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  • Community Climate Action Plans

Community Climate Action Plan

San Mateo County Climate Action Plan

The Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP) is a strategic roadmap to guide unincorporated San Mateo County in preparing for climate risks and creating impactful greenhouse gas emission reductions. It uses current trends and provides realistic and vetted actions that will help the County reach its climate goals. It also includes a component that will help us sequester carbon in our working lands and support our agricultural community by incentivizing climate beneficial farming practices.

THE COUNTY FINALIZED ITS COMMUNITY CLIMATE ACTION PLAN IN OCTOBER 2022 WHEN IT WAS ADOPTED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

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The Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP) outlines priority actions to achieve a 45% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions over 1990 levels by 2030 and carbon neutrality within unincorporated San Mateo County by 2040. By reaching this goal, the County of San Mateo will demonstrate leadership in climate action and support the rate of action needed to mitigate the harmful impacts of climate change that the County is already experiencing. Click on the sectors below for more details on the plan’s strategies!

Community Climate Action Plan Strategies

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  • Building Energy

    Buildings are the second largest contributor to GHG emissions in unincorporated areas of the County, accounting for 32% of all emissions. These emissions stem primarily from the use of natural gas in residential and commercial buildings. Transitioning away from natural gas in existing buildings will require electric replacements for existing equipment when it reaches the end of its useful life. The County has a unique degree of influence on buildings through building code and zoning. For example, in February 2020, the Board of Supervisors adopted an energy reach code that effectively banned the use of natural gas in all new construction. Therefore, in this sector, the County has more leverage to rapidly meet climate goals and simultaneously improve the quality of life for county residents. Presented below are the measures that are designed to reduce emissions from new and existing buildings.

    To meet our climate goals, we will need to:

    • Electrify 100% of newly constructed buildings
    • Electrify 16% of existing buildings
    • Electrify 100% of existing buildings

    SUMMARY OF BUILDING ENERGY POLICY STRATEGIES(1)

    • Policy B-1: Transition to all-electric new construction
    • Policy B-2: Convert existing buildings to all-electric
    • Policy B-3: Use microgrids(2) to generate local renewable energy and improve resiliency
    • Policy B-4: Pursue integrated opportunities to address climate adaptation and mitigation
    (1) Note on the measure order: the following tables of measures have been arranged by strategy. While the strategies are not listed in order of importance, the measures within them are arranged by importance in achieving emissions reduction goals, with the most important measures being at the top.
    (2) “Microgrids are localized grids that can disconnect from the traditional grid to operate autonomously. Because they can operate while the main grid is down, microgrids can strengthen grid resilience and help mitigate grid disturbances… Microgrids support a flexible and efficient electric grid by enabling the integration of growing deployments of distributed energy resources such as renewables like solar.” Office of Electricity, US Department of Energy, https://www.energy.gov/oe/activities/technology-development/grid-modernization-and-smart-grid/role-microgrids-helping.

    POLICY B-1: TRANSITION TO ALL-ELECTRIC NEW CONSTRUCTION

    B-1.1

    Reach code implementation Support Planning and Building Department to implement existing reach code and ensure that the cost of permitting for all-electric projects does not exceed natural gas alternatives.

    • In the winter of 2022-2023, County staff will complete this update.
    • For more information about the proposed new construction reach code update, please see a summary deck here and a recording of an outreach event in October, 2022 here.
    		 Comment
    B-1.2 Heat pump water heater installation in new homes Partner with Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN) and Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE) to develop a pilot for deploying heat pump water heaters in new single-family and multi-family construction or major remodel or addition projects. Comment
    B-1.3 Heat pump water heater incentives Initiate a public-private partnership to create mid-stream incentives and/or bulk purchasing of heat pump appliance technology. Prioritize partnerships with small and underrepresented businesses. Comment
    B-1.4 Renewable energy and storage technologies Partner with PCE and Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) to identify locations for installing storage technology in tandem with renewable energy infrastructure. Prioritize community centers and libraries as backup power centers and resiliency hubs.(3) Comment
    B-1.5 Electricity rate increase minimization Work with PCE, BayREN, and other stakeholders to ensure that future ratemaking and rate-cases do not result in disproportionately high residential electricity rates for lower income residents. Comment
    B-1.6 Energy efficiency in new construction Improve energy efficiency in new construction through enhancements in the building envelope (aspects such as insulation, windows, door seals, airflow, façade materials) by adopting a more aggressive climate zone in the building code. Comment
    B-1.7 Industry and workforce development Provide and promote accessible local workforce development opportunities related to building electrification. Create new partnerships and economic opportunities to provide maximum benefit in the form of employment opportunities for the local workforce, residents with barriers to employment, and communities most affected by climate change. Comment
    (3) A resiliency hub would be located at a critical facility and/or community center and, during an emergency event, would serve to support residents, coordinate communication, distribute resources, and, outside of emergency events, would reduce carbon pollution overall.

    POLICY B-2: CONVERT EXISTING BUILDINGS TO ALL-ELECTRIC

    B-2.1 Natural gas phase out Coordinate with PG&E and PCE to eliminate natural gas as an energy source in residential and commercial buildings throughout unincorporated areas by 2040. Comment
    B-2.2 Existing building electrification Investigate regulatory pathways for converting existing buildings to all-electric. Conduct a feasibility analysis for options including but not limited to a point-of-sale or listing requirement, replacement on burnout requirement for gas powered appliances, and a ban of sale of gas fired equipment among others. Comment
    B-2.3 Electrification retrofit pilot Partner with BayREN and PCE to develop a pilot for deploying heat pump appliance technology along with electric panel upgrades in large-scale retrofit opportunities in existing multi-family buildings, and other buildings such as homeless shelters and farmworker housing. Comment
    B-2.4 Electrification opportunities assessment Perform a County-wide electrification opportunities assessment in partnership with PG&E and PCE to identify priority buildings and neighborhoods for targeted electrification incentives. Comment
    B-2.5 Pilot improvements for existing homes Accelerate uptake of energy efficiency programs by landlords and renters of both multi- and single-family households. Utilize findings from county-wide electrification opportunities assessment and partner with BayREN, PCE, the Department of Housing, and community-based organizations to deploy an electrification, energy efficiency, and environmental health pilot. Comment
    B-2.6 Electrification and renewable energy on-bill financing Partner with PG&E or PCE to set up on-bill or accessible financing solutions for electrifying buildings and/or local renewable installations, including offering low-interest loans. Comment
    B-2.7 Utility user fee evaluation Evaluate feasibility and equity-related concerns of a utility user fee increase that could fund electrification projects. If feasible, and if it will not accrue disproportionately to minority groups and historically underserved communities, partner with PG&E and PCE to implement. Comment
    B-2.8 Electrification outreach Facilitate electrification of appliances (water heaters, space heaters, stoves and dryers) by expanding and improving targeted outreach for existing electrification programs and incentives. Initial phase may focus on buildings that have prewiring for electrification. Comment
    B-2.9 Rental property owner incentives Partner with the Department of Housing and local realtors to educate, engage, and incentivize building owners, and real estate and property management representatives to address split-incentive issues(4), with a focus on rental protection and minimizing cost increases for low-income renters. Comment
    B-2.10 Energy efficiency in existing buildings Improve energy efficiency in large additions (400 square feet or larger) by adopting a higher climate zone in the building code that more accurately reflects anticipated climatic shifts. By responding to changes in climatic conditions, new energy efficiency building standards become cost-effective and can be adopted. Comment
    B-2.11 Green business program expansion Expand the reach of the Green Business Program to support 10% more small and medium businesses and establish a GHG reduction goal specifically for unincorporated businesses. Proactively recruit historically underserved businesses and identify opportunities to simultaneously share information about other retrofit/upgrade programs. Comment
    (4) “Split incentive” refers to a condition where the benefits and costs of capital improvements are unequally distributed. An appliance upgrade, for example, might produce savings or benefits for one party (the renter) while the costs are born by the other party (the property owner).

    POLICY B-3: USE MICROGRIDS TO GENERATE LOCAL RENEWABLE ENERGY AND IMPROVE RESILIENCY

    B-3.1 Capacity mapping Use utility distribution system capacity maps to investigate the feasibility of siting and maintaining microgrid, solar or wind combined with storage, and other distributed energy resource project opportunities. Comment
    B-3.2 Microgrid pilots Establish microgrid pilot projects and distributed energy resources at critical facilities across San Mateo County (e.g., schools, hospitals, fire, police). Comment
    B-3.3 Battery storage Support and enhance PCE’s existing battery storage incentive program. Comment

    POLICY B-4: PURSUE INTEGRATED OPPORTUNITIES TO ADDRESS CLIMATE ADAPTATION AND MITIGATION

    B-4.1 Cool roof technology Develop and adopt regulations or modify existing adopted regulations to require reroofing projects to meet or exceed the most current cool roof efficiency standards as determined by the California Energy Commission for Building Climate Zone 11 (or whichever zone more accurately reflects anticipated shifts in climatic conditions). Comment
    B-4.2 At-risk housing and community facility electrification Explore electrification opportunities when developing adaptation strategies for housing and community facilities. Provide technical assistance and support to public schools and communities to plan for electrification of housing and community facilities vulnerable to climate risks. Comment

    Back to Strategies

  • Transportation

    Emissions in the transportation sector come from people driving vehicles (vehicle miles traveled or VMT) on roads within the county. In 2017, this represented 40% of the County’s emissions inventory and remains the largest contributor when compared to the other sectors. Reducing this emission source will require reducing VMT as well as increasing the community adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). While making this change will require multijurisdictional action beyond the County’s purview, and will rely upon individual behavior change, the County can still play a critical role. San Mateo County can facilitate EV adoption, build the necessary charging infrastructure to enable widespread EV use, increase access to jobs, goods and services in neighborhoods, help its communities shift to active transportation (human-powered forms of transportation including walking, rolling, and biking), and work in partnership to enhance and improve public transit access and ridership. Presented below are the measures that are designed to reduce emissions from transportation.

    To meet our climate goals, we will need:

    • 18% increase in zero-emission vehicle and equipment adoption
    • 90 miles of additional bike lanes
    • 3% reduction in vehicle miles travelled
    • 100% increase in zero-emission vehicles and equipment

    SUMMARY OF TRANSPORTATION POLICY STRATEGIES(5)

    • Policy T-1: Increase electric vehicle adoption
    • Policy T-2: Encourage urban density and the revision of parking standards, and support bicycle and pedestrian-friendly planning
    • Policy T-3: Implement programs for shared transit that reduce VMT
    (5) Note on the measure order: the following tables of measures have been arranged by strategy. While the strategies are not listed in order of importance, the measures within them are arranged by importance in achieving emissions reduction goals, with the most important measures being at the top.

    POLICY T-1: INCREASE ELECTRIC VEHICLE ADOPTION

    T-1.1 EV charging requirements Evaluate the energy and green building standards at each California Building Standards code cycle to ensure that building electrification and EV charging station requirements are sufficient to meet community needs and climate goals. Adopt local ordinances when the State’s code does not keep pace with climate action in San Mateo County. Comment
    T-1.2 Public charging stations Install public EV charging stations, with an emphasis on daytime charging. Investigate options for shared EV charging, paired with solar and storage capacity. Comment
    T-1.3 EV readiness plan Prepare an EV readiness plan to identify suitable, equitable, and cost-feasible opportunities for installation and maintenance of EV charging station locations throughout the County. Comment
    T-1.4 Alternative fuel outreach Collaborate with key partners such as PCE to conduct alternative fuel outreach, focusing on electric vehicles and lawn equipment. Comment
    T-1.5 End-of-life vehicle conversion Partner with PCE and regional partners to develop a program to help transition private-use vehicles to zero emission vehicles at end of life, with a focus on supporting new EV purchases for low-income demographics. Comment
    T-1.6 Electric leaf blowers Assess opportunities for a program to support the transition to electric leaf blowers. Comment

    POLICY T-2: ENCOURAGE URBAN DENSITY AND THE REVISION OF PARKING STANDARDS, AND SUPPORT BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN-FRIENDLY PLANNING

    T-2.1 Mixed-use development requirements Update the General Plan and Local Coastal Plan with neighborhood mixed use, commercial mixed use, industrial mixed use, and multi-family residential designations to enable mixed-used development where feasible. Comment
    T-2.2 Affordable housing near transportation Continue interdepartmental coordination and collaboration to update policies according to Housing Element updates to enable and promote affordable housing near transportation. Comment
    T-2.3 Traffic calming and complete streets Pursue bicycle and pedestrian-friendly design by maximizing opportunities to implement traffic calming and complete streets measures into infrastructure projects. Identify opportunities to incorporate green infrastructure and pavement-to-parks concepts.(6) Comment
    T-2.4 Transportation Demand Management Ordinance Update the County’s Transportation Systems Management Ordinance to reflect updated regional policies, including but not limited to the San Mateo County Congestion Management Plan Transportation Demand Management Policy. Comment
    T-2.5 Transit improvements to reduce VMT Conduct interdepartmental coordination to develop and adopt local guidelines, policies, and tools to implement changes to the California Environmental Quality Act’s transportation significance metric and criteria (SB 743). Comment
    T-2.6 Active Transportation Plan implementation Support the implementation of the Active Transportation Plan by implementing priority pedestrian and bikeway projects, with a focus on those in historically underserved neighborhoods. Comment
    T-2.7 Regional coordination to increase multimodal travel Collaborate with local and regional partners to study existing parking policies, practices, programs, and demand, and opportunities to support increased multimodal travel. Comment
    T-2.8 Bicycle parking and amenities Review and revise existing bike parking requirements if they are inadequate for current and future demand. In districts without current bike parking requirements, evaluate opportunities for developing them. Comment
    (6) Pavement-to-parks refers to the creative utilization of unpaved areas or underutilized paved areas in neighborhoods with less access to green space to create new pedestrian and pocket-park spaces. This facilitates traffic calming as well as pedestrian-friendly street environments.

    POLICY T-3: IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS FOR SHARED TRANSIT THAT REDUCE VMT

    T-3.1 Access to transportation Work with partners to implement policies, programs, and pilot projects that support access to transit; for example, a first mile-last mile shuttle program or a school district-oriented transportation pilot. Prioritize efforts that provide access for households without access to a car, low-income, disabled, senior, and racial or ethnic minority populations. Comment
    T-3.2 Zero emissions buses Support the transition of public and private buses and shuttles to zero emission vehicles. Comment
    T-3.3 Micro-mobility(7) and shared transportation model policies Develop model policies for micro-mobility and shared transportation options (bike, scooter, and car share) that facilitate equitable access to mobility services and region-wide transit (first mile-last mile). Comment
    T-3.4 Programs to facilitate transportation equity Facilitate transportation equity through targeted provision of programs and infrastructure that support low-income, disabled, senior, and racial or ethnic minority populations to take transit, walk, bike, and use ride- or car-share. Comment
    T-3.5 Tax transit network company trips Explore opportunities for applying a tax on all transit network company trips (rides provided by commercial ride-hail companies and private transit services) that originate in San Mateo County to support transit and complete streets and safety improvements. Comment
    (7) “Micro-mobility” refers to lightweight vehicles that facilitate local transportation over shorter distances. Devices might include bicycles or e-bikes, scooters, or skateboards (all may be privately owned or shared).

    Back to Strategies

  • Waste and Consumption

    Waste produced in unincorporated communities is sent to Ox Mountain Landfill where the organic materials decompose and produce methane which is a GHG that is 28-36 times more potent than carbon dioxide in its 100-year atmospheric lifespan.(8) Waste represents a smaller share of overall county emissions at 26%. Presented below are measures designed to prevent materials from entering the landfill through source reduction and waste diversion actions such as reducing waste generated, reusing materials, composting organics, and recycling. Presented below are the measures that are designed to reduce emissions from waste and consumption.

    To meet our climate goals, we will need:

    • open
    • 18% reduction in organics in the waste stream by implementing SB 1383 (53% of total waste stream)

    SUMMARY OF WASTE & CONSUMPTION POLICY STRATEGIES(9)

    (8) “Methane and Climate Change.” IEA. (2021). https://www.iea.org/reports/methane-tracker-2021/methane-and-climate-change
    (9) Note on the measure order: the following tables of measures have been arranged by strategy. While the strategies are not listed in order of importance, the measures within them are arranged by importance in achieving emissions reduction goals, with the most important measures being at the top.

    POLICY W-1: REDUCE CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS AND WASTE

    W-1.1 Building regulations for deconstruction and waste management Update the building regulations to require deconstruction surveys for single family home demolitions that allow 10 days for salvage and require waste management plans for renovations over $50,000. Comment

    POLICY W-2: REDUCE ORGANICS IN THE WASTE STREAM

    W-2.1 Organics diversion Work with franchised haulers and waste authorities to ensure the goals of SB 1383, the Short-lived Climate Pollutant Reduction law, are met by 2025. Comment
    W-2.2 Edible Food Recovery Program Implement an Edible Food Recovery Program for unincorporated areas as required under SB 1383. Increase the coverage of the Edible Food Recovery Program for densely populated, unincorporated areas, such as North Fair Oaks, and further assist food recovery organizations to increase pickup and redistribution. Comment
    W-2.3 Recycling and composting outreach and technical assistance Enhance recycling and composting outreach and technical assistance and investigate offering incentives to commercial and agricultural entities in unincorporated areas of San Mateo County. Comment
    W-2.4 Improvement projects for organic waste Reduce the amount of organics in the landfill by pursuing additional opportunities to repurpose organic materials, which may include creating additional sites to the Countywide community compost collaborative, exploring development of a composting facility on the coast, and exploring feasible capital improvement projects for reducing organics in the waste stream, such as organics extraction presses and anerobic digesters. Comment
    W-2.5 Community carbon sequestration training Partner with agriculture-related organizations, public school and community college districts, local community-based organizations, and other stakeholders, to develop a home carbon sequestration and soil health education campaign for residents and training opportunities for landscape professionals and local government parks and recreation staff. Comment
    W-2.6 Local garden program Develop a local garden program to facilitate the creation of compost and promote the use of compost at community and school gardens. Prioritize schools serving low-income communities. Comment
    W-2.7 Agricultural waste diversion Partner with agriculture-related organizations, producers, and businesses to reduce and divert waste generated in the agriculture sector, including farms, ranches, and equestrian facilities through composting and biodigestion(10). Comment
    (10) A biological process, also known as anaerobic digestion, through which organic matter decomposes in the absence of oxygen and, in this case, would occur in a controlled environment.

    POLICY W-3: REDUCE INORGANIC WASTE SENT TO LANDFILLS

    W-3.1 Business outreach promoting reusables Conduct outreach and engagement to inform businesses of applicable laws for reducing/regulating single-use product and shipping packaging and/or promoting reuse, such as food service ware, home meal delivery services, and other packaging. Comment
    W-3.2 Funding for local waste-related outreach Expand opportunities to provide funding and technical assistance to non-profit organizations, schools, and other entities to implement projects relating to reuse, source reduction, recycling, and composting. Comment
    W-3.3 County contract and event permit updates Ensure that all County contracts and event permits require all third-party vendors provide and utilize compostable and/or reusable food service items to serve 50 or more people and provide recycling and composting infrastructure. Comment
    W-3.4 Waste reduction and reuse programs Partner with public institutions, private businesses, and nonprofits (like thrift stores) to develop and implement programs that encourage waste reduction and reuse. Comment
    W-3.5 Extended producer responsibility requirements for County contracts Require extended producer responsibility(11) (EPR) when an option to advance greater EPR exists. Scale these efforts by partnering with public school and community college districts to determine if a similar effort or policy would be feasible. Comment
    W-3.6 Public Outreach and marketing Continue to collaborate with other local governments (through the Bay Area Recycling Outreach Coalition, for example) to implement a regional outreach and marketing campaign. Comment
    W-3.7 Public education and civic engagement Expand educational offerings and resources for improving community resource conservation (addressing the “4Rs,” reduce, reuse, recycle, rot) through existing and new offerings. Explore development of a Youth Conservation Corps program that would provide local mentorship, volunteer, internship, and/or employment opportunities for youth and young adults in the resource conservation and solid waste reduction field. Comment
    W-3.8 Workforce development in solid waste reduction Provide and promote accessible local workforce development opportunities related to solid waste programs. Create new partnerships and economic opportunities to provide maximum benefit in the form of employment opportunities for the local workforce, residents with barriers to employment, and communities most affected by climate change. Comment
    (11) Extended producer responsibility is a “strategy to place a shared responsibility for end-of-life product management on producers, and other entities involved in the product chain, instead of the general public.” (CalRecycle, 2020)

    Back to Strategies

  • Working Lands

    Carbon sequestration is the natural process of plants taking in CO2 from the atmosphere and, through a biochemical interaction between the roots, the soil, and microorganisms, storing that CO2 in the soil profile. Rangeland and cropland, including publicly and privately managed lands, comprise a large portion of the land base in California and in San Mateo County. These working lands have significant potential for sequestering carbon from the atmosphere, thus serving as a climate mitigation strategy. Active management of working lands can enhance the rate of carbon sequestration in soils and vegetation, therefore carbon farming (i.e., the suite of practices that brings about more sequestration) has a critical role to play in helping San Mateo County develop resilience to climate change while simultaneously reducing atmospheric greenhouse gases driving climate change. Carbon farming and other related agricultural activities may be referred to as “climate beneficial” because of the capacity to draw carbon from the atmosphere and for the numerous co-benefits of carbon farming, including increased soil organic matter and soil water-holding capacity. Such activities include, but aren’t limited to compost application, cover cropping, hedgerow planting, and prescribed grazing. The following strategies and measures are designed to support local agricultural producers and enable carbon farming on the County’s working lands. Presented below are measures designed to reduce emissions and sequester carbon in working lands.

    To meet our climate goals, we will need to:

    • Sequester 39,000 MTCO2E(12) of carbon and carbon in soils and vegetation
    • Support ranchers and farmers to plan, implement, and scale climate beneficial practices on the county’s working lands
    • Increase resilience to climate change impacts. Improve water quality and soil health. Enhance and increase habitat for pollinators and wildlife

    SUMMARY OF WORKING LANDS POLICY STRATEGIES

    • Policy L-1: Identify new financing to scale carbon farming
    • Policy L-2: Support technical assistance, education, and data collection efforts to scale climate beneficial agriculture
    • Policy L-3: Secure access to key implementation infrastructure to advance climate beneficial agriculture
    • Policy L-4: Address permitting barriers to implementing climate beneficial agricultural practices
    • Policy L-5: Ensure agricultural lands are preserved for agricultural production
    • Policy L-6: Support carbon sequestration and ecological restoration on natural lands
    (12) MTCO2E: metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.

    POLICY L-1: IDENTIFY NEW FINANCING TO SCALE CARBON FARMING

    L-1.1 Carbon farming investments Implement a County funding program, such as Santa Clara County’s Agricultural Resilience Incentive, for farmers and ranchers to implement and maintain climate beneficial practices. Comment
    L-1.2 External funding programs for carbon farming
    • Support the San Mateo Resource Conservation District (SMRCD) and other land partners to leverage private, and regional, state, and federal funding for producers’ implementation of climate beneficial agricultural practices.
    • Develop a program or mechanism for San Mateo County businesses, philanthropic institutions, and supportive community members to support local carbon farming projects.
    		 Comment
    L-1.3 Compost procurement Where feasible, County-procured compost through SB 1383 compliance should be made available to producers at a reduced cost or for free. Comment
    L-1.4 Cost saving methods Explore opportunities for establishing a bulk purchasing program for cost savings, such as for cover crop seed. Comment
    L-1.5 Climate-beneficial communications Assess potential of a communication or labeling program to raise awareness of climate beneficial agricultural practices of San Mateo County producers, potentially as part of As Fresh As It Gets.(13) Assess potential of such program to increase revenue for producers. Comment
    L-1.6 Public benefit communications Assess and report the estimated public benefits and cost savings provided by climate beneficial agricultural practices to the agricultural and larger San Mateo County communities. Comment

    POLICY L-2: SUPPORT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, EDUCATION, AND DATA COLLECTION EFFORTS TO SCALE CLIMATE BENEFICIAL AGRICULTURE

    L-2.1 Technical assistance provider support Support the SMRCD and other land partners in providing technical assistance to agricultural producers to scale carbon farming and GHG emission reducing practices. Support adequate staffing for technical assistance providers to undertake outreach, planning, implementation, monitoring, and maintenance. Comment
    L-2.2 On-farm research and demonstration Support trials, research, and monitoring by the SMRCD and other land partners to refine local data on carbon sequestration and GHG emission reduction occurring from existing and new climate beneficial practices. Comment
    L-2.3 Educational opportunities for land managers Support the SMRCD and other land partners in providing educational opportunities to assist producers in evaluating and adopting climate beneficial agricultural practices. Comment

    POLICY L-3: SECURE ACCESS TO KEY IMPLEMENTATION INFRASTRUCTURE

    L-3.1 Carbon farming implementation infrastructure access
    • Support development of key infrastructure, such as a bulk purchasing program for cost savings for carbon farming.
    • Investigate feasibility of equipment share or low-cost rental program to increase access to essential equipment to facilitate carbon farming practices, such as a compost spreader or no-till drill, and, if feasible, support and finance equipment purchasing, coordination and maintenance of such a program.
    • Improve and increase the availability of high quality and affordable local agricultural compost.
    		 Comment
    L-3.2 Climate beneficial practices that reduce GHG emissions
    • Support work to improve irrigation efficiency and increase use of on-farm GHG emission reducing equipment and alternative energy, such as solar.
    • Fund chipping program to reduce annual burning of pruning waste.
    • Assist in the development of infrastructure that supports the local agricultural economy while reducing travel, such as development of agricultural services or markets in San Mateo County.
    • Support efforts that assist producers with agricultural waste reduction, reuse, and recycling.
    • Ensure that woody material removed for fuel load reduction projects be recycled into a beneficial use, such as compost or biochar. Investigate feasibility of procuring a mobile pyrolysis facility and establish shared funding mechanism for ongoing costs of repair and maintenance.
    • Partner with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) and Peninsula Clean Energy (PCE) to assess the feasibility of establishing an incentive program that would help producers plan for and install solar panels and battery storage for on-farm operations.
    • Partner with PG&E and PCE to provide producers with on-farm energy audits to identify energy efficiency opportunities and connect them to existing county and statewide energy upgrade programs, including incentives, rebates, and financing.
    		 Comment
    L-3.3 Progress tracking Develop a platform for tracking and reporting on climate goals and on-farm benefits of climate beneficial agricultural projects. Comment

    POLICY L-4: ADDRESS PERMITTING BARRIERS

    L-4.1 Permit barrier identification and minimization
    • Assess local permitting and ordinances to identify barriers to efficient and effective planning and implementation of climate beneficial agricultural practices.
    • Participate in statewide Cutting Green Tape initiative.
    • Engage in efforts to reduce regulatory barriers to efficient and effective climate beneficial agricultural practices.
    • Align local regulations to statewide streamlining permitting efforts for on-farm composting and climate beneficial agricultural practices.
    		 Comment

    POLICY L-5: ENSURE AGRICULTURAL LANDS ARE PRESERVED FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION

    L-5.1 Agricultural land preservation Support efforts to improve access, tenure, and ownership for next generation and new and beginning farmers and ranchers. Comment

    POLICY L-6: SUPPORT CARBON SEQUESTRATION ON NATURAL LANDS AND URBAN GREEN SPACES

    L-6.1 Stewardship and Ecological Restoration on Natural Lands
    • Explore opportunities to encourage and support ecological restoration efforts where feasible.
    • Explore opportunities to provide tribal access to land for cultural activities and events that are dedicated to tribal members as well as shared opportunities for members of the broader public to visit the land and learn about and tend native plants. Support development of accompanying place-based public education opportunities focused on local microclimates, indigenous plant communities, and land stewardship.
    		 Comment
    L-6.2 Carbon Sequestration on Natural Lands and Urban Green Space Develop strategies through diverse stakeholder participation for carbon sequestration and climate adaptation on natural lands and urban green spaces. Comment

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