by Karen Ross and Michael Delbar, Cal Matters
Highlights
- New analysis from UC Berkeley found that 300,000 acres of protected rangeland can provide up to $1.4 billion a year in ecosystem benefits and that every dollar spent to protect working rangeland returned $3.43 on the investment in ecosystem benefits
- Managed grazing can help sequester carbon out of the atmosphere and put it back into healthy soil, restoring land to its natural state and providing an important tool to mitigate climate change
- Rangelands sold for development jeopardize ecosystems and responsible practices such as grazing, which can reduce invasive plants and revitalize vegetation
- Private rangelands are nearly 63% of California’s undeveloped land and contain 67% of federally threatened or endangered species
Accelerating sequestration is critical to achieving drawdown greater than emissions by 2030 for a climate-safe future. We know today how to manage natural and agricultural lands for sequestration through proven carbon farming practices. The Climate Center applauds Governor Newsom’s recent Executive Order on protecting state lands and water resources. The Center encourages the Governor to adopt the Executive Order as written by us to accelerate negative emissions and carbon drawdown.
Nina Turner
Energy Programs and Communications CoordinatorJanina is a graduate of the Energy Management and Design program at Sonoma State University with experience in non-profits that specialize in sustainability and volunteerism.
