thisscenarioalignswiththe
“BuildingOpportunitiesforAll”
statewidehousingpackage,
includingSB9,whichallowsfor
propertydivisionsandduplexes
inmostresidentialzones,and
SB10,whichprovidesopt-in
zoningformiddlehousingin
transit-richareas.

Learning from Scenarios
Scenariosprovideausefullens
throughwhichtounderstand
howactionswetaketoday
couldimpactourabilityto
avoidemissionsandsequester
carboninthefuture.The
followingfindingsarebasedon
themostimpactfulpolicies.

Don’tJustAllowDensity,
EnableIt
Increasingallowedheightsand
densitiesintransit-richorin fill
locationsmakessense,but
thoseactionsalonewillhave
limitedresultsifnotcoupled
withotherimportantregulatory
changes.Theseinclude
reducingparkingrequirements,
relaxingsetbacks,and
increasinglotcoverage
allowances.

Tilton Ranch (Credit: Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority). This image also appears on the cover. 31CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
LookforSmall-ScaleSolutions
Smallscalein filldevelopment
canhelpshortenvehicletrips
andreducecarbonemissions
whilereducingdevelopment
pressureongreenfieldsites.

SanJosé’sneighborhoods
haveampleopportunitiesfor
incrementalincreasesindensity
throughthedevelopment
ofauxiliarydwellingunits
(ADUs)andmiddlehousing.

Regulationstoencourage
thesehousingtypescould,over
time,addsubstantialhousing
capacityandeffectivelyreduce
thedemandforshovel-ready
greenfieldsitesattheurban
edge.

LandUsePolicyisNWLPolicy
Giventheavailabilityof
infrastructureandappropriate
zoning,greenfielddevelopment
willcontinuetocompetewith
anddetractfromdevelopment
opportunitiesininfillareas.

Landusepoliciesthatenable
infilldevelopment,while
restrictingordisincentivizing
greenfielddevelopment,can
shiftthisdynamicandreduce
developmentpressureon
highvalueNWLsingreen field
locations.

TheCityalreadyhastoolsto
managegrowthinthismanner.

TheseincludetheGeneral
PlanLandUseMapandthe
Greenline/UrbanGrowth
Boundary.TheGeneralPlan
LandUseMapcontainsthree
NWLdesignations:“Open
Hillside,”“Agriculture,”and
“OpenSpace,Parklands,and
Habitat”.Forlandswithnatural
habitatsthatarenotcurrently
inoneofthesethreeNWL
designations,redesignating
themtofallinoneoftheseNWL
designationswouldrestrict
growthontheselandsand
ensuretheircontinuedabilityto
sequestercarbonandprovide
co-benefits.

OutsideoftheUGBiswhere
themajority(88%)ofSanJosé’s
NWLscurrentlyexist.TheCity
requiresthatdevelopment
outsideoftheUGBremain
ruralandopenincharacter,
topreservevaluableopen
spaceandhabitatresources.

AstheCitygrows,pressureto
expandtheUGBmayincrease.

Continuedmaintenanceand
protectionoftheUGBiskeyto
ensuringthefuturehealthof
NWLsinSanJosé.

ConservationHasCo-Benefits
High-valueNWLs,suchas
NorthernCoyoteValley,are
increasinglyrareandprecious
assetsforthecity.Recent
Cityactiontoamendthe
GeneralPlananddesignate
NorthernCoyoteValleyas
AgricultureandOpenSpace,
Parklands,andHabitatshows
agrowingunderstandingof
thevalueoftheseplaces.Such
conservationactionsarecritical,
asopportunitiesforrestoration
ofnativeplantcommunities,as
wellasregenerativeagriculture
practiceswillonlyexistifthese
propertiesremainundeveloped.

Permanentprotectionofthese
areasyieldsbenefitsthat extend
farbeyondtheirproperty
boundaries.Asthe“Green field
Conservation”scenarioshowed,
conservinglandinNorthern
CoyoteValleymeanstensof
thousandsofcommutetrips
wouldbedivertedtomore
efficientlocationswithinthe
City.Thiswouldsaveroughly10
millionvehiclemilestraveled
annually,whichisequivalentto
14,000metrictonsofC O₂17.

Policy Scenario Findings
Cumulative
Transportation GHG
Emissions Avoided
(2021 - 2040)
(Millions of MT CO₂e)
Cumulative Carbon
Sequestered by NWLs
(2021 - 2040)
(Millions of MT CO₂e)
Greenfield Conservation (North Coyote Valley) 0.28 1.73 Reducing Parking Requirements 0.134 2.53
Enabling Transit-Oriented Development 0.898 3.36
Enabling Infill in Neighborhoods 0.695 3.34
Policy Scenario Results
Policyscenarioswereevaluatedovera20yearhorizonusingUrbanFootprint,alanduse scenariomodelingsoftware,andanNWLStrategyEvaluationModelcustom-builtfor SanJosé.TheresultsshowthatpreservingandenhancingNWLsalongsidelanduse policiesthatencouragein fillcouldyielddualbene fitsofavoidedemissionsandcarbon sequestration.
32CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
• Greenhouse Gas
Emissions
• Groundwater
Recharge Potential
• Carbon Sequestration
Potential
• Criteria Pollutant
Emissions
• Gentri fication and
Displacement Risk
• Terrestrial Habitat
Preservation
• NWL Land Availability
• Fiscal Revenue
• Vehicle Miles Traveled
• Fire Hazard Impacts
• Habitat Connectivity
• Flood Impacts
Scenario Evaluation Metrics
Using UrbanFootprint, a range of performance metrics were evaluated as part of the scenario analysis process. For a full reporting of the following performance metrics, see Appendix A: NWL Technical Report.

Source: Cascadia Partners / UrbanFootprint
Table 2: Cumulative GHG Emissions Avoided and Carbon Sequestered by Policy Scenario

33CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
Land Management Strategies for NWL Enhancement
Carbonsequestrationisthelong-termstorage,removal,orcaptureofcarbondioxidefrom theatmosphere.HealthyNWLssequestercarbonandprovidesigni ficantandcost-effective opportunitiestoreduceGHGemissions.NWLcarbonsequestrationstrategiesinvolvemanaging theuseanddevelopment(inbothurbanandruralsettings)ofNWLresourcesandmayinclude agriculturalpractices,reforestation,managementofurbangreenspace,orrestorationofexisting degradedNWLs.Thepotentialbenefitsofelevenlandmanagementstrategieswereestimatedfor thisElement.Theyarenotacomprehensivelistofstrategies,butrepresentourviewofthemost effectivestrategiesforcarbonsequestrationandemissionsreductioninSanJosé’sSOI.These strategieshavebeenorganizedintothreecategories:Regenerative Agriculture,UrbanGreening, andRestoration.

EachstrategywasevaluatedbasedonCity-designatedandnon-Citydesignated landavailablefor strategyapplication,carbonsequestrationpotentialofappliedstrategy,thetime neededforthe strategytoreachmaximumcarbonsequestration,andthecosttoimplementa strategy.Onthe followingpages,theelevenlandmanagementstrategiesareexplainedingreater detail.

OptionsforCityactionstohelpimplementeachstrategyareinTable5,startingonpage58.

Acresoflandavailable
todayforstrategy
applicationgiven
existinglandusesand
potentialfutureland
usechanges.

CARBON

SEQUESTRATION

POTENTIAL
Cumulativeperacre
carbonsequestration
potentialofapplied
strategyovera 130-year
timehorizon.While
manystrategiesreach
peaksequestration
muchsooner,thistime
horizonwasusedto
accountforstrategies
thatcouldtakeover
100yearstoreach
maturity.

TIMETOPEAK

SEQUESTRATION
Timeneededfor
strategiestoreach
maximumcarbon
sequestration.In
somecases,ranges
areprovidedto
accountforseveral
substrategies.

ACRESOFLAND

WHEREEACH

STRATEGYCOULD

POTENTIALLYBE

APPLIEDIN

SANJOSE'SSOI
1MT
CO₂e
2,500
Passenger
VehicleMiles
=

PUTTINGITINTOPERSPECTIVE
Thefollowinglandmanagementstrategies
differinhowmuchcarbontheysequester.Some
sequesteraslittleas2.2MTC O₂eperacre,while
othershavethepotentialtosequesterover20,000
MTCO₂eperacre.Giventhiswiderange,itis
helpfultounderstandthatsequesteringeven1
MTof CO₂ecanoffsetapproximately2,500miles
drivenbyapassengervehicle.

IMPLEMENTATION
COST
Estimatedcostper
acretoimplement
thestrategy.Cost
estimatesarebroken
downintotwotypesof
costs:initialcostsper
acretoimplementa
strategyandannual
costsperacreto
maintainstrategy
performance.

RegenerativeAgricultureStrategies
RegenerativeAgriculturestrategiesinvolveimprovingsoilbiodiversity,cropresilienceandnutrient densityinareaswheresoilishighlydegraded,suchasagriculturallandsandurbangreenspaces.

Regenerativeagricultureaimstoreversetheeffectsofconventionalfarmingpracticesby introducingalternativelandmanagementpracticesthathaveproventoreducecarbonemissions, increasecarbonsequestrationpotentialandsupportotherenvironmentalbene fitssuchas improvingplantgrowthandhealthandincreasingwaterretentioninsoil.

CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
Thecroplandmanagementstrategyincludesapackageof
specificmanagementpracticesthatprovidemultipleagronomic andenvironmentalbene fitsbeyondcarbonsequestration,
suchasreducingsoilerosion,maintainingandincreasingsoil
qualityandorganicmattercontent,improvingairquality,and
enhancingsoilmoistureef ficiency.Thesepracticesinclude
plantingcovercrops,stripcropping,switchingfromconventional tillagetoreducedtillageornotillandconservationcroprotation.

CroplandManagement
Grazinglandsarelandswherelivestockroamandforageon
vegetationaccessiblewithinafewfeetofgroundlevel.The
grazinglandsmanagementstrategyincludesapackageof
specificmanagementpracticesthatimproveforagequality,
soilandwaterquality,reduceerosion,improveshadefor
livestockandcoverforwildlife,reduce firehazards,andincrease carbonsequestrationinbiomassandsoils.Thesepractices
includeprescribedgrazing,rangeplantingandsilvopasture
establishment.

GrazingLandManagement
64,496
Acres

54.2MT
CO₂e
PerAcre
20-100
Years
Credit: CivilEats $285/$44
Initial/Annual
CostPerAcre
5,625
Acres

2.2MT
CO₂e
PerAcre
1-10
Years
$0/$43
Initial/Annual
CostPerAcre
Credit: Central Valley Almond
Association
34 35
$0/$139
Initial/Annual
CostPerAcre
$0/$50
Initial/Annual
CostPerAcre
$0/$275
Initial/Annual
CostPerAcre
Thecompostapplicationstrategyreplacespetroleum-derived
inorganicfertilizersthatcontributetoatmosphericconcentration ofGHGswithorganicmatterderivingfromtheremains
ofcompostingplant,animalandwastematerial.Itsusein
agriculturalsystemshasshowntoincreasetheamountofcarbon
storedinbothgrasslandandcroplandsoilsandhasimportantco- benefits,suchasincreasedcropyieldsandwater-holdingcapacity.

CompostApplication
73,780
Acres
432.1MT
CO₂e
PerAcre
1-100
Years
Mulchinginvolvesspreadingorganicmaterials,suchas
shreddedwood,straw,orothersimilarmaterials,ontopofsoil.

Applyingmulchcanhelpincreasesoilnutrients,moderatesoil
temperatures,improvewaterpenetration,limitweedgrowthand reducethepotentialforerosion.Mulchistypicallyusedtoimprove fertilityandhealthofagriculturalsoils,increasethegrowthrateof treesandevenhelpplantgrowthinprivatelandscaping.

Mulching
11,388
Acres

3.7MT
CO₂e
PerAcre
1-10
Years
Treatedresidualsfromthewastewatertreatmentprocess-also
knownasbiosolids-areconsideredasustainablealternativeto syntheticfertilizers.Applyingthemtoagriculturallandswillnot onlyimproveplantgrowthbutalsohelpsequesterandstorea
significantamountofcarbondirectlytothesoilforlongperiods oftime.Theirabilitytoimprovesoilstructurealsohelpsprevent erosionandrunoff.

Biosolids
5,625
Acres

16.5MT
CO₂e
PerAcre
1-10
YearsCredit: NWBiosolids.org
Credit: University of California,
Agriculture and Natural Resources.

This image also appears on the
cover.

Credit: WesternCity.com
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT

36 $775/$44
Initial/Annual
CostPerAcre
$46,500/$2,640
Initial/Annual
CostPerAcre
Streettreesaretreesthatareprimarilyinthepublicright-of- waysuchasinparkingstripsandmediansadjacenttoorwithin
astreet.Therearecurrentlyover248,000streettreesinSan
José,andlocationshavebeenidenti fiedtoplantapproximately 125,000morerepresenting825,000MTC O₂einpotentialcarbon
storage.Streettrees calmtrafficandprovidebene fitsto
surroundingpropertyvalues,businessactivity,publichealth,and environmentalquality.Whenpairedwithstormwatertreewells, theycanalsoimprovewaterqualityandreduceflooding.

StreetTreePlanting
125,000
Trees

6.6MT
CO₂e
pertree
40-150
Years
Urbanforestexpansionfocusesonincreasingtreecanopyoutside ofthepublicright-of-way(treesintheright-of-wayareconsidered “streettrees”),inareassuchasparks,openspaces,andonprivate property.Inadditiontothecarbontheysequester,urbanforests helpreduceurbanheatislandeffects.Theirpresencecanimprove localairqualityforresidentsandreducethecostsofcooling
homesandcommercialspaces.

UrbanForestExpansion
3,090
Acres
856.9MT
CO₂e
PerAcre
80-150
Years
UrbanGreeningStrategies
Urbangreeningstrategiesincludeincreasingaccesstourbangreenspacesandexpandingtree canopy,bothofwhichincreasecarbonsequestrationpotential.Strategybene fitsincludereduced airandnoisepollution,moreshadeforcooling,andaddedhabitatforlocalwildlife(especiallywhen nativetreespeciesarechosen).Thesestrategies canhelpurbanareasinSanJosébecomemore resilienttoclimatechallengesandprovide ecosystemservices.

Credit: Santa Clara University
Credit: Phys.org
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
37 $2,000/$0
Initial/Annual
CostPerAcre
$12,427/$0
Initial/Annual
CostPerAcre
RestorationStrategies
Restorationstrategiesinvolverestoringnaturalareasthathavebeenseverelydegradedor destroyedtotheirnativestate.Theneedforrestorationstrategiesisaresultofthreekindsof threats:lossofexistingnativehabitatsduetourbanization,lackofplantregeneration(i.e.failureto reproduce),andhabitatfragmentation.Thesestrategiesspeci ficallyfocusonareasofSanJosé’s SOIwherenativehabitatsusedtothrivebeforetheyweredisplacedordegradedbyurbanization.

NativeGrasslandRestorationinvolvesrestoringnativegrasslands inareascurrentlycoveredbynon-nativegrassesandassociated species.Nativegrassspeciestendtohavedeeperrootsystems
toallowthemtoreachdeepersoilmoisturetosurviveperiodsof
extendeddroughtandsequestermuchmorecarbonthannon-
nativegrasses,whichtendtohavemoreshallowrootsystems.

Notethatnon-degradednativegrasslandsnolongerexistwithin SanJosé’sSOI.

NativeGrasslandRestoration
OakWoodlandRestorationinvolvesrestoringoakwoodlands
inareascurrentlycoveredbynon-nativegrasseswhereoak
woodlandecologicalcommunitieswerehistoricallylocated.Oak woodlandsserveanumberofimportantecologicalfunctions
includingsequesteringandstoringsigni ficantamountsof
carbon.Inaddition,theyimprovewatersheds,providecritical wildlifehabitatandenhancescenicbeauty.Whileoakwoodlands canstoresigni ficantamountsofcarbon,itcantakeovera
centuryforoakstoreachtheirpeaksequestrationpotential.

OakWoodlandRestoration
5,993
Acres
20,879.0MT
CO₂e
PerAcre
70-220
Years
Credit: Santa Clara Valley Open
Space Authority, B. Adams.
31,733
Acres

33.6MT
CO₂e
PerAcre
20Years
Credit: Sonoma Mountain Institute
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
38 WetlandRestorationinvolvesrestoringbothsalinewetlands (baylands)andfreshwaterwetlands.Restoredwetlandscanhelp reduceGHGemissionsbyrestoringplanthabitatsthatsequester andburycarbonwithinaccumulatingsoil.Itshouldbenoted
thatcarbonaccountingforwetlandsisstillanemerging fieldof research,andtherearemanyfactorsthatneedtobeunderstood
beforeitispossibletoaccuratelyquantifytheimpactsofrestored wetlands.

WetlandRestoration
RiparianRestorationinvolvesincreasingthedensityofwoody
plantspeciesinandaroundstreamandrivercorridors--also
knownasripariancorridors.Restoredripariancorridorscan
storesignificantamountsofcarbon.Withdirectaccesstowater sources,theseareasareespeciallyimportanttoplantgrowthin dryclimateslikeSanJosé's.

RiparianRestoration
5,972
Acres
100
Years
22,627
Acres
10,563.2MT
CO₂e
PerAcre
90Years
105.0MT
CO₂e
PerAcre
(Saline)
4,251.6MT
CO₂e
PerAcre
(Fresh)
Credit: ValleyWaterNews.org
Credit: Santa Clara Valley Open
Space Authority, D. Neumann
$365,000/$0
Initial/Annual
CostPerAcre
$209,000/$0
Initial/Annual
CostPerAcre
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT

*See Appendix C for cost estimate sources and methodology. 39 Cropland
Management 5,625 2.2 1-10 $0/$45
Grazing Lands 64,496 54.2 20-100 $192/$44
Biosolids 5,625 16.5 1-10 $0/$139
Mulching 11,388 3.7 1-10 $0/$50
Compost
Application 73,780 432.1 1-100 $0/$275
Urban Forest
Expansion 3,090 856.9 80-150 $46,500/$2,640
Street Tree
Planting
125,000
(Trees)

6.6 (PerTree) 40-150 $775/$44
(PerTree)
Native Grassland
Restoration 31,733 33.6 20 $2,000/$0
Oak Woodland
Restoration 5,993 20,867.0 70-220 $12,427/$0
Wetland
Restoration 5,927 Saline:105.0
Fresh:4,251.6 100 $365,000/$0
Riparian
Restoration
22,627 10,563.2 90 $209,000/$0
AcresFor
Application
Strategy
MTCO₂e
PerAcre
YearstoPeak
Sequestration
Implementation
CostEstimate
PerAcre*
(Initial/Annual)
Evaluation Summary of
Land Management Strategy Application
Table 3: Summary of Land Management Strategy Evaluation Results.

CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT

40 NWLstrategiesvaryintermsoftheamountofcarbontheysequesterandtheirup-front andon-goingcosts.OnewaytoplaceNWLstrategiesonanevenplaying fieldistheCarbon MarginalAbatementCostCurve(MACC).TheMACCcomparesrelativecostsofeachstrategy overtimetotheamountofcarboneachcansequester.Asthechartbelowshows,cumulative MACCvalues(cumulativecostsovercumulativesequestration)rangefromunder$8toover $1000/MTC O₂eabated.

TheMACCishelpfulasastrategyprioritization
tool,butitshouldbeonlyoneofmany
considerationsmadewhenchoosinghowto
usescarcepublicdollars.Potentialco-bene fits,
suchasastrategy’sabilitytomitigateharmful
impactsofclimatechange,shouldbeweighed
alongsidetheMACC.Inadditiontoco-bene fits,
theeaseofimplementingeachstrategyshould
alsobeconsidered.Staf fingresources,land
availability,andrequiredcollaborationwithland
ownersandotheragenciesneedtoalsobe
factoredintothedecision-makingprocess.

MarginalAbatementCostCurve(MACC)
The MACC as a
Decision-Making Tool
Wetland
Restoration:

Providesbenefits
tothreatened
andendangered
species,canimprove
waterquality,
andmitigates
downstream
flooding.

UrbanTree
Planting:

Expandingtree
canopycanmitigate
the“urbanheat
island”effect,which
disproportionately
impactshistorically
marginalized
communities.

RegenerativeAgriculture UrbanGreeningRestoration
OakWoodlandRestoration
Compost
ApplicationGrazingLand
ManagementNativeGrasslandRestoration
Biosolids
Application
Riparian
Restoration
Mulching
ApplicationCropland
Management
StreetTreePlanting
Wetland
Restoration
UrbanForestExpansion
Cumulative Cost Estimate per Cumulative MT CO₂e Sequestered (2021 - 2050) CostperMTC O₂eSequestered(2021-2050)
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$8 $16 $59
$94
$133 $159
$211
$308
$975
$1,101
$1,288
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
Credit: Santa Clara Valley Open
Space Authority
Generational
Investments
Investinginrestorationandenhancement
ofSanJosé’sNWLswillpaydividendsfar
beyond2050.

SECTION2.4
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
15,000
10,000
5,000
2021 2030 2040 2050 2060 2070 2080 2090 2100 2110 2120 2130 2140 2150 Cumulative Sequestration
by 2050:
2,400MTC O₂e
Equivalent to the Amount
of Carbon Stored In:

1.5MGallonsof
Gasoline
Cumulative Sequestration
by 2150:
13,400MTC O₂e
Manyofthelandmanagementstrategiesdiscussed
inpreviouspagestakemanydecadestofullymature
andcanprovidebene fitstofuturegenerationsof
SanJoséresidents.Forexample,anacreofvalley
oaks,plantedinarestoredhillsidehabitattoday,
couldcontinuetosequestercarbonwellintothenext
century.

Clearly,NWLscandomorethanjusthelpmeetthe
2050goalssetbytheParisAgreement.Investments
madetodaycancontinuetoreducecarbonin
theatmospherewellintothefutureandprovide
substantialadditionalbene fits.

Sequestration Over Time (MT CO₂e): 1 Acre of Valley Oaks, Planted in 2021 CumulativeCarbonSequestration(MTC O₂e)
41 42CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
2025 2050 2075 2100 2125 2150
Asourhypotheticalacreofoaks
matures,annualsequestration
ratesincrease.Thismeansthat
eachyear,thesameacreof
oakssequestersmorecarbon
thantheyearbefore.

Asthechartaboveshows,
after30yearstheMACCvalue
dropsto$8perMTC O₂e
sequestered.Thelonglifeand
sequestrationperiodforoaks
meansthatbytheyear2150,
thecumulativecostofplanting
ouracreofoaksin2021relative
totheircumulativecarbon
sequestrationapproaches$0.

ForsomeNWLsequestration
strategies,timeiseverything.

Manyofthestrategies
discussedinthisdocument
involveplantcommunities,
suchasoaks,thatcanlivefor
severalcenturies.Asthese
plantsgrow,theysequester
carbonfromtheatmosphere.

Notonlydotheseplantsgrow
foraverylongtime,therateat
whichtheygrowandsequester
carbonalsochangesasthey
mature.Becauseoaksdonot
reachtheirpeaksequestration
untiltheyarewellover100
yearsold,theirsequestration
benefitscannotbefully
appreciatedunlesstheyare
viewedovermanydecades.

ManyoftheNWLstrategies
wehaveexaminedhaveboth
up-frontimplementation
andon-goingmaintenance
costsassociatedwiththem.As
strategiesmature,theirrate
ofsequestrationincreases.

Thismeansthatpredictable
upfrontandannualstrategy
costsprovidebiggerpayoffs
thelongertheyareapplied.

Astheexampleaboveshows,
ahypotheticalacreofValley
oaks,plantedin2021,hasa
relativelyhighcostperMT
CO₂esequesteredafter1year.

Thisisbecausetheoakshave
notyethadachancetomature
andarenotyetsequestering
largeamountsofcarbon.

Taking the Long View
MACC Value in Year 1:
$2,700 / MT CO₂e
MACC Value in Year 30:
$8 / MT CO₂e
MACC Value in Year 130:
$1 / MT CO₂e
Oak Woodland Marginal Abatement Costs Over Time ($ / MT CO₂e Sequestered) CumulativeMACC
Advancing
Equity

3.1 HowNWLStrategiesCanAdvanceEquity– Page 44

3.2 KeepingOurselvesAccountable– Page 47
03 44
Prioritizefinancial
incentivesandother
resourcesforfarmers
ofcolortoengagein
sustainablefarming
Prioritizefinancialincentives
andotherresourcesfor
farmersofcolortoscale
uptheirexistingeffortsto
preserveandrestoreNWLs.

SECTION3.1
How NWL
Strategies Can
Advance Equity
EquityGoalsforNWLs
AlegacyofdiscriminationandsystemicinjusticeshaveresultedinalackofaccesstoNWLsfor someCalifornians,especiallyCaliforniaNativeAmericantribesandcommunitiesofcolor.This lackofaccesshascausedinequitiesincludinganincreasedexposuretoenvironmentalpollution andtheimpactsofclimatechange,limitedaccesstonature,reducedopportunitiestofarmand manageland,andlossofsacredlandsandtheabilitytostewardthem.TheCityiscommitted toinstitutionalizingaracialequitypracticeacrosstheorganizationtocreatetransformationfor communitiesthathavehistoricallyandcontinuetobemarginalized.SettingequitygoalsforNWLs canhelpusaddressandrepairthedamageofthislegacyandbetterprotectandmanageour NWLssothatallmembersofourcommunitiescanexperiencetheirbene fits.

Protectourcommunity
fromtheimpactsof
climatechange,with
afocusonourmost
vulnerablepopulations
InvestinNWLstrategiesthat
protectvulnerablepopulations
fromclimateimpactsand
buildcommunityresilience.

Buildrelationships
withCaliforniaNative
Americantribes
Developlong-termpartnerships
withCaliforniaNative
Americantribestoincrease
co-managementofNWLson
publiclandandensurethe
preservationofnaturalcultural
resourcesandlandscapesand
accesstosacredspaces.

Increaseaccesstoquality
greenjobsandjob
training
Provideworkforce
developmentopportunities
inthenaturalandworking
landssectorforresidents
fromhistoricallymarginalized
communities.

Increaseaccessto
naturalresourcesfor
historicallymarginalized
communities
Increasepresenceof
greenspacesandparks
incommunitieswiththe
leastaccesstonatureand
recreationalspaces.

Goal 1 Goal 2 Goal 3
Goal 4 Goal 5
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
45 Credit: Santa Clara Valley Open
Space Authority
Santa Teresa’s Farmers Market
UrbanAgricultureCanIncrease
AccesstoHealthyFoods
UrbanGreeningCanReduce
HeatImpacts
Relating NWLs to Equity
Unusuallyhotsummersandextremeheateventsare
becomingmorecommonandintenseacrosstheworld.This
isespeciallytrueincitieswheredenseconcentrationsof
pavementandstructuresabsorbandretainheatathigher
ratesthannaturalgreensurfaces.Thisphenomenonisknown
asthe‘urbanheatislandeffect’andposesaseriousthreatto
thehealthofcityresidents.

Thecoolingeffectofcityparks,trees,andgreenstormwater
infrastructureiskeytomitigating thehealthimpactsofextreme heatincities.Unfortunately,not everyonehasequalaccessto theseamenities.Exclusionary housingpolicieshavepushedlow- incomehouseholds andcommunitiesofcolorinto
neighborhoodswithfewer resourcesandamenities. Thishasled totoday’sheatexposuredisparitiesobservedacrossincome,
raceandethnicity.Implementingandinvestinginurban
greeningstrategiesinhistoricallydisinvestedneighborhoods isasteptowardreducinghealthandsocialinequities.

Formanycommunities,accesstofreshandhealthy
foodisnotagiven.Grocerystores,communitygardens
andfarmersmarketsareprimarysourcesofhealthy
foodsforcityresidents.Unfortunately,thesesourcesare
morescarcelyfoundincommunitiesofcolorandlow-
incomeneighborhoodscomparedtomoreaffluent
neighborhoods.Theseunderservedneighborhoodsare
sometimescharacterizedas‘fooddeserts’-areaswhere
accesstoaffordableandhealthyfoodoptionsisrestricted
ornonexistentduetotheabsenceofconveniently-located
grocerystores.

Urbanagriculturehasgainedmomentumacrosscitiesasone
approachtoaddressinequitableaccesstoaffordablehealthy
foods.Urbanfarmshavethepotentialtocreatelocalhealthy
foodsystemsinneighborhoodsthatlackaccesstofresh
produce.Thepracticecomeswithothercommunitybene fits
suchasworkforcetrainingandjobdevelopment,community
buildingandfarmingeducationopportunities.

CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT

46 Veggielution
Urban ReLeaf
ThemissionofVeggielutionistoconnectpeoplefromdiverse
backgroundsoutdoorsthroughfoodandfarmingtobuild
communityinEastSanJosé.The2-acrecommunityfarm
andgatheringspaceislocatedinEmmaPruschFarmPark
intheMayfairneighborhood,oneofthemostimpoverished
areasinSiliconValley.Mayfairresidentssufferfromconditions thataffectmanyimmigrantandworking-classpopulations,
includinghigherratesofobesityanddiabetes,signi ficant
educationandearninggaps,lackofaccesstosafe,well-
maintainedoutdoorspaces,andlimitedoptionsforfresh,
healthyfood.Throughfood-centeredprogramsforallages,
Veggielutionconnectsresidentstoeachotherandtopeople
andresourcesfromoutsidetheircommunitythatwillenable
themtomakechangeandthefarmprovidesacritical
platformfortheseprograms.

Veggielution(SanJosé)
TheSantaClaraValleyOpenSpaceAuthority’sUrbanGrant
Programprovidesfundingforprojectsthathelpaddressneeds
withinurbancommunities,includingthosethatseektobuild
moreequitableaccesstoparks,preserves,andotherNWLs.

TheOpenSpaceAuthorityawarded$250,000totransforman
unusedstreetrightofwayintoaneighborhoodpocketpark
thatfeaturesamuralaswellasshrubs,trees,andothergreen
elements,calledtheHavana-Mi dfieldPocketPark.

TheprojectwasoriginallyproposedbyLatinosUnitedfora
NewAmerica(LUNA),aSanJosé-basednon-pro fitorganization
focusedonunifyingthecommunitytoachievereal,long-lasting changesintheareasofjobs,education,andhealth.LUNA,in
partnershipwiththeCityofSanJosé,workedcloselywiththe
communitytodevelopaconceptualdesignthatservedthe
neighborhood.TheCityisnowmanagingthe finaldesignand
expectstobeginconstructionsoon.LUNAcontinuestoplaya
coreroleintheproject.

HavanaFieldPocketPark(SanJosé)
Local Examples of Equity-Focused NWL Action
NWLscanhaveadirectandmeaningfulimpactonsocialandenvironmentalequity.NWLaction, whenimplementedthoughtfully,hasthepotentialtoexpandaccesstoopportunity,producebetter publichealthoutcomes,andreversehistoricpatternsofdisinvestmentandexclusionarypractices likeredlining.InSanJosé,numerouseffortsarealreadyunderwaytobringthebene fitsofNWLsto communitiesthathavelonglackedtheseinvestmentsandresources.Theseprogramscanprovide ahelpfulblueprintforCity-ledequity-focusedNWLaction.

ExamplePocketPark
(Credit:Shutterstock)
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
Goals Actions and Policies Metrics & Milestones
.

Overthecomingyears,theCityanditspartnerswillbegintoimplementtherecommendationsin theNWLElement.Assessingtheimpactoftheseactionsonsocialandenvironmentalequitywill needtobepartofthedecision-makingprocess.Theequitygoalsde finedinthissectionarelinked torecommendationsin Section5.1:FutureActionsandPolicies .Section4.1:WhatDoes2050Look Like?providesmetricsandmilestonesthatwilltrackourprogresstowardamoreclimatesmartSan Joséandhowouractionsareimpactinghistoricallymarginalizedcommunities.

SECTION3.2
Historicallymarginalizedcommunities,sometimes
alsoreferredtoasunder-resourced,disadvantaged,
orvulnerablecommunities,haveexperienced
disinvestmentandlackofresourcesintheplaces
theyliveandwork.Thesecommunitiesmayalso
experienceincreasedsensitivitytoclimatechangeand
havefewerresourcestocopewith,adaptto,orrecover
fromclimateimpacts 18.Theyaremorevulnerable
totheseimpactsduetobuilt-environment,social,
andeconomicfactorsresultingfromdiscrimination,
segregation,anddisinvestment.

AstheCityanditspartnerscontinuetodesignate
landsasNWLsandinvestinenhancementand
managementstrategies,itwillbeimportantto
prioritizeinvestmentsinhistoricallymarginalized
communities.DefiningthesecommunitieswithinSan
Joséisacrucial firststeptowardensuringNWLactions
arefurtheringsocialandenvironmentalequity.

Keeping Ourselves
Accountable
Equity Goals for NWLs
Defining Historically Marginalized
Communities
IntheUnitedStates, historic
marginalizationstemsfromyearsof
statesanctionedpolicies,practices,
proceduresandattitudesthat
advantageonesocialgroupover
another.Historicallymarginalized
communitiesincludepeopleofcolor,
Blackpeople,Indigenouspeople,
immigrants,refugees,peoplewithlow
incomes,peopleexperiencingpoverty,
peopleexperiencinghomelessnessor
insufficienthousing,Englishlanguage
learners,peoplewithdisabilities,
peopledisproportionatelyaffectedby
climatechangeimpacts,andother
communitiesthataresystematically
deniedfullaccesstorights,
opportunities,resources,andpower.

CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT 47
48 ManyresourcesexisttohelpSanJos émeasuresocialvulnerability,climaterisk,and capacityforadaptation.Recentandon-goingeffortstode finevulnerabilityatthe localandregionalscalewillprovidehelpfulcontext.Existingdatasources,suchas CalEnviroScreenandtheUrbanHeatIslandIndexcanprovideadditionalresourcesfora localmeasureofvulnerability.

Relevant Existing City Efforts
ActivateSJisSanJosé’splanforParksandRecreation.TheplanutilizestheTrustfor PublicLand’sParkScoreIndextoanalyzepublicaccesstoexistingparksandopenspace.

Theanalysisdetermineswheretherearegapsinparkaccessandcreatesademographic profiletoidentifygapswiththemosturgentneedforparks.

TheDepartmentofTransportationEquityTaskforce isapartnershipbetweenthe CityofSanJoséandnineleadersfromcommunity-basedorganizationsrepresenting thecity'sBlack,Indigenous,Latino,Asian,Paci ficIslander,andothermarginalized communities..ThetaskforcehelpeddeveloptheEmergingMobilityActionPlan(EMAP).

Aspartofthiswork,thetaskforcewillhelpcreateacollaborativeandequitabledecision- makingprocessforCity-ledtransportationinvestments.

Example Vulnerability Factors
Thefigurebelowprovidesaninitialframeworkforidentifyingclimate-vulnerableand historicallymarginalizedcommunities,asde finedbytheCaliforniaOf ficeofPlanningand Research(OPR)19.Alongwithmeaningfulpublicandstakeholderengagement,itcould serveasapotential firststeptowarddevelopingahistoricallymarginalizedcommunity definitiontailoredtotheuniqueconditionsinSanJosé.

Existinginequities,
institutionalizedracism,or
exclusion
Example Indicators
• Raceandethnicity
• UScitizenship
• Povertystatus/income
• Linguisticisolation
• Educationalattainmen t
Physicalstatesorconditions
thatincreasevulnerability
Example Indicators
• Age
• Pre-existinghealth
conditions
LackofInvestmentand
Opportunities
Example Indicators
• Homeownership
• Vehicleaccess
• Healthinsurancecoverage
Poorenvironmentalconditions,
accesstoservices,orliving
conditions
Example Indicators
• Treecanopycoverage
• Parkaccess
• Infrastructurequalityandage
• PM2.5concentrations
• Proximitytohazardouswaste
• UrbanHeatIslandIndex

FACTOR FACTOR

FACTORFACTOR
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
Measuring Vulnerability
What Does
2050 Look Like?

4.1 AVisionfor2050– Page 50

4.2 SpotlightonCoyoteValley– Page 52
04 SECTION4.1
What Does 2050 Look
Like?
AClimateSmartVisionfor
SanJosé’sNWLs
50CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
SanJoséisalreadytaking
importantstepsthatwill
helptheregionrealizethe
fullpotentialofNWLsby
2050.Recentconservation
effortsintandemwithcritical
updatestotheGeneral
Planhavedemonstrated
thecommitmentsharedby
theCityanditspartnersto
conservingandenhancing
valuableNWLs.Butmorework
needstobedonetoensure
SanJosémeetsits2030and
2050climategoals.

Carbon Reduction
Ifmanagedproactively,San
José’sNWLshavethepotential
toprovideover5%ofthe
carbonreductionsneeded
tomeetParisAgreement
goalsfor2050.Achieving
thesereductionswillrequirea
combinationofconservation,
sequestration-enhancing
practices,andmonitoringover
time.

NWL Protection
InorderforNWLstoprovide
sequestrationandotherco-
benefits,theyneedtobe
protectedfromconversionand
loss.Overthecomingdecades,
SanJoséwillcontinuetouse
toolssuchastheGeneralPlan
andtheGreenlinetomanage
growthwhileworkingwith
conservationadvocatesto
permanentlyprotectsensitive
lands.

Regenerative Agriculture
Workinglandsareacritical
pieceofSanJosé’sidentity
andeconomy.As2050
approaches,theCityandits
partnerswillworkwithfarmers
andrancherstoencourage
agriculturalpracticesthat
enhancecarbonsequestration,
reducewaterconsumption,
andpreservenaturalhabitats.

Restoration and
Enhancement
SanJosé’snaturallandscapes
existinurbanandrural
contextsandcancontribute
evenmoretocarbon
sequestrationiftheyare
proactivelymanaged.Over
thecomingdecades,the
Cityanditspartnerswill
findopportunitiestoapply
restorationandenhancement
strategiestomoreofthese
areas.

Urban Greening
SanJosé’sparks,trails,trees,and
greenstormwaterinfrastructure
don’tjustrepresentan
opportunityforcarbon storage;
theyalsohavegreat potentialto
improvethe wellbeingofits
residents.Inthe coming
decades,theCitywill continueto
investinitsurban greenspaces,
withaparticular focuson
expandingaccessto
neighborhoodparks.
.

INDICATORS
NWL
Preservation
and Expansion*
Regenerative
Agriculture
NWL Restoration
& Enhancement Urban Greening

METRICS
Acresoflandwitha
NWLGeneralPlan
LandUseDesignation
Acresofland
withregenerative
agriculturepractices
applied
AcresofNWLs
withrestoration
orenhancement
practicesapplied
Neighborhood/
communityserving
parklandper1,000
people
EQUITY

CONSIDERATIONS
Prioritizelands
nearhistorically
marginalized
communities,after
thesearede fined.

Prioritizelandswith
Indigenouscultural
significance.

Providegrantfunding
forfarmersofcolor,
especiallythosewho
providefreshproduce
tolocalmarkets.

Prioritizelands
nearhistorically
marginalized
communities,after
thesearede fined.

Prioritizelandswith
highUrbanHeat
IslandIndex.

Prioritizelands
nearhistorically
marginalized
communities,after
thesearede fined.

Prioritizelandswith
highUrbanHeat
IslandIndex.

PROGRESS

MILESTONES
Totalacresofland
designatedas“Open
Hillside”,“Agriculture”,
or“OpenSpace,
Parklandsand
Habitat”
NewacresofCity-
designatedNWLs
withcarbonfarming/
regenerativepractices
continuouslyapplied.

NewacresofCity-
designatedNWLs
withrestoration
orenhancement
practicesapplied.

Totalacresof
neighborhood/
communityserving
parklandwithinSan
Josécitylimits.

TODAY 94,027 - - 2,938
2030 94,200 3,700 4,500 3,700
2040 94,400 7,500 9,100 4,500
2050 94,600 11,200 13,600 5,200
NWL Preservation and Restoration Milestones
Table 4: NWL Preservation and Restoration Milestones.

Source: Cascadia Partners
AstheCityplansforgrowth,SanJoséwillaimtominimizethelossofCity-designated NWLsandincreasethecarbonsequestrationpotentialofCity-designatedNWLs throughlandmanagementpractices.

Vision
*On vacant, non-employment lands not suitable for development 51CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
SECTION4.2
52 Spotlight on
Coyote Valley
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
Aninnovativepublic-private
partnershipledbyOSA,
PeninsulaOpenSpaceTrust
(POST),andtheCityofSan
Joséishelpingprotectnearly
1,500acresofopenspaceand
agriculturallandinCoyote
ValleyatSanJosé’ssouthern
edge.Inaddition,recentCity
actiontoredesignateNorthern
CoyoteValleytoAgriculture
andOpenSpaceuseswithin
theGeneralPlanwillinsureits
continuedconservation.

Theseeffortswillreestablish
wildlifecorridors,supportlocal
agriculture,andrepresentthe
City’sfirstmajorsteptoward
meetingthemilestonesset
forthinthisNWLElement.

Thebenefitsofconservation
inCoyoteValleywillbe
far-reachingandcouldprovide
amodelforwhatitwilltake
toachievetheCity’sNWL
milestones.Butconservation
isonlythe firststep-in
ordertoleverageprogress
inCoyoteValley,thebroader
benefitsofconservation
mustberecognized,carbon
sequestrationpotential
maximized,andinnovative
waysoffundingprogress
identified.

Broader Benefits of
Conservation
Theboldmovesmadeby
theCityanditspartnersto
conserveNWLswillhave
broadimpactsonSanJosé
thatextendfarbeyondCoyote
Valley.

ClimateResilience
RestorationoftheLaguna
SecawetlandandFisherCreek
floodplainwillprovidenatural
floodprotection,reducing
peakfloodflowsinvulnerable
communitiesalongCoyote
Creekupto9%anddelaying
floodpeaksupto3hours. 20
ReducedDriving
InNovember2021,San
JoséCityCouncilapproved
redirectingfutureemployment
growthfromCoyoteValleyinto
theDowntownWestproject
indowntownSanJosé.This
changeinlandusedesignation
andtheassociatedshiftin
developmentislikelytoresult
in10millionfewermilesdriven
eachyear-theequivalentof
14,000metrictonsofC O₂.21
CoyoteValleyasaModel
forProgress
Coyote Valley (Credit: Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority) 53CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
Management and
Restoration
Today,theagricultureand
rollinghillsofCoyoteValley
representasigni ficantreservoir
ofcarbonforSanJosé,but
withcarefulmanagement
andrestoration,itssoiland
vegetationcanplayaneven
greaterroleinhelpingtheCity
meetitsclimategoals.
75,000,000
50,000000
25,000,000
2021 2030 2040 2050 2060 2070 2080 2090 2100 2110 2120 2130 2140 2150 Orchards
OakSavannah
OakWoodlands
Wetlands
Riparian
Above: This graph shows the cumulative results of an illustrative large-scale restoration and carbon farming scenario in Coyote Valley in 2021, sequestering over 70 million metric tons of CO₂equivalent by 2150 17.

CarbonFarming
Hometosomeofthehighest
qualitycroplandremainingin
theCity,thefutureofCoyote
Valleywillneedtosupport
agriculture.Carbonfarming
practicesforworkinglands
canbothimproveagricultural
productivityandincrease
sequestrationinvegetation
andsoil.

HistoricEcology
CoyoteValleyishometo
over200acresofriparian
landscapesandLagunaSeca
wetland,aseasonallakethat
willbenefitfromrestorative
practicestobothimprove
habitatsandsigni ficantly
increasecarbonsequestration.

Restoringhistoricalecologywill
alsosupportregionalwildlife
habitatconnectivitygoalsby
linking1millionacresinthe
SantaCruzandDiabloRange
Mountains.Below: Coyote Valley is a diverse landscape where a variety of NWL management and restoration practices are possible.CumulativeCarbonSequestration(MTC O₂e) Cumulative Carbon Sequestration 2021 - 2150 (MT CO₂e)
WillowGrove
WetMeadows
TotalBelowGround
Source: Coyote Valley Landscape Linkage Report.

LandTypesthathave
PotentialforRestoration

CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
See
Section3.1
See
Section3.1
Funding Progress
Fundingtheactionsneeded
tomaximizeCoyoteValley’s
carbonsequestrationpotential
willrequireinnovativesolutions
andnewmechanisms.

Nature-BasedInvestments
Continuedpublicand
privateinvestmentsthrough
innovativefundingprograms
likeSanJosé’sMeasure
T,a$650Minfrastructure
bondthatincluded$50M
forlandacquisitionforthe
purposesofprotectingnatural
infrastructureinCoyoteValley,
areacceleratingeffortsto
implementnature-based
solutionsatthescalenecessary
toaddressclimatechange. 22
ClimateResilienceCredits
SanJoséiscurrently
exploringthepotential
foraprogramthatwould
allowpropertyownersin
CoyoteValleytoreceive
creditsandcompensation
forenvironmentalbene fits
relatedtoconservationand
restoration.Developersand
publicorprivateorganizations
couldpurchasecredits
inreturnforCalifornia
EnvironmentalQualityAct
mitigationorvoluntarycredit,
suchastomeetcorporate
sustainabilitygoals. 23
What’s Next
ThenextstepinCoyoteValley’s
rebirthasawell-managed
andrestoredNWListhe
developmentofalongterm
conservationandrestoration
plan.TheCoyoteValley
ConservationAreasMaster
Planwillengagecommunities
tocreatearoadmapforthe
futureofCoyoteValley’s
conservedlands. 24ThePlan
willbemanagedbyOSAin
partnershipwithPOSTand
theCityofSanJosé.Asthe
CityandOSAembarkonthis
effort,theywillconsiderthe
manyusersandbene ficiariesof
conservationandrestorationin
CoyoteValley.

IndigenousHeritage
Engagementwithindigenous
communitieswillseekto
empowertribalpartners
toapplytheirecological
knowledgeandcultural
stewardshippracticestowards
theoverarchingeffortsto
restorethelandscapeand
strengthenclimateresilience.

ClimateJustice
TheCityanditspartners
recognizethatNWLshave
aroletoplayinreversing
historicalinequitiesthrough
climatejustice.Potential
investmentsinCoyoteValley
willbeconsideredfroma
rangeofperspectivesanda
diversegroupofstakeholders
willbeinvolvedintheplanning
process.

Coyote Valley (Credit: Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority) 54 CLIMATESMARTSanJosé|APEOPLE-CENTEREDPLANFORALOW-CARBONCITY Getting it Done

4.1 ExistingPolicies– Page xx

4.2 FuturePolicies– Page xx

4.3 RecommendationsandNextSteps– Page xx
04 56
Getting it Done05

5.1 FutureActions&Policies- Page 56

5.2 FundingMechanisms- Page 59

5.3 What’sNextforNWLs– Page 60

5.4 Conclusion– Page 61
SECTION5.1
Future Actions
& Policies
Transformingourvisionfor2050intoreality
requiresawidevarietyofstakeholdersto
takeaction
Vision
Paris-Related Indicators Related Measures
Carbondioxideequivalentssequestered
annuallybythisstrategy:
2030:62,400MTC O₂e
2040:220,300MT CO₂e
2050:381,500MT CO₂e
CumulativecostperMTCO ₂esequestered(2021-2050):

OakWoodlandRestoration: $8/MTCO₂e
CompostApplication: $16/MTCO₂e
GrazingLandsManagement: $59/MTCO₂e
NativeGrasslandRestoration: $94/MTCO₂e
BiosolidsApplication: $133/MTCO₂e
RiparianRestoration: $159/MTCO₂e
MulchingApplication: $211/MTCO₂e
CroplandManagement: $308/MTCO₂e
StreetTreePlanting: $975/MTCO₂e
WetlandRestoration: $1,101/MTCO₂e
UrbanForestExpansion: $1,288/MTCO₂e
AstheCityplansforgrowth,SanJoséwillplantominimizethelossofCity-designatedNWLs andaimtoincreasethecarbonsequestrationpotentialofCity-designatedNWLs.

TheCitywilldothisbydesignatingadditionallandswithintheCity’ssphereofinfluence (SOI)asNWLs.TheCityanditspartnerswillenableregenerativeagriculturepracticeson croplandsandgrazinglandsaswellasrestorationandenhancementactivitiesonnatural landsandurbangreenspace.Finally,theCitywillstrivetoaddnewneighborhoodparks withinsafeandconvenientwalkingdistanceofallSanJoséresidents.

KEY
CMO: CityManager’sOf fice
DOT:DepartmentofTransportation
ESD:EnvironmentalServicesDepartments
OED:OfficeofEconomicDevelopment
PRNS:Parks,RecreationandNeighborhoodServices
PBCE: Planning,BuildingandCodeEnforcement
56CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
ThefollowinglistofactionsofferswaysfortheCitytosupporttheimplementationofNWLstrategies.

However,externaleffortsandinteragencypartnershipsandcollaborationwillbekeytosuccessfully implementingNWLstrategies.
57 FOCUSAREA OPTIONSFORSUPPORTING

CITYACTIONS LEAD

NWL PRESERVATION
& EXPANSION
EvaluateCity-ownedlandsfortheiropportunitytobecomeCity
DesignatedNWLs,particularlyifredesignationbene fitshistorically marginalizedcommunities.

PBCE
Consideropportunitiestoallowhigherdensitiesintransitoriented infilllocationsashighlightedthroughtheUrbanVillageplanning process,theHousingElement,andtheHousingCrisisworkplan
duringthenextGeneralPlan4-yearreviewprocess.

PBCE
Consideropportunitiestoestablishdevelopmentbuffersthat
maintainthefunctionalityofNWLsandexpandNWLGeneral
PlandesignationsduringtheGeneralPlan4-yearreviewprocess, especiallyinhighVMTareas.

PBCE
Exploreincentivizingclimatesmartlandmanagementthrough
transportationinfrastructurefundingprograms. DOT
Considerplacingdeedrestrictionsoropenspaceeasementsonhigh valueNWLstoensurepermanentprotectionoftheselands. PBCE
Evaluatetargetedbuy-outsofpropertiesinhazardareas,such
asflood-or fire-riskareas,andpropertiessuitableforrestoration activities.

OED
Updateparkingpoliciestoreduceminimumrequirementsand
supportdenserdevelopment. PBCE,DOT

REGENERATIVE

AGRICULTURE
ParticipateintheCountyofSantaClara’sandtheGuadalupe
ResourceConservationDistrict’scarbonsequestrationeffortsforland designatedasAgriculture.

ESD
Supporteffortstoidentifypotentialfundingmechanismsmodeled aftertheCalCantechnicalassistanceprogramtoassistthe
operationsofsociallydisadvantagedfarmersandranchersintheSan Joséregion.

ESD
SupportCountyeffortsthatfacilitatethepermittingofand/or increasetheareaforbiosolidslandapplication. ESD
EvaluatewhetherCitycompostprocurementtomeetSB1383
requirementscouldhelpsupportcompostapplicationonNWLsin
theCitysphereofinfluence.

ESD
SeeEquity
Goal1
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
Table 5: Options for Supporting City Actions
SeeEquity
Goal2
SeeEquity
Goal5
58 FOCUSAREA OPTIONSFORSUPPORTING

CITYACTIONS
LEAD

DEPARTMENTS

NWL RESTORATION &

ENHANCEMENT
PursuegrantfundingforapplyingrestorationpracticesonCity- ownedlands. ESD
Supporteffortstoidentifyprivateandpubliclandsinveryhigh priorityareas,asidenti fiedbytheTrustforPublicLands,where restorationpracticescanbeapplied.

PBCE
SupportFellows,community-basedorganizationsandspecial
districtcollaboration,programs,andincentivesforrestoration activitiesonprivateandpubliclands.

PRNS,ESD
CoordinatewithValleyWatertopromoteincentivesforreplacing lawnsandinstallingwater-ef ficientlandscapes. ESD
ExploreopportunitiestopartnerwithCaliforniaIndigenoustribesto acceleratenature-basedclimatesolutions. ESD
Exploreagriculturelandpreservationincentivesforprivateland owners(taxabatements,i.e.Williamsonact,farmlandsecurityzone, openspaceeasements).

CMO

URBAN GREENING
Prioritizeurbangreeningandparkrestoration/enhancement
projectsinareaswithhighUrbanHeatIslandIndex. PRNS
Partnerwithlocalnurseriestodevelopabroadervarietyoftree/ plantspeciesthatareclimatesmart,noninvasiveand/ornativeto theSanJoséregion.

DOT
Integratecarbonmanagementpractices,suchasmulchingand
composting,intopoliciesformanagementofCityparksand
landscaping.

PRNS

CARBON TRACKING
& MANAGEMENT
Supporttheuseofremotecanopydatatomonitortreecanopy
changes. DOT
SupportthedevelopmentandanalysisofstatewideNWLdatasets. ESD Supportregionalstudiesthatanalyzeandidentifymeasuresto
mitigateimpactsofclimatechangeonnaturalresourceresiliency. ESD ContinuetoexploretheconceptofaClimateResilienceCredits
programinpartnershipwiththeSantaClaraValleyOpenSpace
Authority.

PBCE
SeeEquity
Goal3
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
SeeEquity
Goal4
SeeEquity
Goal1
ImplementingactionsthatsupportNWLgoalsandstrategieswillrequirealeveloffinancial commitmentfromtheCity.Tohelpwiththeannualcostsofimplementation,therearearangeof fundingoptionsavailabletotheCityforeitheritsownuseortoenableusebyothersinSanJosé, suchasresidents,theprivatesector,developersandothers.Theseareexploredbelow. 59 Funding
Mechanisms
Noveloptionsforfundingpreservationand
enhancementofNWLS
SECTION5.2
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT

DESCRIPTIONFUNDING

MECHANISM
CARBON
TAX

GENERAL

OBLIGATION
BONDS
CAP&
TRADE

OPPORTUNITY
Taxing the production of carbon-based energy
and using the proceeds as adividend or rebate
to residents and taxpayers. Requires voter
approval by two-thirds margin if taxrevenues
are limited to use on sustainableprojects.

Seek to reduce emissions. Funds and
proceeds can be directed toward the
City, residents, or other organizations to
fund NWL restoration efforts.

Seek to reduce emission and fossil fuel
usages. Funds and proceeds can be
directed toward the City, residents, or
other organizations to fund NWL
restoration efforts.

Determine a maximum amount of
acceptable emissions from many sources in
the production or use of carbon and let the
market determine the price for being under
or over the assigned emission level.

GRANTS
Cities, landowners, and private sector
actors can apply for grants to acquire,
restore, or enhance NWLs and public
agency grants to launch pilot and
demonstration NWL projects.

Bonds unlock immediate capital that can
fund a wide variety of NWL preservation,
restoration and urban greening projects.

Cities, counties and regions commonly issue
voter-approved bonds to investors with the
promise to repay with a level of certainty
over a certain time period and with a certain
return.

Grant-focused community engagement
can improve access to funding for
innovative programs.

COLLABORATIVE

PROJECTS
Increased funding can be obtained by
collaborating with other public agencies
and community groups.

Develop relationships with other agencies,
non-profits, and private actors.

Table 6: Available Funding Mechanisms
60 thatvariousnon-cityactorscan
undertaketoimplementthe
plan.Tobetteraddressactions
thatlandownersandstewards
canundertake,eachplaybook
shouldbeevaluatedtosee
whetherthereareanyrelevant
NWLstrategiesitshould
include.

CityActionPlan
TheCityActionPlansection
ofClimateSmartlaysout
costsandimplementation
measurestoreachClimate
Smartprogressmilestones.

AnNWL-specificsectionof
theCityActionPlanshouldbe
added,similartosection4of
thisdocument.

EquityConsiderations
Equity-focusedgoalsareakey
partofthisNWLElement,but
theyarenotincludedinthe
currentClimateSmartplan.

ThenextversionofClimate
Smartwillneedtoevaluate
ClimateandWaterStrategies
withanequitylens.

Envision San José General
Plan
ThecurrentGeneralPlan
wasadoptedin2011andthe
mostrecent4-yearreview
wascompletedin2022.While
severalpoliciesfavorableto
NWLswereadopted,suchas
theredesignationofNorthern
CoyoteValley,thereisstill
moreworktobedone.Future
updatestotheGeneralPlan
willprovideanopportunity
toapplynewknowledgeand
strategiesdevelopedsincethe
lastupdate.
2026 - 2030 Capital
Improvement Program
SanJosé’s5-yearCapital
ImprovementProgram(CIP)
identifiesinfrastructure
projectsthatwillbefunded
andbuiltwithinthebudgeting
timeframe.ThenextCIP
budgetingcyclewillbe2026
-2030andcouldprovide
anopportunitytoidentify
infrastructureimprovements
thatcouldsupport,conserve,
orimproveNWLs.

Climate Smart San José
ClimateSmartSanJoséis
theCity’sClimateAction
Plan.Thenextiterationof
thisplanwillcontainawealth
ofnewinformationand
recommendationstocontinue
movingSanJosétowardits
emissionsreductiongoals.

Theanalysisand findings
containedwithintheNWL
Elementwillbeintegrated
intoafutureupdateofClimate
Smart.Specifically,the
followingcomponentsshould
beaddedtoaddressNWLs:

ClimateSmartStrategies
ClimateSmartSanJosé
containsnine“Climateand
WaterStrategies”.Withthe
completionoftheNWL
Element,atenthstrategy
shouldbeaddedtoaddress
conservation,restoration,and
enhancementofSanJosé’s
NWLs.

CommunityPlaybooks
ClimateSmart’s“Community
Playbooks”focusonactions
What’s Next for NWLs
SECTION5.3
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
ClimateSmartSanJosérecommendedthe
furtherstudyofNWLsandthecreationof
anNWLElement.Here’showwecanapply
whatwelearnedtootherCityinitiatives
61 SECTION5.4
CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
NWLs,carbonsequestration
strategieswillbeapplied
toviableNWLlands.These
strategiesinvolvemanaging
theuseanddevelopment(in
bothurbanandruralsettings)
ofNWLresourcesandmay
includeagriculturalpractices,
reforestation,management
ofurbangreenspace,or
restorationofexisting
degradedNWLs.

Giventheurgencyofclimate
changeandpotentialscaleof
climatechangeimpacts,the
CityofSanJosérecognizes
thatitwillneedtoconsider
diverseandboldmeasuresto
counteractitsGHGemissions.

Thevision,strategies,and
actionslaidoutinthis
documentwillhelpguide
theCityanditspartnersto
maketheboldmovesneeded
tomeettheCity’sambitious
climategoalsforabetter
tomorrow.

Our Natural and Working
Lands Matter
Thefindingsinthisdocument
showthatNWLsarean
importantpartofSanJosé’s
GHGreductionstrategy.

HealthyNWLscansequester
carbonandprovidesigni ficant
opportunitiestoreduceGHG
emissions.

TheabilityfortheseNWLs
tosequestercarboninto
thefuturewilldependon
thechoicesmadetoday.In
ordertoleveragethefull
sequestrationpotentialof
NWLs,policydecisionswill
needtoincorporatethe
preservation,expansion,and
enhancementofNWLs.

NWLsalsoprovideasuite
ofpositiveenvironmental,
communityand financial
benefitsthatarecommonly
knownasco-bene fits.

Studieshaveshownthatthe
implementationofclimate
policiestargetingGHG
reductionsthroughNWL
preservation,expansion,and
enhancementcanalsolead
tocostsavings,improved
communityhealth,cleanerair,
nativehabitatpreservationand
anoverallhealthierecosystem.

A Plan For the Future of Our
NWLs
WithguidancefromSanJosé’s
climateactionplan,Climate
SmartSanJosé,alongwith
otherimportantlocal,regional,
andstateplanningefforts,San
José’sNWLswillbeprotected
andenhancedtomaximize
carbonsequestration,
whileprovidingarangeof
co-benefits.

LossofNWLswillbeminimized
throughthoughtfulland
usepolicythatpromotes
compactdevelopment,while
disincentivizinggreenfield
development.Finally,the
amountofNWLswithinthe
City’sSOIwillgrowastheCity
anditspartnersbringlandinto
permanentprotection.

Tomaximizethecarbon
sequestrationpotentialof
Conclusion
ProtectingNWLscanhelpSanJoséto
meetitsclimategoalswhilestillachievinga
growingeconomyandequitableoutcomes
foritscommunities
62CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
Works Cited
[1]“WhatisCarbonSequestrationandHowDoesitWork?,”UniversityofCaliforniaDavis,ClarityandLeadershipfor EnvironmentalAwarenessandResearchatUCDavis,accessedDecember22nd,2021. https://clear.ucdavis.edu/explainers/ what-carbon-sequestration#:~:text=Carbon%20sequestration%20is%20the%20process,cause%20the%20atmosphere%20 to%20warm.
[2]CityofSanJosé.NaturalandWorkingLandsTechnicalReport.2021.CityofSanJosé. https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/ showpublisheddocument/78097/637692077302400000.
[3]GeneralPlanFour-YearReview(GP21-012).2021.AppendixC:AirQualityandGHGEmissionsAssessment, CityofSanJosé(sanjoseca.gov).AccessedJanuary14th,2022. https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/ showpublisheddocument/78601/637699124111600000.
[4]GreenhouseGasEquivalenciesCalculator.2021.UnitedStatesEnvironmentalProtectionAgency. https://www.epa.gov/ energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator.
[5]NationalLandCoverDatabase.2019. https://www.mrlc.gov/data/nlcd-2019-land-cover-conus [6]“CarbonSequestration,”UnitedStatesDepartmentofAgricultureForestService,accessedDecember22nd,2021. https://www.fs.fed.us/ecosystemservices/carbon.shtml.
[7]“GovernorNewsomLaunchesInnovativeStrategiestoUseCaliforniaLandtoFightClimateChange,Conserve BiodiversityandBoostClimateResilience,”Of ficeofGovernorGavinNewsom,accessedDecember22nd,2021. https:// www.gov.ca.gov/2020/10/07/governor-newsom-launches-innovative-strategies-to-use-california-land-to-fight-climate- change-conserve-biodiversity-and-boost-climate-resilience/. [8]“CaliforniaAirResourcesBoardNaturalandWorkingLandsScopingPlanDraftAlternativeScenarios”CaliforniaAir ResourcesBoard,2021. https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/sites/default/files/2021-12/NWLScenariosForPublicDistribution.pdf [9]“SantaClaraValleyOpenSpaceAuthority,California,MeasureT,ParcelTax(November2020),”BallotPedia,accessed December22nd,2021. https://ballotpedia.org/Santa_Clara_Valley_Open_Space_Authority,_California,_Measure_T,_Parcel_ Tax_(November_2020).
[10]“ClimateSmartSanJosé,”ClimateActionPlan,CityofSanJosé,adopted2018,accessedDecember22,2021. https:// www.sanjoseca.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/32171/636705720690400000. 63CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
[11]“HealthCo-BenefitsofClimateAction,”HealthandClimateChangeToolkit,WorldHealthOrganization,accessed December22,2021. https://www.who.int/activities/building-capacity-on-climate-change-human-health/toolkit/cobenefits. [12]CityofSanJosé.NaturalandWorkingLandsTechnicalReport.2021.CityofSanJosé. https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/ showpublisheddocument/78097/637692077302400000.
[13]GreenhouseGasEquivalenciesCalculator.2021.UnitedStatesEnvironmentalProtectionAgency. https://www.epa.gov/ energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator.
[14]CityofSanJosé.NaturalandWorkingLandsTechnicalReport.2021.CityofSanJosé. https://www.sanjoseca.gov/home/ showpublisheddocument/78097/637692077302400000.
[15]BasedonUrbanFootprintConservationModule.
[16]WilliamsonActandOpenSpaceEasement.CountyofSantaClara.AccessedApril20th,2022. https://plandev.sccgov. org/policies-programs/williamson-act-and-open-space-easement. [17]BasedonUrbanFootprintCaseStudy. https://www.openspaceauthority.org/system/documents/Coyote%20Valley%20 Landscape%20Linkage%20Report_Final_lowres.pdf.
[18]&[19]“DefiningVulnerableCommunitiesintheContextofClimateAdaptation”Governor'sOf ficeofPlanningand Research,July2018,accessedApril20,2022. https://opr.ca.gov/docs/20180723-Vulnerable_Communities.pdf [20]“CoyoteValleyLandscapeLinkageReport,”SantaClaraOpenSpaceAuthority,December2017,accessedDecember 23rd,2021. https://urbanfootprint.com/saving-coyote-valley-san-jose/ [21]BasedonUrbanFootprintCaseStudy. https://urbanfootprint.com/saving-coyote-valley-san-jose/ [22]&[23]“Nature-BasedSolutionsforaClimateSmartFuture,”brochure,SantaClaraValleyOpenSpace Authority,2021.AccessedDecember22nd,2021. https://www.openspaceauthority.org/system/documents/ NatureBasedSolutionsForAClimateSmartFutureBrochure.pdf. [24]“CoyoteValleyConservationAreasMasterPlan,”SantaClaraOpenSpaceAuthority,Draftplan2021,accessed December22nd,2021. https://www.openspaceauthority.org/our-work/planning-coyote-valley.html CLIMATESMARTSanJosé|APEOPLE-CENTEREDPLANFORALOW-CARBONCITY Appendices
AppendixA StrategyCostAssumptions
AppendixB NWLTechnicalReportandAppendices
06 Notethatcostassumptionsarebasedonthebestdataavailable.Tocomparestrategycosts,all strategycostestimates(withtheexceptionofstreettreeplanting)arenormalizedonaperacre basis.Forthisreason,flatfeesassociatedwithstrategiesarenotincludedintheestimatebutare notedinthelimitations.
65 Appendix A: Strategy
Cost Assumptions

STRATEGIES INITIALCOSTS ANNUAL

COSTS SOURCE LIMITATIONS
Cropland
Management - $43/acre
2021HealthySoils
ProgramIncentives
Program,Office
ofEnvironmental
Farmingand
Innovation,California
DepartmentofFood
andAgriculture
Estimateisanaverageannualcost
ofmultiplecroplandmanagement
substrategies.Thoseincludecover
crops,stripcropping,conventional
tilltoreducedtillageandnotill,and
conservationcroprotation.Notethat
thisestimatedoesnotincludelandlease
costs.

GrazingLand
Management $285/acre $44/acre
2021HealthySoils
ProgramIncentives
Program,Office
ofEnvironmental
Farmingand
Innovation,California
DepartmentofFood
andAgriculture
Theinitialcostestimateisanaverage
ofmultiplegrazinglandmanagement
substrategiescostestimates.Those
includeprescribedgrazing,range
planting,andsilvopastureestablishment.

Theannualcostisderivedfroman
estimateprovidedbytheOpenSpace
Authoritytocoverreoccurringfencing
maintenancecosts.Notethatthis
estimatedoesnotincludelandlease
costs.

Biosolids
Application - $139/acre
SanJosé
Environmental
Services2019Market
Assessment(see
item6A)
Estimateishighlydependentontheton
peracreapplicationrate,determined
bythelevelofnitrogeninbiosolids,and
canrangefrom$140to$695peracre.

Estimatestatedrepresentsthemidpoint
ofrange.Notethattheestimatedoesnot
considerthecostoftransportingbiosolids
tothelocationforapplication,whichcan
increasethecostsigni ficantly.

Mulching
Application - $50/acre
Costandbene fitsof
mechanicalstraw
mulchapplication
toirrigationfurrows,
OregonState
University,2001
Estimateisanaveragederivedfroman
outofstateandoutdatedsourceandis
highlydependentonthetonperacre
applicationrate.Estimateassumes
mulchapplicationtoagriculturallands
onlyusingarentedmechanicalmulcher.

Mulchapplicationtourbanlandscaping
mightrequireapplyingmulchbyhand,
whichcanincreasethecostsigni ficantly.

CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT
Compost
Application - $275/acre
SanJosé
Environmental
Services2019Market
Assessment(see
item6A) (providing
cost/tonofcompost
multipliedbytonof
compostperacre
applicationrate).

Theestimateisbasedonbiosolids-
containingcompost.Estimatesare
highlydependentonthetonperacre
applicationrateandthetypeofcrop
andsoilqualityoflandcoveronwhich
compostisbeingapplied.Asaresult,
estimatescanrangefrom$50to$500
peracreforapplicationonly.Estimate
statedrepresentsthemidpointof
range.Notethatsomecrops,especially
orchards,requirespecialequipment
forcompostapplication(ie.subsoiler
machine,compostspreader)andmay
requirecompostbedeliveredtothesite.

Estimatedoesnotincludeequipment
anddeliverycoststhatcanamounttoan
additional$5,000to$20,000flatfee.

UrbanForest
Expansion $46,500/acre $2,640/acre
SanJosé
Departmentof
Transportation,
CommunityForest
ManagementPlan,
2021
Estimateassumes$775/treeforplanting,
$44/treeforannualmaintenanceanda
treeplantingrateof60treesperacre.The
treeplantingrateassumptionmaybetoo
denseforSanJos éandwillneedtobe
reducedtoarecommended6-15trees
peracreinfutureestimateanalyses.

StreetTree
Planting $775/tree $44/tree
SanJosé
Departmentof
Transportation,
CommunityForest
ManagementPlan,
2021
-
Native
Grassland
Restoration
$2,000/acre -
RestorationManual
forAnnualGrassland
SystemsinCalifornia,
Universityof
CaliforniaAgriculture
andNatural
Resources,2017
Estimateisderivedfromanoutdated
source.Estimatesarehighlydependent
onthecharacteristicsoftherestoration
siteanddifferenttypesandintensityof
restorationactivities.Estimatescanrange
from$1,000to$3,000peracre.Estimate
statedrepresentsthemidpointofrange.

Oak
Woodland
Restoration
$12,427/acre -
ElDoradoCounty
OakResources
In-LieuFeesNexus
Study,2016
Estimateisderivedfromanoutdated
source.Estimatesarehighlydependent
onthecharacteristicsoftherestoration
siteanddifferenttypesandintensityof
restorationactivities.Estimatescanrange
from$8,285to$16,570peracre.Estimate
statedrepresentsthemidpointofrange.

Wetland
Restoration $365,000/acre -
SantaClaraValley
HabitatAgencyFee
Schedule,2021-2022
Estimateisderivedfromanimpact
feescheduleforwetlandmitigation.

Estimatesarehighlydependentonthe
characteristicsoftherestorationsiteand
differenttypesandintensityofrestoration
activities.Estimatescanrangefrom
$250,000to$480,000peracre.Estimate
statedrepresentsthemidpointofrange.

Riparian
Restoration $209,000/acre -
SantaClaraValley
HabitatAgencyFee
Schedule,2021-2022
Estimateisderivedfromanimpact
feescheduleforwetlandmitigation.

Estimatesarehighlydependentonthe
characteristicsoftherestorationsiteand
differenttypesandintensityofrestoration
activities.

CLIMATESMARTSANJOSE|NATURALANDWORKINGLANDSELEMENT 66
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