CLIMATE SMART NATURAL AND
WORKING LANDS ELEMENT
Presented by:
Kerrie Romanow, Director – Environmental Services Department Julie Benabente, Deputy Director – Environmental Services Department Delivering world-class utility services and programs
to improve health, environment, and economy.
City Council Meeting
May 2, 2023
BACKGROUND
1 • Climate Smart San José identified Natural and
WorkingLands (NWL) as a topic for future
research& incorporation
• California is incorporating NWL in its climate
change strategy
• ESD worked for 3 years with the Santa Clara
Valley Open Space Authority to develop a
Technical Report and a new NWL Element for the
Climate Smart plan
2 NWL, defined broadly, includes everything
from open hillsides and farms to
landscaped urban areas.
The Element focuses on City-
designated NWL, i.e. lands in the
following General Plan land use
designations:
• Open Hillside
• Agriculture
• Open Space, Parklands, and Habitat
Oak Woodlands
Croplands
Parks
Wetlands
Examples of City-designated NWL in San José
WHAT ARE NATURAL AND WORKING LANDS (NWL)?
NWL CO-BENEFITS
3 NWL benefits for the region
include more than just
carbon reduction.
Reduced
Driving
Habitat
Protection
Flood
M anagement
Agricultural
E conomy
Access to
Recreation
Carbon
Sequestration
NWL STRATEGIES
4 Preserving NWLs through
Land Use Strategies
Enhancing NWLs through
Land Management Strategies
RESTORATION REGENERATIVE AG URBAN GREENING
OAK WOODLAND
RESTORATION
CROPLAND MANAGEMENT EXPANDING ACCESS
TO PARKS
TRACKING PROGRESS: NWL METRICS
5 NWL CAN HELP US MEET OUR CLIMATE GOALS
6 NWL Element
contribution to
m eeting the
Paris
Agreement
Pathway to Carbon Neutrality by 2030
Climate
Smart San
José's 9
Strategies to
m eet the
Paris
Agreement
EQUITY AND NWL
P rote ct our c ommunity
fromimpacts of climate
change, with a focus on
themost vulnerable
Prioritize resources for
farmers of color to
engage in sustainable
farming
Increase access to
natural resources for
historically marginalized
c ommuniti e s
Increase access to
quality green jobs and
job training
Build relationships with
California Native
American tribes
NWL Equity Goals
7 NWL ELEMENT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
8 Technical analysis
Technical report
published on City
webs ite
First draft ofNWL
Element created
Two rounds of
online stakeholder
& c ommunity
m eetings to gather
feedback on drafts
Proposed NWL
Element published
on City website
2019-2021 2021 2021-2022
January &
March-April
2022
November
2022
with input from:
• Open Space Authority
• Interdepartmental Project
Management Team
• Technical Advisory
C ommitte e
with input from:
• Open Space Authority
• Interdepartmental Project
Management Team
• Technical Advisory
C ommitte e
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT OVERVIEW
Stakeholders included:
• Agricultural organizations and
land managers
• Conservation and sustainability
organizations
• C ommunity-based
organizations
• Tribal groups
• Neighborhood associations
• District leadership groups
• Business associations
• Developers
• Agricultural landowners
Staff requested input on:
- Two drafts of the NWL Element
- Metrics, milestones, indicators, actions
- How to integrate equity
Themes of feedback:
- Generally supportive
- Strategies should be multifaceted
- Avoid placing additional financial burden on farmers
- Prioritize relationships with most impacted
communiti e s
- Many detailed suggestions on strategies, terminology, me t r i c s , e t c .
9 Accept the Natural and Working
Lands Element and direct staff to
incorporate into the Climate Smart
San José plan.
RECOMMENDATION
10 Questions