California Air Resources Board

Making sure California is on track in terms of land management

In response to Senate Bill 1757, in April of 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom set targets for implementing an extensive set of land management practices over the next 20 years that are collectively referred to as ‘Nature-Based Solution Climate Targets’. Examples of Nature-Based Solutions include conducting prescribed fire and other fuel reduction to minimize the risk and impact from catastrophic wildfires; restoring disturbed, damaged, or historically altered landscapes; and conserving existing intact ecosystems. While these targets have already been set, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) is further responsible for standardizing the methods by which these land management activities are assessed for their carbon and climate benefits. This mandate is further strengthened by Senate Bill 1279, which directs CARB to identify the path to, and track progress towards, statewide carbon neutrality. CARB is responsible for providing the data and analysis to support this objective; primarily through its Natural and Working Lands Carbon Inventory initiative and in partnership with other state agencies.

Because CARB also has a mandate to identify and track the State’s path to achieving carbon neutrality by 2045, it must further assess the influence that land management activities are having on landscape carbon stocks and greenhouse gas emissions under present and future climate scenarios. CARB is responsible for providing the data and analysis to support this objective; primarily through its Natural and Working Lands Carbon Inventory initiative. CARB is also responsible for reporting a more detailed analyses of the effect that wildfires, prescribed fires and forest management activities have on carbon stocks and greenhouse gas emissions.