Conservation measures increase tree planting on residential and County land to sequester and store carbon from the atmosphere into the soil. Supporting efforts promote locally grown food and sustainable agricultural practices to conserve water, build soil health, and moderate soil temperatures during extreme heat days, and achieve continued greenhouse gas reductions. Measures in this sector will help the County achieve a reduction of 791 metric tons carbon dioxide equivalent in 2020 and 17,920 in 2030. 

On September 11, 2024, the Board of Supervisors adopted the 2024 Climate Action Plan . The Final 2024 CAP project documents will be posted online soon. This website will be updated to reflect the 2024 CAP. 

MEASURES

Strategy A-1 – Support Conversion of Agricultural Equipment to Alternative Fuels

Strategy A-2 – Increase Carbon Sequestration

BACKGROUND

While agriculture is a major contributor to the local economy, it contributes 5% of the unincorporated county’s total greenhouse gas emissions from livestock, application of fertilizer, and the use of petroleum- or diesel-powered equipment. To help address greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector, the Climate Action Plan includes measures that focus on replacing older agricultural equipment with clean, efficient alternatives to lower emissions, improve air quality, and save money for farmers.

Achievements

  • 5,604 trees were planted by the County Department of Parks and Recreation in 2023, for a total of 36,255 trees since 2015
  • 13 tractors were replaced under the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District’s Clean Air Campaign Program in 2021 in the unincorporated area
  • Adopted updates in 2020 to the County's Landscaping Ordinance to increase residential tree planting

Awards

  • In 2022, the County received a National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award (NACo Category: County Resiliency) for the Landscaping Ordinance Update. Adopted in 2020, updates to the Landscaping Ordinance reduce outdoor water use and increase residential tree planting to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, conserve natural resources and improve water quality. Implementation of the amended ordinance will reduce outdoor water use by 40% from 2014 levels and require two trees to be planted for each new single-family residence.
  • In 2021, the County received a NACo Achievement Award (NACo Category: Parks and Recreation) for Estrella Park, a 6.6-acre park located in the Valle de Oro community. Undeveloped since 1977, the park now provides unique recreational opportunities within walking distance to nearby residents. The proximity to several schools and the Spring Valley Teen Center, combined with the natural wetland, makes Estrella Park an ideal park for the County’s nature interpretive programs, wildlife observation, watershed protection programs and more.
  • In 2020, the County received a NACo Achievement Award (NACo Category: Parks and Recreation) for the Santa Ysabel Nature Center located in the oak woodland and native grassland habitat in the Santa Ysabel Nature Preserve. The Nature Center, opened on Dec. 14, 2020, is a 6,000-square-foot LEED Gold and Zero Net Energy facility that serves visitors and backcountry nature enthusiasts who wish to learn about the ecology and natural history of the area.
Read the Climate Action Progress Annual Report